Marine Science (Biological Oceanography), Ph.D.

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Doctor of Philosophy in Marine Science

The School of Ocean Science and Technology offers a Doctor of Philosophy in Marine Science with specialization in a wide range of marine science fields, including biological oceanography, geological oceanography, hydrographic science, marine chemistry, and physical oceanography. The Ph.D. program emphasizes excellence in research. Qualified students holding either a bachelor’s or master’s degree in a relevant field of science, mathematics, or computer science are encouraged to apply for admission to the Ph.D. program.

Students must meet the general requirements set forth in the Graduate Bulletin of The University of Southern Mississippi. The Ph.D. in marine science entails a minimum of fifty-four (54) semester hours of coursework beyond the bachelor’s degree or master’s degree.

Admission Requirements

In addition to the general admission and academic requirements for all graduate programs as set forth in this Bulletin, regular admission to the Ph.D. program in marine science requires successful completion of the Graduate Record Examination (all sections) and a high grade point average for the last two years of undergraduate study as well as a 3.50 GPA on previous graduate study. Successful applicants have highly competitive scores and have a grade point average of 3.0 or above for undergraduate work and 3.5 on previous graduate study. Also required are three letters of recommendation from persons qualified to assess the applicant’s readiness for graduate study.

A letter of intent should also be addressed to the school director expressing personal academic and research goals. Students whose native language is not English must achieve a score of 84 or above on the internet-based TOEFL exam. For students wishing to be considered for graduate assistantships for the academic year beginning in the fall semester, application materials should be received by the department no later than March 1.

Integrity Assurance Program (IAP)

All faculty holding Regular or Associate graduate faculty status must complete IAP training modules required by the Graduate School and their schools. All graduate students must complete the training modules required by the Graduate School and their schools the first semester they are enrolled in graduate school. The policy and training information can be found on the following website: http://www.usm.edu/research/research-and-scholarly-integrity-assurance-program

Program Requirements

Required Courses

MAR 501 - Biological Oceanography 3 hrs.
MAR 501L - Biological Oceanography Laboratory 1 hr.
MAR 541 - Marine Chemistry 3 hrs.
MAR 541L - Marine Chemistry Laboratory 1 hr.
MAR 561 - Physical Oceanography 3 hrs.
MAR 561L - Physical Oceanography Laboratory 1 hr.
MAR 581 - Geological Oceanography 3 hrs.
MAR 581L - Geological Oceanography Laboratory 1 hr.
MAR 689 - Seminar in Marine Science 1 hr. (2 hrs. required)
MAR 898 - Dissertation 12 hrs.
Approved Electives 12 hrs. *

Note:

*MAR 691 - Directed Research in Marine Science , MAR 791 - Directed Research in Marine Science , MAR 697 - Independent Study and Research , MAR 797 - Independent Study and Research , MAR 698 - Thesis and MAR 898 - Dissertation , do not count toward the above twelve (12) credit hour approved elective requirement of approved courses numbered 600 and above for the Ph.D. The above courses account for forty-two (42) of the total fifty-four (54) hours required for the Ph.D. Course listings for the additional 12 hours of approved elective courses numbered 600 or above can be obtained by writing to the school director.

Additional requirements for the Ph.D. with hydrographic science emphasis can be obtained through the director of the School of Ocean Science and Technology.

Other Requirements

The student must complete all core courses with a grade of B or better.
The student can accumulate no more than two Cs.
The student is required to pass an oral and/or written qualifying examination.
Research tool(s) requirement for marine science doctoral students is tailored to the specific tools and skills needed by the student for his/her dissertation research or future career. Contact the school for specific requirements.
The student must select and have approved a suitable research problem and completion of a dissertation prospectus
The student is required to pass an oral and/or written comprehensive examination consisting of written and oral components to determine the student’s comprehension of course material and the student’s ability to pursue the proposed research.
Completion and successful defense of a scholarly dissertation based on the student’s original research. (12 hours of 898 are required)
A GPA of 3.0 or higher is required for graduation.
Residency. Students must meet the residency requirements specified in the Bulletin.
In addition to the degree program requirements described in this Bulletin, all students in the Ph.D. degree program must accumulate at least ten (10) days of appropriate field experience in order to successfully complete the degree program. Contact the school director for information on appropriate types of field experience.
Continuous enrollment - Students must meet the requirement specified in the front section of this Bulletin.
All other timeline requirements can be obtained through the director of the School of Ocean Science and Technology.