With a strong emphasis on problem solving, practical applications, and field experience, the program provides a hands-on familiarity with the field. Depending on background preparation, this program takes from 12-18 months to complete. A department undergraduate who carefully plans Course electives from the end of junior year can complete in the program in nine months, obtaining S.B. and M.Eng. Students entering the program must have a sound undergraduate background in engineering or the natural sciences. Students must complete a thesis which is practical rather than theoretical and is consistent with their concentration.
Concentrations currently offered include ocean systems technologies and marine resource management.
Refer to Chapter IV for general requirements. The department's curriculum leading to a Master of Science in Ocean Engineering is based on a broad working knowledge of all the basic engineering skills. The intended outcome of this program is a person whose main interest is the development of the ocean for the good of humanity, and in following this ambition is prepared to use whatever engineering disciplines are needed to address the problem at hand. As a part of the more general field of ocean engineering, naval architecture and marine engineering are concerned with all aspects of waterborne vehicles operating on, below, and just above the sea surface. The programs leading to the Ocean Engineer or Naval Engineer degrees require a higher level and significantly broader range of professional competence in engineering than that required for the S.M. degree.