Hydrographic Science > Degrees

There are two hydrography related programs at USM. One offers a Master’s in Hydrographic Science, the other offers a Ph.D. in Marine Science with an emphasis in Hydrography. The M.S. degree program in Hydrographic Science is a non-thesis degree program. Information on the Master’s degree curriculum follows here, information regarding the Ph.D. program can be obtained by sending a request to marine.science@usm.edu

Master's Degree Curriculum

A total of 36 semester hours of graduate courses with a minimum GPA of 3.0 must be completed in order to fulfill the degree requirements. A student can accumulate no more than two C's.

This degree program is offered to students over the course of one calendar year. Students normally enter the program in the Fall and complete 15 hours of classroom and "hands- on" practical course work (see example below). Instruction continues with another 15- hour series of lecture- and "hands-on" practical course work in the Spring. During the summer, there is a combination of lecture-based instruction and during the last six weeks - the students conduct a comprehensive field project in which student teams must demonstrate all facets of hydrography. The completion of the degree program over a one- year period is not a requirement, and those students wishing to carry on their studies over a longer time frame can do so. All courses listed below, however, must be completed to meet the standards set forth by the International Board for a Category A Hydrographic Surveyor. Other options are available to meet USM degree requirements but only the program listed below meets the requirements of the International Board.