| Advising
Each student admitted to the oceanography department
is assigned an advisory committee by the department chair. The committee
initially consists of three graduate faculty members from at least two
of the subdisciplines of oceanography. When formed, the student’s MS
or PhD committee becomes the student’s advisory committee. A student
must meet with his or her advisory committee at least twice per year. A
written report summarizing each meeting must be signed by the student
and his or her committee and a copy placed in the student’s file.
Graduate Study
The department offers master’s and doctoral programs
with areas of specializations in biological, chemical, geological, and
physical oceanography.
Oceanography courses listed in this Catalog may
be taken for credit in the degree program. Additional courses may be
selected from the fields of botany, chemistry, engineering, geology,
mathematics, meteorology, physics, and zoology.
Admission Requirements
Applicants must have intensive, rigorous training in
one of the basic sciences or engineering. Regardless of major, an
applicant must have completed mathematical training, including calculus
through first-order ordinary differential equations (equivalent to
Calculus IV at the University). An applicant must also have a year each
of physics and chemistry. The well-prepared student will also have
covered classical thermodynamics and applied differential equations and
will have had a semester each of biology and geology. GRE test scores
(General Test only) are required. Interested students should write to
the department chair for a brochure and further information. For U.S.
applicants, the deadline for application for admission is February 1 for
the fall semester and September 1 for the spring semester. For
foreign applicants, the corresponding deadlines are January 15 and
August 1.
Major Requirements
All students pursuing a degree program must take OCN
620, 622, and 623. For non-biological students, the sequence is
completed by taking OCN 621. Biological students complete the sequence
by taking OCN 626, 627, and 628. Students may be admitted to the MS
program upon successful completion of the appropriate sequence. To be
admitted to the PhD program, a student must receive a positive
recommendation from a PhD-qualifying committee.
Degree Requirements
Both the MS and PhD programs require a minimum of 36
credit hours, including 24 credit hours of course work and 12 credit
hours of thesis or dissertation research. The 24 semester hours of
course work must be in courses numbered 600 or above (excluding OCN 699
and 700 and seminar courses). At least 12 of those semester hours must
consist of courses taken from three of the following groups: biological
oceanography, geological oceanography, chemical oceanography, physical
oceanography, mathematical methods and statistics, and meteorology. All
students must complete a seminar requirement, demonstrate computer
competency, and accumulate at least 30 days of field experience. PhD
candidates must also pass a comprehensive examination and qualify in one
foreign language. All students must pass a final oral examination in
defense of their thesis/dissertation. |