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Graduate Program Overview
PhD Degree
Ocean Sciences
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The doctoral program leading to the Ph.D. degree in ocean sciences is designed with a core training in oceanography, supplemented and focused by advanced training in oceanography and in the traditional disciplines (biology, chemistry, Earth sciences, and physics) as chosen by the students and their advisors. The core training is provided through core courses in ocean sciences, a subset of which is taken by all students in the first two years, and reinforced by the student's seminars throughout the program. In addition to core courses in ocean sciences, preparation includes upper-division/graduate courses in ocean sciences and in the specialty discipline, graduate seminars, independent research credits, participation in departmental student seminar series, and a minimum requirement for the number of quarters as a teaching assistant. There is no formal language requirement. Preparation
for admission to the graduate program in Ocean
Sciences (Masters or Ph.D.) should comprise an undergraduate degree
in the discipline of one of the program specialty areas (e.g.,
biology
or marine biology, geology or earth sciences, chemistry, or physical
science), or an equivalent background. If you do not have a degree
in one of these areas, you must show your sponsor that you have
taken the classes necessary to do your research. This preparation
should normally include courses (prerequisites) in calculus,
statistics,
physics, chemistry, general biology or ecology, and geology for
all majors (see below for number of courses).
The
single most important factor in being admitted to either one of
our programs (Masters or Ph.D.) is to have a faculty sponsor. Prospective
students should consult with faculty members in their area of interest
about possible sponsorship, specific course requirements, and advise
on preparation for the program. Prospective students may try to
contact/locate a suitable research sponsor who is accepting students
from the links for each group (either core
ocean sciences faculty or affiliated
faculty in other departments.) Applications may be obtained from the Division of Graduate Studies - Graduate Admissions website: http://graddiv.ucsc.edu/admissions/
Students will enter the joint Ph.D. programs with training in one of the areas of specialization within Ocean Sciences. To introduce them to the breadth and depth of the field as a whole, they will be required to complete four of the Ocean Sciences' core courses. The core courses, listed in Table 1, offer introductions to the four main subfields within Ocean Sciences.
A combination
of core courses, graduate courses in Ocean Sciences and graduate
courses in other disciplines will be suggested (see Table 2 and
Table 3 for a partial listing of these). A typical student would take
two lecture courses per quarter in his/her first year of graduate
study, with fewer formal courses in subsequent years. Any additional
courses will be thesis research or independent study. Students in the Ph.D. program are required to take OCEA 296: Teaching in Ocean Sciences, and to serve as Teaching Assistants for a minimum of two quarters. Seminar Requirement Students enrolled in the Ph.D program will be required to participate in departmental seminars in which students themselves make short presentations about their ongoing or proposed research. The seminar, OCEA 293: Graduate Research Seminar, will be scheduled for one quarter every year, and each student will make one presentation during the quarter (i.e., one presentation per student per year). Oceanographically oriented Masters students are also expected to enroll in this course. The purpose of the seminar is to increase the understanding and appreciation among students of both the unity and diversity of research in ocean sciences, and to train students in effective communication skills. Students will be required to complete graduate seminar courses in which the evaluation is determined by the performance of the student in a formal seminar. These seminar courses may be in Ocean Sciences or in the department of the specialty discipline if approved by the advisory committee. Students will also routinely enroll in departmental seminar courses for credit. Other upper division/graduate courses instructed by Ocean Sciences Faculty
Related upper division/graduate courses offered by other
departments Ph.D. Required Meetings and Exams Note: QE Nomination, QE Exam Report, Dissertation Reading Committee, Application for the PhD Degree forms are found with instructions on the Graduate Divisions website: http://www.graddiv.ucsc.edu/ |
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