Nov 23, 2024

2021-2022 Undergraduate Catalog

2021-2022 Undergraduate Catalog [ARCHIVED CATALOG]

College of Earth, Ocean, and Environment

Students in the College of Earth, Ocean and Environment working in a classroom.

Departments and Programs

Mission

The College of Earth, Ocean, and Environment (CEOE) is dedicated to advancing the understanding of Earth’s natural systems and the interactions of humans with the environment through engaged interdisciplinary research, teaching, and outreach. The College’s goal is to produce well-rounded scientists, researchers, policy specialists, and educators who have the broad vision and multidisciplinary background necessary to address the sweeping, interrelated issues that are part of the study of ocean, earth, and environmental systems.

With a deep commitment to excellence in academics, research, and public outreach, CEOE plays a leading role in educating future marine, earth and environmental scientists, educators, and policy specialists. Our interdisciplinary emphasis and commitment to the highest scientific ideals prepares students for rewarding careers in teaching, research, and public service. The classrooms and labs at both the Newark and Lewes campuses are active and engaging learning environments where students work closely with the premiere faculty of the college.

Earth, ocean, and environmental scientists view the world on many temporal and spatial levels. From the microscopic realm of bacteria and plankton, to the changes caused by land-surface processes and the everyday domain of the coastal ocean to the panoramic perspective of satellites in space, our scientists and students look at the world through many lenses. CEOE also study the human interactions with the planet and its systems to better understand our interconnectedness with the world. Whether it be the cultural and economic landscapes of countries that span the globe, or our own backyards and impacts in our local communities, human geographers and marine policy specialists strive to better understand how we impact and are impacted by the world in which we live. CEOE strives to bring our picture of the Earth, its ocean and environment into ever-sharper focus and to educate well-rounded scientists, educators, and policy specialists with the broad vision needed to address today’s global problems and develop solutions. Our graduates are interested in all interaction with the planet - from legal, economic, and political aspects of conflict resolution, to understanding and applying natural science principles for the mutual benefit of humankind and the environment. CEOE alumni hold rewarding careers around the globe, as professors, school teachers, research scientists, ocean engineers, development geologists, resource managers, geoarcheologists, geographers, marine biologists, business owners, environmental statisticians, doctors, lawyers, journalists, and diplomats.

Concerns such as climate change, globalization and migration, marine pollution, watershed degradation, energy independence, and fisheries decline are at the heart of our work at CEOE. Meeting these challenges often demands expertise in several disciplines, and our curricula reflects this reality.

Undergraduate students interested in the environment, the Earth, and the ocean are connected to CEOE in a number of ways:

As majors in Earth Science Education, Environmental Studies, Environmental Science, Geography Education, Geography, Geological Sciences, Marine Science, or Meteorology and Climatology.
As students earning a minor in Coastal and Marine Geoscience, Geography, Geological Sciences, Marine Science, or Meteorology and Climatology.
Participating in research opportunities within CEOE. Students can undertake an individual research project with a faculty member, participate in our NSF-Sponsored Summer Research Experience for Undergraduates, engage in our Semester In Residence Program at the Lewes campus, through participation in the University of Delaware’s Undergraduate Research Program, as well as through other research opportunities.

For detailed information about the college’s research and facilities, please visit the CEOE website. There, one can find information specific to the departments and school that make up CEOE [Department of Geological Sciences, Department of Geography; School of Marine Science and Policy] and information regarding specific faculty members and their research interests.

Degree Program Offerings

The College of Earth, Ocean, and Environment is one of seven colleges at the University of Delaware. CEOE is also the home of the Delaware Sea Grant College Program, the Delaware Geological Survey, the Joint Institute for Coastal Research and Management, the Office of the Delaware State Climatologist, the Scientific Committee on Oceanic Research, and the Special Initiative on Offshore Wind. We have a deep commitment to excellence in academics, research, and public outreach. CEOE is playing a leading role in educating future earth, ocean, and environmental scientists, educators, and policy specialists. The classrooms and labs at both the Newark and Lewes campuses are active and engaging learning environments where students work closely with our premiere faculty.

There are many degree program offerings and research opportunities for students. In CEOE, undergraduate students can major in:

Environmental Science and Environmental Studies are degree programs housed in the Department of Geography and Spatial Sciences in which majors select from a number of concentrations which focus their study of the environment in a specific depth area.

The Marine Science degree program is specifically concentrated in Marine Biology.

Students interested in studying the Earth and Ocean may also choose to from the following minors: Coastal and Marine Geoscience Minor , Geography Minor , Geological Sciences Minor , Marine Science Minor , or Meteorology Minor .

Academic Enrichment Opportunities

The Dean’s Scholar Program exists to serve the needs of students whose clearly defined educational goals cannot effectively be achieved by pursuing the standard curricula for all existing majors, minors, and interdepartmental majors sponsored by the University. Driven by an overarching passion or curiosity that transcends typical disciplinary bounds and curricula, a Dean’s Scholar’s intellectual interests may lead to broad interdisciplinary explorations of an issue or to more intense, in-depth studies in a single field at a level akin to graduate work. The Dean’s Scholar Program exists to serve the needs of these extraordinary students by allowing them to design, in consultation with faculty advisors, imaginative and rigorous individual plans of study to meet the total credit hours required for graduation. It is expected that the course of study outlined by the Dean’s Scholar candidate will represent a program that cannot be effectively achieved using other options already available within the University. In consultation with faculty advisors and the assistant dean of the college, CEOE Dean’s Scholars design an imaginative and rigorous individual plan of study to meet the total credit hours required for graduation.

Dean’s Scholar Program

Semester-In-Residence Program

The College of Earth, Ocean, and Environment (CEOE) is one of the nation’s major centers for research and teaching in marine, earth and environmental disciplines.

In addition to facilities at the University of Delaware’s main campus in Newark, CEOE’s School of Marine Science and Policy is based at our marine research campus in Lewes, Delaware, a historic coastal town situated at the mouth of Delaware Bay.

The Lewes campus houses several marine lab buildings, a marine studies library, computing sites, and traditional and interactive television (ITV) classrooms. The campus also houses the CEOE/SMSP research fleet, most notably the 146-foot R/V Hugh R. Sharp. The R/V Sharp was commissioned in 2005 and is one of the most state-of-the-art academic research vessels in the nation. In the summer of 2014, we added a new 47-foot research vessel, the R/V Joanne Daiber. This newly constructed vessel functions in a range of habitats from the bay estuaries to the shelf break. Able to move around quickly, the R/V Daiber is utilized for scientific field projects as well as undergraduate and graduate instruction.

An Outstanding Opportunity

Students participating in the Semester-in-Residence (SIR) program live, work, and study at the Lewes campus for a semester. The program gives undergraduate students the opportunity to explore marine studies through classes, field work and research.

Students typically undertake the SIR program in the Fall semester when the biodiversity in and around the Delaware Bay is close to its summertime peak. Offerings include classes in marine biosciences, chemical oceanography, physical oceanography, and research methods. In addition to classes with other SIR students, you may elect to pursue research under the guidance of a faculty mentor in a focused environment.

Former SIR students have gone on to graduate school or the world of work armed with strong field research experiences and more personalized, extensive, and specific recommendation letters from the faculty who mentored them during the semester. SIR students have found that these experiences and relationships serve them well as they move ahead in their careers.

Facilities

The College of Earth, Ocean, and Environment (CEOE) is one of the nation’s major centers for research and teaching in marine, earth and environmental disciplines. In addition to facilities at the University of Delaware’s main campus in Newark, CEOE’s School of Marine Science and Policy is based at our marine research campus in Lewes, Delaware, a historic coastal town situated at the mouth of Delaware Bay.

The Lewes campus houses several marine lab buildings, a marine studies library, computing sites, and traditional and interactive television (ITV) classrooms. The campus also houses the CEOE/SMSP research fleet, most notably the 146-foot R/V Hugh R. Sharp. The R/V Sharp was commissioned in 2005 and is one of the most state-of-the-art academic research vessels in the nation. In the summer of 2014, we added a new 47-foot research vessel, the R/V Joanne Daiber. This newly constructed vessel functions in a range of habitats from the bay estuaries to the shelf break. Able to move around quickly, the R/V Daiber is utilized for scientific field projects as well as undergraduate and graduate instruction.

Tuition and Housing

Students pay normal University of Delaware tuition based on credit hours taken.

SIR students are housed at the Franklin C. Daiber Residence Complex in Lewes. The Daiber Complex is a University of Delaware facility and is named for Daiber, who was a well-known and respected CEOE professor, researcher, and mentor. Housing is billed separately from tuition; rates are comparable to on-campus housing on the UD Newark campus.

Application and Enrollment

Enrollment in the SIR program is available on a limited and competitive basis to individuals each semester.

SIR is open to any student attending an accredited four-year undergraduate program. In addition to contacting the SIR program administrators, non-University of Delaware students should contact UD’s Office of Professional and Continuing Studies at 302-855-1630. Students should also check with their home institution to verify that it will accept UD credits.

Don’t Delay…Apply Today!

The annual application deadlines are:

March 1 for Fall Semester

Requirements for consideration:

Junior or senior status
Minimum GPA of 3.0 (on a 4.0 scale)
Interest in marine studies
Letter of support from your advisor or another faculty member

To apply send

Letter of interest
Resume
Letter of support (should be submitted directly to: ceoe-sir@udel.edu)
Official transcript of all college work (for non-UD students)
Unofficial transcript of all college work (for current UD students)

Submit electronically to: ceoe-sir@udel.edu
or
Submit by mail to:
Semester-in-Residence Program
School of Marine Science and Policy
College of Earth, Ocean, and Environment
700 Pilottown Road
Lewes, DE 19958-1298

For more information: Phone: 302-831-2841 and/or E-mail.

NSF Marine Sciences Summer Internship

What is it?
Supported by a grant from the National Science Foundation’s Division of Ocean Sciences, this REU (Research Experience for Undergraduates) program awards ten science, engineering, and mathematics undergraduates summer internships to conduct guided research in marine science.

Who can participate?
Students between their junior and senior years will receive preference. Applications from members of underrepresented minority groups are especially encouraged. Interns will work with faculty and research staff in a graduate student atmosphere on a research topic in chemical, physical, or biological oceanography, marine biology, marine geology, or marine biogeochemistry. Interns will work semi-independently on a project designed by the intern and assigned faculty advisor. Interns present written and oral reports at the end of the summer. The program runs for 10 weeks (early June - mid August). Interns will be expected to attend weekly seminars presented by faculty and research staff.

Where does the Program take place?
The Marine Science internship program is housed at the University of Delaware-College of Earth, Ocean, and Environment’s School of Marine Science and Policy. The School is based on the Hugh R. Sharp Campus in the resort community of Lewes, Delaware.

This modern campus is located on the shores of Delaware Bay and the Atlantic Ocean near Cape Henlopen State Park. Research and teaching facilities are available in Lewes, which is linked by computer and interactive TV to the main campus in Newark.

Accommodations for interns are provided at the Daiber Housing Complex, which is comprised of 28 three-bedroom and two two-bedroom, semi-detached ranch houses. All units include a range, refrigerator, washer, and dryer. The complex is less than two miles from the Hugh R. Sharp Campus and within walking distance of downtown Lewes.

Student support includes a stipend, free housing, and travel assistance for the 10-week session. The Marine Sciences Summer Intern Program is supported by a grant from the National Science Foundation’s Division of Ocean Sciences.

How to Apply
Applicants must be citizens or permanent residents of the United States and its possessions and must be enrolled in a degree program leading to a bachelor’s degree. Students who will have received their degree prior to August 2017 are not eligible. Applicants are encouraged to electronically submit their application and a letter describing their general background and interests in pursuing the research experience. The application form, timeline information, and additional instructions are available here. If you do not have Internet access, please contact us by mail or email at the address below for an application. Applications from women and members of minority groups are especially encouraged.

The general deadline for submission is in February each year. Specific deadlines, contact, and other information can be found on the CEOE Summer REU website.

Marine Policy Internship

Qualified undergraduate students from various disciplines may serve as interns in the Gerard J. Mangone Center for Marine Policy at CEOE, and work on a range of research and policy analysis activities with graduate students, faculty, and national and international agencies. The Center conducts an active research program on a regional, national and international scale; provides policy advice to governmental and nongovernmental agencies; and organizes conferences, publications, international exchanges, and a visitors program. Major emphases include implementation of the Earth Summit agreements related to the oceans and coasts, the theory and practice of integrated coastal management, the management of coastal ecosystem health, and marine biotechnology.

For more information, contact:

Dr. Biliana Cicin-Sain, Director E-Mail
Gerard J. Mangone Center for Marine Policy
College of Earth, Ocean & Environment
301 Robinson Hall
Newark, DE 19716

Departments and Programs