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Ocean Sciences PhD Degree

CURRENT STUDENTS - please note:
DEGREE REQUIREMENTS
In addition to information listed below, degree requirements, as reviewed and approved by the Graduate Council (on 6/8/00), pertaining to all applicants for a Masters degree may be reviewed at the Graduate Handbook on the Graduate Division website.

Ph.D.  REQUIRED MEETINGS AND EXAMS  
See Required Meetings and Exams pdf  which contains information on:
Scheduling Meeting, Department Exam, Qualifying Exam and Advancement to Candidacy, etc.
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/

Preparation for Admission
Course Requirements
Ph.D. Required Meetings and Exams

Graduate Programs

The graduate programs in ocean sciences are designed to prepare students for careers in research, teaching, and other environmentally related endeavors. The fundamental requirement for admission to the program is substantial evidence of superior scholarship and aptitude for original research.

Preparation for Admission

The prerequisites for entering the program are:
--a minimum of two quarters or two semesters in each of the following:  a calculus series; chemistry; and physics with labs.
In addition, one course in each of the following is required:
earth sciences or geological principles; biology; and statistics or biostatistics.

All students are required to enroll in the Ocean Sciences core courses for a letter grade (as opposed to the default “satisfactory/unsatisfactory” or “pass/no pass” options).

Students who have not satisfied all of the prerequisite requirements in (1) for biology, chemistry, geology or physics upon entering the Ocean Sciences graduate program may substitute one of the prerequisite classes with the appropriate core course providing they have obtained a passing letter grade (B or higher) in that class. No substitutions or exceptions, however, can be made for the mathematics and statistics requirements.

In addition to the specific requirements listed above, the Graduate Admissions Committee will evaluate the qualifications of prospective students using the following criteria:

1. prior academic performance (including grade point average and the nature of the undergraduate academic program and/or Masters or other degree)
2. an evaluation of three letters of recommendation in support of the applicant
3. the Graduate Record Examination scores (verbal, quantitative, analytical and the advanced test in the major discipline)
4. related research experience
5. statement of purpose
6. availability of suitable sponsor

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.)

The deadline for applications for the 2012-2013 academic year is January 15, 2012. Most applicants will be notified of decisions made by the admissions committee by April 2012.

Ocean Sciences Ph.D. Degree Program

The program leading to a doctorate in ocean sciences is designed with a core training in oceanography for all students, supplemented and focused by advanced training in oceanography and in the traditional disciplines (biology, chemistry, Earth sciences, and physics) as chosen by the student and her or his advisers. 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 of two quarters as a teaching assistant. There is no formal language requirement.

The results of a scheduling meeting in the first quarter of enrollment are used to map out the course program in the first year. The course program is determined by a faculty advisory committee in consultation with the student; and courses are drawn from ocean sciences and other science departments (e.g., biology, chemistry, Earth sciences, physics). No later than fall quarter of their second year, students must take a departmental oral examination that tests knowledge of ocean sciences and general expertise in their parent discipline. An oral and a written qualifying examination are required, generally in the second or third year of graduate study. A dissertation based on original research is required, and the final examination is a public oral defense of the dissertation. Students are encouraged to prepare their dissertation, or certain chapters of it, in a form suitable for publication.

Sample Pathways

The pathways within the ocean sciences Ph.D. program are differentiated from related degrees in the traditional disciplines by their focus on global-scale problems and interactions, a focus on the ocean, and their inherently interdisciplinary approach. Interdisciplinary projects across and between pathways are encouraged, as are interactions with faculty in related departments.

* Biological oceanography
This area involves the interactions of organisms with their chemical and physical environments. It includes research on the physiology and ecology of organisms, but differs from marine biology in the focus on the oceanographic setting of the organism in relationship to, for example, biogeochemical cycling and the effects of ocean currents on distributions of organisms. The focus is mainly on small oceanic life-forms (plankton and bacteria, molecular ecology) and their roles in the biogeochemical cycles of marine systems.

* Chemical oceanography
Chemical interactions of trace metals and radionuclides in the sea are the focus of this group. Research includes development of analytical techniques and measurement of trace species in seawater and investigation of the effects and interactions of trace elements on biological processes using analytical and isotopic approaches.

* Geological oceanography
Paleoceanography, paleoclimatology, and sediment geochemistry are the focus in this pathway. Research areas include the history of global geochemical cycles and composition of the ocean on various timescales, the fate and diagenesis of materials in sediments and their contribution to the paleoceanographic record, understanding ocean and climate history by the use of records of stable isotopes and trace elements, and paleoclimate modeling.

* Physical oceanography
The physics and dynamics of the ocean and atmosphere are the main aspects of this program. Research includes observational, computational, theoretical, and experimental physical oceanography, geophysical fluid dynamics, ocean acoustics, dynamical meteorology, climate, and global change.

Requirements for Ph.D. Students in the Ocean Sciences Department

Course Requirements

To introduce students to the breadth and depth of the field of Ocean Sciences, students will be required to complete the following:

1. Four Core Courses. These courses are to be completed in the first year of the program and prior to taking the departmental exam. All students are required to enroll in the core courses for a letter grade (as opposed to the default “satisfactory/unsatisfactory” or “pass/no pass” options). Core courses should be taken in the order listed below:

Students who have not satisfied all of the perquisite requirements for biology, chemistry, geology or physics upon entering the Ocean Sciences graduate program may substitute one of the prerequisite classes with the appropriate core course providing they have obtained a passing letter grade (B or higher) in that class. No substitutions or exceptions, however, can be made for the mathematics and statistics requirements.

The prerequisites for entering the program are: a minimum of two quarters or two semesters in each of the following: a calculus series; chemistry; and physics with labs. In addition, one course in each of the following is required: earth sciences or geological principles; biology; and statistics or biostatistics.

2. A minimum of three graduate level or upper division Elective Courses to provide depth in the chosen area of emphasis or supporting disciplines. These courses are chosen in consultation with your advisor and department graduate advising committee (a maximum of one can be a graduate level seminar (290) – at least two must be graduate or upper division undergraduate lecture courses).

Under the grading options, you will receive Satisfactory/Unsatisfactory unless you elect the letter grade option (A, B, C, D, F). The choice is yours at the time of enrollment and can be changed up to the end of the third week of instruction for the quarter. However, all students are required to enroll in the core courses for a letter grade (as opposed to the default “satisfactory/unsatisfactory” or “pass/no pass” options).

3. OCEA 296 – Teaching in Ocean Sciences taken prior or concurrent to being a teaching assistant.

4. Teaching Experience – satisfied by two quarters of teaching assistant experience in Ocean Sciences or supporting departments.

5. OCEA 293 – a two unit Graduate Research Seminar required to be taken each spring quarter by all Ph.D. students.

6. OCEA 292 – Attendance at the Ocean Sciences Seminar series each quarter of enrollment .

7. A minimum of three courses in Thesis Research (OCEA 299) under direction of sponsor. Each quarter in residence a student should take 15 units of classes. Students beyond their first year will usually take 10 or 15 units of Thesis Research each quarter.

8. Comprehensive Departmental Exam. This oral exam, covering material from the core courses, is usually taken at the beginning of a student’s second year in the program. This exam must be completed successfully within two years of entering the program.

9. Pass the Qualifying Exam to Advance to Candidacy. This exam requires a written research proposal to be defended orally in front of the student’s dissertation committee and is normally taken at the beginning of the third year of the program. This exam is expected to be completed successfully within three years of entering the program.

10. Ph.D. Dissertation. The Ph.D. Dissertation, demonstrating original thought and research, must be written, presented in an open seminar, and defended to the student’s thesis committee. Chapters of the dissertation may be written in publication format, but must conform to University publication guidelines for submission.

Related upper division/graduate courses offered by other departments
Consult your Sponsor and/or campus catalog: UCSC General Catalog

Ph.D. Required Meetings and Exams

See Required Meetings and Exams pdf which contains information on:
Scheduling Meeting, Department Exam, Qualifying Exam and Advancement to Candidacy, etc.

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/

DEGREE REQUIREMENTS

Degree requirements, as reviewed and approved by the Graduate Council (on 6/8/00),
pertaining to all applicants for a doctoral degree may be reviewed at the Graduate Handbook on the Graduate Division website.

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