Program Overview
Ocean Engineering Program
The School of Ocean Science and Engineering offers the only ocean engineering degree in the state of Mississippi and one of only 10 such programs in the nation. This program features interdisciplinary coursework that integrates multiple engineering fields, including mechanical, civil, electrical, computer, and environmental.
Why Ocean Engineering at USM?
The ocean engineering program is housed at the University's Gulf Park campus. The pre-engineering components of the program will be available at both the Gulf Park and Hattiesburg campuses during freshmen and sophomore years. During junior and senior years, students will be at the Gulf Park campus, providing access to laboratory facilities in Stennis Space Center and the Marine Research Center in Gulfport.
Accreditation
The program is accredited by the Engineering Accreditation Commission of ABET, under the commission's General Criteria and Program Criteria for Ocean Engineering.
What Will I Learn?
- Engineering design process
- Computer-aided design (CAD)
- Computer programming
- Field methods
- Data analysis
- Ocean instrumentation
- Fluid dynamics
- Coastal processes
- Underwater sensing and communication
- Marine infrastructure
Students will work with marine science faculty to gain hands-on experience with AUVs, gliders, ROVs, and other sensor systems in the lab or in the field from USM vessels, such as R/V Point Sur.
Internships
The Ocean Engineering program features a summer internship component that provides students with hands-on work experience and networking opportunities with employers at federal agencies and engineering firms.
Research Opportunities
USM is leading the way in developing and utilizing autonomous platforms for ocean exploration. Ocean Engineering students have access to cutting-edge resources, including an 18' Unmanned Surface Vehicle (USV) (C-Worker 5), a 100" Autonomous Underwater Vehicle (AUV) (Iver3), and an explorer-class AUV rated for depths up to 2000 meters, among other advanced systems.
Senior students will engage in project design and capstone courses, where they will apply their skills and knowledge to real-world, application-oriented research projects. Additionally, the Ocean Engineering program offers Honors College students the opportunity to participate in groundbreaking undergraduate research, providing a pathway to hands-on innovation in ocean technology.
Scholarships
- Ballard and Coats Ocean Engineering Scholarship Endowment
- Judith Bostwick Ocean Engineering Scholarship Endowment
Ocean Engineering Entrepreneurship Pathway
The Ocean Enterprise Engineering Pathway offers students pursuing a Bachelor of Science in Ocean Engineering the opportunity to stay for a fifth year to earn an MBA.
Minimum Computer Requirements
As part of the Ocean Engineering program, students will need to bring their own laptops to several classes.
About the Program
Mission & Vision
Mission
The mission of the Ocean Engineering program is to provide students with the best possible preparation to excel in an ocean-related industry as highly competent engineers or to pursue advanced degrees.
Vision
The goal of the Ocean Engineering BS Program is to become an established provider of high-quality education in the field of ocean engineering and to be recognized for its well-prepared graduates who can become leaders in their field. The vision is to become the premier institution for the development of uncrewed systems and the modeling and monitoring of the Gulf of Mexico.
Program Educational Objectives
- Graduates use the knowledge and skills to successfully develop engineering solutions to complex current and future problems considering the unique challenges of the ocean environment.
- Graduates take economic, environmental, and societal factors into account as they arrive at an engineering solution.
- Graduates gain the trust and respect of peers as effective and ethical members of diverse teams.
- Graduates advance intellectually and professionally through lifelong learning, building upon their education.
- Graduates are prepared to seek out positions of leadership within their profession, their organization, and their community.
Student Outcomes
- An ability to identify, formulate, and solve complex engineering problems by applying principles of engineering, science, and mathematics.
- An ability to apply engineering design to produce solutions that meet specified needs with consideration of public health, safety, and welfare, as well as global, cultural, social, environmental, and economic factors.
- An ability to communicate effectively with a range of audiences.
- An ability to recognize ethical and professional responsibilities in engineering situations and make informed judgments, which must consider the impact of engineering solutions in global, economic, environmental, and societal contexts.
- An ability to function effectively on a team whose members together provide leadership, create a collaborative and inclusive environment, establish goals, plan tasks, and meet objectives.
- An ability to develop and conduct appropriate experimentation, analyze and interpret data, and use engineering judgment to draw conclusions.
- An ability to acquire and apply new knowledge as needed, using appropriate learning strategies.
Availability
- Degree Plan: Ocean Engineering BS
- Availability: Gulf Park
Career Opportunities
- Ocean instrumentation design and implementation
- Maritime operations
- Coastal hazard remediation
- Unmanned submersible vehicles
- Shipbuilding Industry
- Oil and Gas
- Government Institutions:
- Navy laboratories
- Army Corps of Engineers
- National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
- National Data Buoy Center
- Naval Oceanographic Office
- Private Industries:
- Marine technology companies
- Research institutions
- Ocean mapping industry
- Offshore energy industry (oil and gas & renewable)
- Consulting firms