Ocean Engineering (PhD)

Program Educational Goals:

Graduates obtaining a PhD from the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering with a concentration in ocean engineering will be able to:

Demonstrate a solid understanding of fundamental principles and advanced-level knowledge of ocean engineering concepts such as engineering mathematics, wave theory, fluid dynamics, coastal processes, and sediment transport and apply these concepts to new problems.
Understand and critically assess published literature and research findings in ocean engineering.
Formulate and execute a research plan to generate and defend new knowledge and publish findings in peer-reviewed literature.
Develop and/or apply new experimental, computational, or theoretical tools in ocean engineering research.
Communicate ocean engineering concepts effectively in writing, orally, and graphically.
Collaborate on interdisciplinary teams to address problems of societal significance.

Requirements for the PhD Degree

The Ocean Engineering PhD program is aimed at training graduate students to achieve the highest level of proficiency in research. The doctoral program is planned around a central engineering objective. The total program is comprised of 72 credits beyond the bachelor’s degree that include a minimum of 36 credits of coursework, 6 credits for the Master’s Thesis (if applicable), 9 credits for the PhD Dissertation, and a minimum of 9 credits for research. For students holding a master’s degree in an appropriate field of study, the coursework from the master’s degree will be taken into account in the design of the doctoral program. All graduate students work in close cooperation with the faculty on their dissertation area.

General Requirements

Residency Requirement:

The student must meet a campus residency requirement of at least one continuous academic year. If a student has earned a master’s degree at the University of Delaware, this can be used to fulfill the residency requirement.

Qualifying Exam:

The qualifying examination is usually taken near the completion of the required credits of coursework beyond the bachelor’s degree.

Required Courses:

All courses in the program are selected with the approval of the student’s advisor. The program requires a minimum of 36 credits in graduate courses beyond the Bachelor of Science degree. The purpose of the course work is to provide a solid foundation for original research in the field of study and, within the limits of available time, to extend the student’s knowledge outside that field. The required courses beyond the Bachelor of Science are as follows:

CIEG 639 - Ocean Fluid Dynamics Credit(s): 3 or
MAST 691 - Fluid Dynamics in Marine Systems Credit(s): 4
CIEG 672 - Water Wave Mechanics Credit(s): 3
MEEG 690 - Intermediate Engineering Mathematics Credit(s): 3
MAST 693 - Waves in the Marine Environment Credit(s): 3
MAST 882 - Physical Ocean Science and Engineering Seminar Credit(s): 1
CIEG 865 - Civil Engineering Seminar Credit(s): 0

Note:

Students matriculating from other universities may petition to have these courses waived if their course of study included equivalent courses. At least 6 credits should be taken outside of the Program of Ocean Science and Engineering and may include significant components from other departments.