<p>I am currently a graduating senior with biology major and chemistry minor from Quinnipiac University. I would like to attend graduate school for Marine Biology and have a few question regarding getting in. First with my low GPA (I wasnt focused as a freshmen) is it even possible for my me to get into a master or Phd program? If I cant get in will several years of teaching or real world experience help? Secondly should I try a master first and what schools would be possible for me to get into? I am very committed to my goal and willing to work many years to reach it. Also is joining the naval and going to postgraduate school under them an option for someone like me?</p>
<p>My GPA is 3.01
I havent taken the GRE yet
I have done relevant research as an undergraduate supervised by my advisor</p>
<p>Sounds like your in for a couple years of being a lab tech. This can be a great thing. The salaries are higher than grad student stipends, benefit packages in academia can't be beaten, it will provide you with the relevant research experience for grad school, allow you to take interesting courses and many more bonuses. You wouldn't be a competitive applicant without this. You could probably be accepted into a masters program as is, but why bother? They charge you tuition, don't pay (much of a stipend, if at all) and leave you roughly as unemployable as you are now. I don't know anybody who joined the navy and did post graduate study there, so i am afraid that I can't answer that question. Lastly, how well thought out is your plan? Do you know yet what you would want to do if you got a PhD in marine biology? Do you know much about the competitiveness and structure of the field? Its all in shades of gray, but how stable would this field be as compared to a different related one like environmental science, wildlife conservation, zoology etc?</p>