Ph.D. Requirements
Students plan a program of study in conjunction with a faculty guidance committee (FGC). Students entering the program without a master's degree are expected to complete a minimum of 36 credit hours. Students with an M.S. degree in oceanography or related field in physical science from UNH or another university should first demonstrate (through accredited transcript or the qualifying examination) acceptable mastery in the basic core areas. Those deficient in any discipline will be required to complete the respective course.
All students must complete all four core oceanography courses, and at least one course from each of the following categories: methods, ethics/policy/law, and seminar. Please see below for a list of courses that meet these specifications (other courses may qualify and should be approved by the FGC). Additional credit hours are determined by the FGC (typically 15 credit hours). Foreign language requirement is determined by the FGC. Students must complete a Coursework Approval Form, which summarizes all courses to be taken, and obtain signatures from their adviser, committee members, and the OCE program coordinator once the coursework is completed.
Students wishing to be admitted to doctoral candidacy will undergo a qualifying examination by the guidance committee designed to test the student’s in-depth knowledge in their major field and their ability to conduct independent and original research in oceanography. Qualifying students will present to the guidance committee a research proposal in which the soundness, originality, and feasibility of the investigation are clearly stated, and which when approved based on a proposal examination by the committee, will form the basis for the doctoral dissertation.
Students are advanced to candidacy after successfully completing the comprehensive exam, proposal exam, and all coursework required by the guidance committee. Students must complete a dissertation, present their results at a public seminar, and pass an oral examination by the thesis committee.
Although not a strict requirement, all graduate students are encouraged to obtain teaching experience, preferably as a teaching assistant.
All students are required to spend time in the field, even if their research project and interests are primarily based on analytical research, modeling studies, or laboratory experiments. The field requirement could include extended time at sea onboard one of the UNH, UNOLS, NOAA, or similar oceanographic research vessels, or include field experiments at locations in New Hampshire, the U.S., or around the globe, and includes possible nearshore and estuarine studies, Antarctic expeditions, or other land-based studies related to oceanography. Successful completion of the field requirement will be determined by the guidance committee.
Course List
Code |
Title |
Credits |
BIOL 855 | Biological Oceanography | |
ESCI 852 | Chemical Oceanography | |
ESCI 858 | Introduction to Physical Oceanography | |
ESCI 859 | Geological Oceanography | |
Course List
Code |
Title |
Credits |
CHEM 862 | Instrumental Methods of Chemical Analysis | |
ESCI 801 | Quantitative Methods in Earth Sciences | |
ESCI 820 | Ocean Measurements Lab | |
ESCI 871 | Geodesy and Positioning for Ocean Mapping | |
ESCI 864 | Spectral Analysis of Geophysical Time Series Data | |
ESCI 874 | Integrated Seabed Mapping Systems | |
ESCI 875 | Advanced Topics in Ocean Mapping | |
ESCI 972 | Hydrographic Field Course | |
ESCI 996 | Advanced Topics (Ocean Modelling) | |
IAM 940 | Asymptotic and Perturbation Methods | |
ME 807 | Analytical Fluid Dynamics | |
MATH 835 | Statistical Methods for Research | |
MATH 839 | Applied Regression Analysis | |
MATH 845 | Foundations of Applied Mathematics I | |
MATH 853 | Introduction to Numerical Methods | |
Course List
Code |
Title |
Credits |
ECON 908 | Environmental Economics: Theory and Policy | |
MARI 805 | Introduction to Coastal and Marine Policy: Understanding US Ocean, Coastal, and Great Lakes Policy | |
NR #801 | Ecological Sustainability and Values | |
NR 820 | International Environmental Politics and Policies for the 21st Century | |
NR 824 | Resolving Environmental Conflicts | |
GRAD 930 | Ethics in Research and Scholarship | |
Course List
Code |
Title |
Credits |
OE 990 | Ocean Seminars I | |
OE 991 | Ocean Seminars II | |
ESCI 997 | Seminar in Earth Sciences | |
ESCI 998 | Proposal Development | |
BIOL 901 | Introductory Graduate Seminar | |
Course List
Code |
Title |
Credits |
BIOL 828 | Marine Bioacoustics | |
CEE 822 | Introduction to Marine Pollution and Control | |
ESCI #834 | Geophysics | |
ESCI 841 | Geochemistry | |
ESCI 845 | Isotope Geochemistry | |
ESCI 847 | Aqueous Geochemistry | |
ESCI 854 | Sedimentology | |
ESCI 856 | Geotectonics | |
ESCI 860 | Paleoceanography | |
ESCI 862 | Glacial Geology | |
ESCI 865 | Paleoclimatology | |
ESCI 895 | Topics (Ocean Biogeochemistry) | |
ESCI 896 | Topics (Nearshore Processes) | |
ESCI 995 | Advanced Topics (Geophysical Fluid Mechanics) | |
ESCI 996 | Advanced Topics (Nearshore Hydrodynamics) | |
ME 807 | Analytical Fluid Dynamics | |
ME 812 | Waves in Fluids | |
ME 910 | Turbulence | |
MEFB 872 | Fisheries Biology: Conservation and Management | |
OE 853 | Ocean Hydrodynamics | |
NR 844 | Biogeochemistry (or ESCI 896 Topics/Biogeochemistry) | |
OE 854 | Ocean Waves and Tides | |
OE 857 | Coastal Engineering and Processes | |
OE 895 | Special Topics (Underwater Acoustics) | |
OE 995 | Graduate Special Topics (Coastal Sediment Transport) | |
ZOOL 810 | Sharks and Bony Fishes | |