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Department of Oceanography Highlights |
| One of our former students during her internship at the Navy's Marine Mammal Program |
Department Courses
Our major involves the study of oceanography, meteorology, and marine geology. We offer a series of both required and elective courses. All of our lecture courses are complimented by a hands-on laboratory component. In addition, we offer research-based courses. Many of our research students have the opportunity to present their work at national and international conferences as well to publish their research in respected journals.
Honors Program
The
Oceanography Honors Program offers several benefits including annotation on your
diploma (“Bachelor of Science with Honors in Physical Oceanography”), added
opportunity to perform research and smaller class sizes.
In addition, your transcripts will explicitly designate your Honors
courses (e.g., SO345H: HONORS Atmospheric Thermodynamics), something that is
viewed very favorably by graduate schools.
In
order to graduate with Honors in Physical Oceanography, a midshipman must meet
the same standards in honor, conduct, military performance, physical education
and summer training as required for all degrees at the Naval Academy.
In addition, the midshipman must complete the
honors matrix for the
Physical Oceanography major and achieve the following standards of academic
performance.
a.
A minimum CQPR of 3.0 in
all courses required for the core academic program plus EN200 and EN300 or their
equivalents.
b. A minimum CQPR of 3.5 in all courses that comprise the majors portion of the honors major (includes SM3110, SM212, SP411 and SOC major electives). Core courses in the discipline will not be included in this computation.
c. No “D” or “F” in any course.
Once
enrolled in the honors program, a midshipman may disenroll voluntarily only at
the end of a semester. A midshipman
who has a CQPR of at least
2.0 and successfully completes all requirements for a degree with honors except
for one or more of the standards of performance specified above will graduate
with a degree in the regular major, but without the honors designation.
Department Faculty
Our civilian and military faculty members have solid backgrounds in oceanography, meteorology, and marine geology. Their research is at the forefront of modern science, applying the most recent technological advances in satellites and computational technology. Our researchers' interests cover topics as diverse as mathematical modeling of the Chesapeake Bay, remotely-sensed ocean color, fish migration, and explosive development of storms. Midshipmen may participate in research efforts by developing independent research projects under the guidance of faculty members as a one or two semester course or as a Trident Scholar effort. Our military faculty bring fleet experiences into the classroom and provide midshipmen with real world examples of how meteorology and oceanography affect different warfare specialties.Navy METOC officers are part of an elite group of less than 440 who provide predictions about the ocean and atmosphere to tacticians and strategic planners. Computers and satellites are mainstays in this process. A strong background in mathematics and science is required to apply digital fields and high-resolution imagery to the environment.
Graduate education is necessary for a truly successful career. Most Navy METOC officers can expect assignment to the Naval Postgraduate School in Monterey, CA, where they earn a Master of Science degree in Meteorology and Physical Oceanography. A selected few continue their study for a Doctor of Philosophy degree in Physical Oceanography.
Whether in ships, submarines, aircraft, infantry or armor, Naval and Marine Corps officers who understand the METOC environment can optimize the performance of people, equipment, and weapons systems. For reasons of safety, tactics, and economy, ship and aircraft operators must have rapid and accurate environmental information. For example: detailed coastline knowledge is required for successful amphibious landings; Detection, location, and tracking of submarines depend on the analysis of sound propagation in the oceans.
(410) 293-6550