Graduate Program
PH.D Degree

The degree of Doctor of Philosophy with major in Ocean Engineering is conferred on a candidate by the University upon completion of comprehensive training and in recognition of the candidate’s ability to independently and efficiently pursue research in ocean engineering. The requirements for the degree include the performance of original research, the preparation of a dissertation describing this research, and systematic advanced studies in engineering and the underlying sciences. This section discusses the details of the degree regulations.

1. Admission Requirements for PhD Program
2. Transfer Credits
3. Core Course Requirements
4. Options for Program Emphasis
5. Course Load
6. Supervisory Committee
7. Admission to Candidacy
8. Program Requirements
9. BS to PhD Program for Outstanding Students
10. General Examination I
11. General Examination II
12. Dissertation and Progress Reviews
13. Residency Requirements
14. Degree Requirements
15. Unsatisfactory Performance

Admission Requirements for PhD Program

Applicants must have a master’s degree in Engineering, Mathematics, Naval Architecture, Physics, Chemistry, Oceanography, or any of the physical sciences from an accredited college or university. A student with outstanding scholastic achievement who holds only a baccalaureate degree may be admitted directly to the Ph.D. program.

1. Applicants must have a 3.0 GPA (on a 4.0 scale) or better in the last 60 credits of work attempted and must have an official transcript forwarded directly to the FAU Graduate Admissions Office from each collegelevel institution attended.
2. Applicants must have a combined score of 1100 or higher on the verbal and quantitative sections of the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) and no less than 400 on either section. GRE scores more than five years old will not be accepted.  
3. Applicants must demonstrate proficiency in both written and spoken English. A student from a nonEnglish-speaking country is required to take the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) and achieve a score of at least 550 (paper-based) or 213 (computer-based).
4. Applicants must submit to the Graduate Admissions Office at least three letters of recommendation attesting to the student’s ability to pursue with distinction a curriculum of advanced study and research in a chosen area.
5. Applicants should abide by the policies and regulations and the graduate admission requirements of the University as outlined in this University Catalog.
6. Conditional admission may be permitted if the above conditions are not met.

Transfer Credits

The doctoral program may accept for transfer 12 credits beyond the baccalaureate degree from other institutions to the student’s degree program upon approval by the department and subject to the following restrictions:

1. The student must present a transcript identifying the course in which the student has earned a grade of ”B” or better, along with a catalog/course description.
2. The course must not have been counted toward any other graduate or undergraduate degree awarded or to be awarded to the student.
3. The student’s advisor and the Ocean Engineering graduate program committee, who may seek the advice of other faculty if needed, will decide whether to accept or reject the course credit.
4. Obtaining credit for a nonFAU course does not alter the total number of credits required for graduation.
5. No credit earned seven or more years before the degree is awarded may be counted toward a graduate degree.

Additional credits consistent with University policy may be considered for transfer subject to the restrictions above, if approved by the student’s advisor.

Core Course Requirements

All graduate students, regardless of option or specialty, must complete the following core courses or must offer a satisfactory substitute course of similar content from another university or an appropriate substitute consistent with the student’s specialty preference for approval by the supervisory committee.

• Mathematical Methods in Ocean Engineering I (EOC 5172)
• Engineering Data Analysis (EOC 6635)
• Physical Aspects of Oceanography (OCP 6050)

In addition, two of the following five courses must be taken:

• Advanced Mechanics of Materials* (EOC 6152)
• Mathematical Methods in Ocean Engineering II (EOC 6174)
• Advanced Hydrodynamics I (EOC 6185)
• Corrosion I (EOC 6216C)
• Engineering Principles of Acoustics (EOC 6317C)

* May be substituted with Advanced Strength of Materials (EGM 6533 ) by petition.

Options for Program Emphasis

Students who wish to specialize in specific Ocean Engineering programs may pursue in-depth studies in the areas of marine materials, offshore structures, hydrodynamics and physical oceanography, marine vehicles, acoustics and other special ocean engineering topics. Unless otherwise stated, the Ocean Engineering Department graduate courses are 3 credits each. All programs require a minimum of 9 credits in graduate level mathematics or equivalent.

Marine Materials and Corrosion Option

It is suggested that students in the Marine Materials and Corrosion Option take the following courses in addition to the core courses required for all Ocean Engineering Ph.D. students:

• Advanced Fracture and Failure Processes I (EOC 6157)
• Composite Materials (EOC 6205)
• Corrosion I (EOC 6216C)
• Corrosion II (EOC 6218C)
• Physical Metallurgy (EOC 6230)

Depending on a student’s area of thesis research, elective courses may be chosen from, but are not necessarily limited to, the following:

• Physical Chemistry I (CHM 3410)
• Advanced Topics in Physical and Theoretical Chemistry (CHM 6581)
• Advanced Strength of Materials (EGM 6533)
• Mechanics of Composite Materials (EGM 6562)
• Mechanics of Polymers (EML 6235)
• Finite Element Methods (EOC 6155)

Offshore Structures Option

In addition to the core courses for all Ph.D. Ocean Engineering students, at least six of the following courses are suggested:

Set A (At least the following four)

• Theory of Elasticity (EOC 6154)
• Coastal Structures (EOC 6430)
• Offshore Structures (EOC 6431)
• Marine Geotechnical Engineering (EOC 6435)

Set B (At least two of the following)

• Theory of Plates (EOC 6153)
• Plastic Analysis of Structures (EOC 6416)
• Advanced Signal Processing (EOC 6630)
• Probability and Statistics (STA 4821)

Specialization will typically be tailored to an individual student’s needs.

Hydrodynamics and Physical Oceanography Option

It is suggested that students in the Hydrodynamics and Physical Oceanography Option take the following courses in addition to the core courses required for all Ocean Engineering Ph.D. students:

• Advanced Hydrodynamics I (EOC 6185)
• Advanced Hydrodynamics II (EOC 6186)
• Computational Fluid Dynamics (EOC 6189)
• Turbulent Flow (EOC 6190)

Depending on a student’s area of specialization, the elective courses may be chosen from the following list together with other courses offered by the Ocean Engineering Department:

• Vortex Dynamics (EOC 6184)
• Advanced Ocean Wave Mechanics (EOC 6320)

Marine Vehicles Option

In addition to the core requirements, recommended courses include:

• Intelligent Underwater Vehicles I (EOC 6663)
• Underwater Vehicle Navigation (EOC 6934)

Other courses, which may be taken, will be determined by the student’s area of emphasis.

Acoustics and Vibrations Option

It is recommended that students in the Acoustics and Vibrations Option take the following courses in addition to the core courses required for all Ocean Engineering Ph.D. students:

• Mechanical Vibrations (EML 6223)
• Advanced Hydrodynamics I (EOC 6185)
• Flow Noise (EOC 6311C)
• Structural Acoustics and Vibration (EOC 6316)
• Advanced Signal Processing (EOC 6630)
• Ocean and Seabed Acoustics (EOC 6934)

Special topics may include Underwater Vehicle Navigation and Nonlinear Systems. Depending on the student’s area of specialization, elective courses may be chosen from the courses offered by the department as well as from supportingdepartments such as Civil Engineering, Computer Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Mathematics, Mechanical Engineering, and Physics.

Course Load

Full-time graduate students are those who register for 9 or more credits during the fall and spring semesters and 6 credits during the summer. Students who wish to register for more than 15 credits for any semester must obtain approval, in advance, from the Office of Graduate Studies. All students receiving financial assistance must satisfy these requirements and all international students must be full-time students.

Supervisory Committee

In consultation with the student and the advisor, a supervisory committee will be nominated by the Department Chair, approved by the Dean of the College of Engineering and Computer Science, and appointed by the Office of Graduate Studies. The supervisory committee shall consist of no fewer than four members. At least three members must be selected from the Ocean Engineering faculty. The remaining members can be from the Ocean Engineering Department, other departments, other universities, or from industry.

The committee will include at least one person selected from the faculty from outside the discipline of the student’s major. If the student elects or is required to select a minor, this member of the supervisory committee shall represent the discipline selected as the minor.

The supervisory committee should be appointed as soon as possible after the student has passed General Examination I and, in general, no later than the end of the second year of equivalent full-time study. Duties of the supervisory committee include:

1. To ensure that the student is aware of all regulations governing the degree. It should be noted, however, that this does not absolve the student of the responsibility of making inquiries regarding the regulations and procedures.
2. To discuss and approve the proposed course of study, dissertation research project, and the student’s plans for its execution.
3. To conduct and take part in the General Examination II. No fewer than four faculty members shall be present for the General Examination II, which must be given on campus.
4. To meet following General Examination II, to review the research progress, the expected results, and make suggestions for completion of the program.
5. To meet on campus when the dissertation is completed and conduct the final oral examination to assure that the dissertation is original research and a contribution to knowledge. No fewer than four faculty members shall be present with the candidate for this examination, but required to sign the dissertation. The supervisory committee must approve the dissertation.
6. It is the duty of the supervisory committee to review the student’s dissertation carefully. Before signing, each committee member must be sure that it is free of grammatical, editorial, or technical errors.

Admission to Candidacy

Admission to the doctoral program at FAU does not automatically constitute admission to candidacy for the degree. The Office of Graduate Studies will admit a student to candidacy for the Doctor of Philosophy degree after the following conditions have been met:

1. Admission to graduate school to work toward the doctoral degree.
2. Successful completion of the General Examination I (Ph.D. Qualifying Exam).
3. Selection of a dissertation faculty advisor and the formation of a supervisory committee.
4. Formulation and submission of a program of study which is approved by the department.
5. Recommendation of the supervisory committee and department chairperson.

Note: Students may not enroll for Ph.D. dissertation credits (EOC 7980) until they have been admitted to candidacy.

Following the successful completion of General Examination I, the student must complete and submit the form “Admission to Candidacy – Doctoral Degree.” General Examination I and submission of admission to candidacy form should be completed at least two semesters before the beginning of the semester in which the degree is to be conferred. A student not admitted to candidacy before the beginning of the fourth academic year of graduate work at the University must petition through the College to the Office of Graduate Studies for permission to register for additional work.

Program Requirements

Course Work and Research

The work for the Ph.D. degree must consist of research and advanced studies in ocean engineering, and the student who previously obtained a master’s degree will be required to complete a total of 50 credits of course and dissertation work for the Ph.D. At least 18 of the credits must be taken from the Ocean Engineering list of courses and all core course requirements must be satisfied. No fewer than 24 credits of doctoral dissertation research will be required. The remaining credits may be selected from the listing of OE courses, advanced mathematics courses, elective courses, directed independent study (DIS), or dissertation. A minimum of 9 credits of graduate-level mathematics must be satisfied. Also, the supervisory committee may approve up to 6 credits at the 4000 level.

Outstanding Students: A student with outstanding scholastic achievement who holds only a baccalaureate degree (B.S.) may be admitted directly to the Ph.D. program in Ocean Engineering. The student with a B.S. will be required to complete a total of 80 credits of course and dissertation work for the Ph.D. At least 18 of the credits must be taken from the Ocean Engineering list of courses and all core course requirements must be satisfied. No fewer than 24 credits of doctoral dissertation research will be required. The remaining credits may be selected from the listing of OE courses, advanced mathematics courses, elective courses, directed independent study (DIS), or dissertation. A minimum of 9 credits of graduate level mathematics must be satisfied. Also, the supervisory committee may approve up to 6 credits at the 4000 level.

General Examination I

After the completion of three Ocean Engineering core courses and three elective courses, the student will be required to take a General Examination I, or Ph.D. Qualifying Exam, which is a written and oral examination. The primary purpose of General Examination I is to evaluate the student’s ability, not only to demonstrate a thorough knowledge of Ocean Engineering course material, but to evaluate original thinking. The written examination will be in three parts: one covering the core courses, one covering elective subjects, and one is a review and analysis of a research paper. A new set of examinations will be prepared and questions and problems from previous examinations are not available to students. It is expected that the examination on the elective courses will focus on the student’s area of specialization.

An overall grade of 70 percent on the written examination is passing, allowing the student to take the oral examination approximately four weeks after passing the written portion. Students who score below 70 percent, but above 50 percent, on the written portion are permitted to take the written examination again the next time it is offered. Students scoring below 50 percent are dismissed from the Ph.D. program. General Examination I is scheduled early in the fall semester and early in the spring semester each year.

The oral examination, based on the same courses, will normally be administered about four weeks after the written examination. A five-member examination committee, to be chaired by the student’s advisor, will be appointed by the department chair. The examination committee holds a meeting to decide the specific format and direction of the oral examination. A student who fails the oral examination may retake the examination once. A failing grade in the second oral examination results in dismissal from the Ph.D. program.

For students who have obtained the M.S. in Ocean Engineering at FAU, General Examination I must be taken no later than the beginning of the third semester of Ph.D. study or at the first opportunity it is offered thereafter. For students not so previously enrolled, the exam must be taken by the beginning of the fourth semester or as soon as it is offered thereafter.

General Examination II

At an appropriate point in the student’s graduate studies, typically not before the fifth semester, the student must complete General Examination II. This is the dissertation proposal defense, in which the student defends the choice of a dissertation topic. The student must have passed General Examination I, selected the dissertation topic, formed a supervisory committee, and completed a literature survey prior to the dissertation proposal defense.

In General Examination II, the student should be prepared to demonstrate the ability to perform research on a topic approved by the supervisory committee by presenting a comprehensive literature survey combined with a critical analysis of the state of the art in the particular field. While this examination will be centered around the particular research area, it will not necessarily be limited to that subject. If unsuccessful in the examination, the student may, at the discretion of the department, either remain in the doctoral program and retake the examination at a later date or withdraw from the program. No more than two attempts will be permitted.

Dissertation and Progress Reviews

Following successful completion of the dissertation proposal defense (General Examination II), the student is expected to engage in an intensive program of course work and doctoral dissertation based on a major, original research project. During each subsequent semester, the student’s supervisory committee will review the progress. If at any time the student’s progress in the research is found to be unsatisfactory, the supervisory committee will report to the department chairperson, inform the student in writing as to the nature of the difficulties, and record the committee’s opinion in the student’s file. The student will then be given ample opportunity to improve performance and defend the student’s position at a further review meeting held at the end of the semester. If no improvement has been demonstrated, the student’s future program, including the continuation of stipend and tuition waiver, may be reconsidered.

By the beginning of the semester in which the degree is to be conferred, a candidate for the Doctor of Philosophy degree must deliver a draft of the dissertation to the supervisory committee. Not less than two weeks after the submission of the first draft of the dissertation, the candidate is expected to give a seminar covering the results of the research; this seminar will be followed by a dissertation examination by the supervisory committee. The seminar should be given as early as possible, but not later than two months before the degree is to be conferred.

The Ph.D. dissertation final version must be approved by the supervisory committee and department chairperson and submitted to the dean of the College of Engineering and Computer Science at least one week prior to the due date for submission to the Office of Graduate Admissions and Graduate Studies. The candidate is responsible for allowing sufficient time for members of the supervisory committee to examine the dissertation. The dissertation must be delivered to the department in the format described in a pamphlet titled Requirements and Guidelines for Graduate Theses and Dissertations. They may also be obtained at the Office of Graduate Admissions and Graduate Studies or from the Department of Ocean Engineering.

Upon receiving approval of the Office of Graduate Admissions and Graduate Studies and following completion of all other University requirements, the degree will be recommended. Application for the degree must be made one semester before the semester of graduation.

Residency Requirements

Candidates must satisfy the minimum residency requirement for the Ph.D. by completing beyond the master’s degree either (1) 18 credits in one calendar year, or (2) 24 credits in no more than two calendar years on the SeaTech or Boca Raton campus of FAU. To satisfy University requirements, two semesters must be full-time, consisting of 9 credits in the spring or fall term and 6 credits in the summer term.

Candidates may be permitted to conduct all or part of their research in the field, in government or industrial laboratories, or elsewhere off campus only if adequate staff, dissertation research supervision, and facilities, as determined by the department, are available.

Degree Requirements

The degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Ocean Engineering will be conferred on candidates who have fulfilled the following requirements:

1. Completed at least 18 credits of course work from the Ocean Engineering list of courses and all core course requirements and no fewer than 24 credits of doctoral dissertation.
2. A major program of research and advanced studies in ocean engineering.
3. A minimum of 9 credits in advanced mathematics or equivalent beyond the B.S. degree.
4. Successfully completed General Examination I, a written and oral comprehensive examination of course work.
5. Completed General Examination II, a dissertation proposal defense.
6. Submitted and defended a dissertation based on original research in the student’s area of specialization. The supervisory committee, the department chairperson, and the Office of Graduate Studies must have approved the dissertation.
7. Complied with the University’s Graduate Policies and Regulations and satisfied the University’s Graduate Degree Requirements.

Unsatisfactory Performance

A graduate student whose performance is deemed unsatisfactory will be denied further registration in the department programs.

Unsatisfactory performance is defined as failure to maintain a minimum 3.0 GPA in all FAU graduate program courses at the end of the second semester in the program (this should normally constitute 15 to 18 credits) or after any subsequent semester.

Please note that this is more strict than the University requirement. A student who exhibits unsatisfactory scholarship in the Ocean Engineering graduate program may be permitted to apply to another program in the University. No graduate credit may be earned for courses completed with a “C-” or lower even if grades in other courses bring the average to a satisfactory level.