The
University of Southern Mississippi Department
of Marine Science has both M.S. and Ph.D. degree
programs in marine science. In general, students
interested in the Ph.D. in marine science will
be required to complete an M.S. degree first.
The courses taken as part of the M.S. requirements
at Southern Miss will count toward the Ph.D.
course requirement and M.S. thesis work can
be planned so as to lead directly into a Ph.D.
dissertation project. Completion of the M.S.
degree prior to entering the Ph.D. program will
give the student and faculty time to better
evaluate the student’s goals, background,
and ability. This requirement can be waived
in special circumstances or for students already
having an M.S. degree.
Prospective
students should apply for admission to the USM
Graduate School. Admission forms for U.S. citizens
can be obtained from the department or The University of Southern Mississippi Director of Graduate
Admissions (see section 4a). Foreign students
must obtain admission forms from the Office
of International Admissions (see section 4a).
The
aptitude phase (verbal and quantitative sections)
of the Graduate Record Examinations (GRE) is
required of all applicants to the Graduate School.
Prospective students should plan to take the
appropriate examination, given several times
a year at a number of university testing centers,
early in their senior year and request that
a copy of their scores be sent to the Graduate
Admissions Office. Applicants whose native language
is other than English must present the results
of the Test of English as a Foreign Language
(TOEFL); a minimum score of 560 on the paper
test and 220 on the computer test is necessary
for admission to the graduate program.
The
Department of Marine Science requires a baccalaureate
degree from an accredited institution. The best
preparation would be rigorous training in calculus
and applied mathematics, physics, chemistry,
geology, biology and engineering. Undergraduate
degree programs in any of the above areas should
provide the student with the necessary background
to pursue a graduate degree in one of the sub-fields
of marine science - biological, chemical, geological
and physical oceanography. Regardless of the
student's choice of a subfield, a strong background
in mathematics (through calculus), the basic
sciences (e.g., chemistry, physics) and some
experience with computers is highly recommended.
Successful
applicants usually score 500 or above on the
verbal as well as the quantitative portions
of the GRE and have grade point averages of
3.0 or above for undergraduate work and 3.5
or above for any graduate study. A panel of
DMS faculty will examine the transcripts of
each applicant to assess whether or not there
are deficiencies. Deficiencies will normally
be made up during the student's first year.
If the deficiency is too great the student will
be advised to acquire the necessary background
before enrolling in the program. The department
also requires that three (3) recommendations,
using the USM Graduate Personal Reference form
or by letter, be forwarded to the department
chair. The applicant must also send a letter
discussing the student's goals, potential research
interests if they have been formulated and reasoning
for choosing to pursue a graduate degree in
marine science. This letter and the references
should be sent to the Chair, Department of Marine
Science, The University of Southern Mississippi,
1020 Balch Blvd., Stennis Space Center, MS 39529.
If
the applicant is interested in the research
of any of the regular or adjunct faculty, it
is recommended that he/she also write a letter
of interest to that faculty member, in care
of the department. This is important because
faculty members may have limited space in their
laboratories or a limited amount of funds to
support graduate student research.
For
students wishing to be considered for graduate
assistantships (see 4b, below) for the academic
year beginning in the fall semester, application
materials should be received no later than March
1.
2.
Types of Admission
Most
students are granted regular admission into
the graduate program in Marine Science. These
students are eligible for assistantships and
are expected to maintain a minimum GPA of 3.0.
Most students are asked to complete a Master
of Science degree first, even if their eventual
goal is a Ph.D.
3.
Non-degree Students
Admission
as a non-degree graduate student may be granted
for any of the following reasons:
a.
He or she did not meet requirements for conditional
or regular admission before the deadline.
b.
He or she may or may not be able to meet admission
requirements but does not desire to work toward
a graduate degree.
c.
He or she is enrolled in another university
and desires to obtain credit from The University of Southern Mississippi to be transferred to
the graduate school in which he or she is seeking
a degree.
A
non-degree graduate student must hold a baccalaureate
degree from an accredited institution.
Even
though a non-degree graduate student has been
admitted to the University, he or she has not
been admitted to any department or to any degree
program. Although non-degree students may enroll
in DMS courses, some USM departments will not
allow these students to enroll in their graduate
courses. It is the responsibility of the student
to check admission standards of the individual
schools or colleges before enrolling in their
courses.
To
be allowed to continue as a non-degree graduate
student, the student must consult with the department
chair or academic adviser of the department
in which he or she is taking courses during
the first semester enrolled at the University
regardless of whether or not the student plans
to seek a degree.
No
more than nine (9) semester hours earned
while classified as a non-degree graduate student
will be accepted toward a Master's degree
at The University of Southern Mississippi. A
student must, therefore, gain conditional or
regular admission before completing more than
nine (9) semester hours of study for additional
hours to be counted toward a Master's degree.
Moreover, no credit earned beyond the
Master's degree while classified as a non-degree
student may be applied toward the doctoral
degree.
b.
There are a limited number of graduate assistantships
available through the department which are awarded
on a competitive basis. All applicants are considered
for graduate assistantships which include a
full tuition waiver. Note that these assistantships
are usually awarded to students accepted under
regular admission.
c.
After all credentials are received, the Graduate
or International Admissions Office will compute
the applicant's grade point average and will
forward the application, reference forms and
transcript to the appropriate department chair.
As soon as the application has been processed
by the department chair, the school or college
dean concerned, and the Graduate Dean, the Office
of Graduate or International Admissions Office
will notify the applicant of the University's
decision on the request for admission.
Various
opportunities for housing are available in cities
near the Stennis Space Center. Students can
live near the beach in the Mississippi Gulf
Coast cities of Waveland, Bay St. Louis, or
Pass Christian, MS, or nearer to New Orleans
in the city of Slidell, La., on the north shore
of Louisiana’s Lake Pontchartrain. No housing
is available at the Stennis Space Center. The
estimated cost of living (housing, food, travel)
is $1000 per month for a single graduate student.
All
applicants are considered for teaching or research
assistantships which include a full tuition
waiver.
Inquiries
regarding assistantships should be directed
to the Chair of the Department of Marine Science,
The University of Southern Mississippi, 1020
Balch Blvd., Stennis Space Center, MS 39529.
