Intercampus Programs: Marine Sciences and Technology (PhD, MS) — The MS Program

The MS program requires a minimum of 30 credit hours with the thesis option and 33 credit hours with the non-thesis option. Students are required to take three core courses (9 credits) and choose additional courses appropriate to a selected area of concentration. Attendance at a weekly seminar series is required (1 credit each for two semesters), and each student must present at least one seminar in his/her third or fourth semester. Full-time MS students normally complete their degree requirements in four semesters. Part-time MS students are encouraged to take two courses per semester.

Core Course Requirements

Each IGS student must complete three core courses (9 credits), which include two out of three of the core courses in biological, chemical, and physical oceanography and a third core course in marine policy and/or management areas (including law and economics). The core courses are intended to provide a common grounding in the biological, chemical, and physical oceanographic areas of marine sciences and technology and in related marine policy and management disciplines. Courses covering technology and quantitative skills are generally subject to student choice and guidance committee approval, though there may be requirements specific to each option area. At least two core courses are offered each semester using the University’s substantial distance-learning facilities and technology. Students normally complete the core courses in the first two semesters.

Concentrations and Electives

To build on the core courses, each IGS student selects an area of concentration and chooses a marine policy or management core course and electives appropriate to this concentration, as approved by his/her faculty advisor and/or thesis committee.

Students typically take most of their elective courses on the campus where they and their major faculty advisor are in residence. Some elective courses, however, will also be taught via distance learning. In addition, students may choose to be in residence at different campuses for a period of time during their course of study, in order to take certain courses or to take advantage of research opportunities.

Weekly Seminars

Weekly seminars presented by students and by visiting speakers are intended to broaden the scope of each student’s experience and to provide experience in verbal communication. Each MS student must present at least one seminar in the third or fourth semester. Attendance at the weekly seminars is required during all four semesters, for which students receive 1 credit for each of the first two semesters but no credit for the second two semesters.

Thesis and Non-Thesis Options

MS students may choose either a thesis or non-thesis option. Each student electing the thesis option will be assigned a Thesis Committee, chaired by the student’s major advisor, which will be responsible for ensuring that the student fulfills all requirements of the IGS as well as other campus requirements, including presentation of a thesis defense consisting of a public lecture on the thesis and a subsequent oral examination by the Thesis Committee. Each student electing the non-thesis option, in addition to an additional 3 credits, must complete a substantial research paper that must be read and approved by the major advisor and at least one other faculty member.