Master of Engineering — Ocean Engineering
Advanced courses in the Ocean Engineering graduate program reflect the research interests of the faculty and cover topics in coastal engineering, sediment transport, mixing processes in coastal and estuarine waters, motion of vessels in waves, underwater acoustics and marine meteorology. Basic areas of study encompass oceanography, hydrodynamics and naval architecture.
The master's degree program requires a minimum of two graduate-level applied mathematics courses and satisfaction of the following distributional requirements:
- A student must take at least one course in each of the three basic areas of study.
- The student must take at least one advanced course in ocean engineering subject areas outside his/her area of concentration.
A typical selection of courses for the master's degree without a thesis in ocean engineering for a student with a concentration, for example, in coastal engineering would encompass the following:
- The applied mathematics requirement would be met by taking Ma 529 and Ma 530.
- The basic courses in hydrodynamics, oceanography and naval architecture could be satisfied with
- OE 501 Oceanography
Geophysical description of the earth; the extent, shape. and structure of ocean basins; relief of the sea floor; chemistry of sea water; geochemical balances; physical properties of water and sea water; solar and terrestrial radiation; evaporation and precipitation over the oceans; dissolved gases in sea water; distribution of variables; and general oceanic circulation.
- OE 525 Principles of Naval Architecture
Basic principles and design calculations in naval architecture; terminology, delineation of hull form, loading and stability, trim, and effects of flooding; freeboard and tonnage regulations; introduction to design of hull structure; nature of resistance and its variation with hull form and proportions; and introduction to propellers and propulsion. Basic theories in maneuvering and sea-keeping characteristics, computer application in naval architecture, and ship design.
- OE 630 Hydrodynamics
Development of the kinematic and dynamic equations for incompressible fluid flow, the Navier-Stokes equation, velocity potential and stream function, Bernoulli's equation, conformal mapping, free surface flows, wave theory, flow in porous media, and turbulence.
- The concentration in coastal engineering could include the sequence of
- OE 589 Coastal Engineering
An introductory course covering the fundamental principles of coastal engineering. The initial stages of the course are intended to provide an understanding of the physics of the coastal environment. Topics will include basic wave theory (wave generation, refraction, diffraction, and shoaling), wave prediction techniques, tides and coastal circulatio, and sediment transport. The latter stages of the course will be devoted to the application of these basic principles, such as stabilization and harbor development. The course will culminate in a substantial design project, which will incorporate all aspects of the course material, ranging from the estimation of design wave conditions to the actual design of a shore protection structure. Prerequisite: MA 227 or the equivalent, Fluid Mechanics.
- OE 616 Sediment Transport
Theory of sediment transport in open channel flow, including applications to riverine, ocean, and coastal environments. Topics covered include boundary layer dynamics, the initiation of motion, sediment characteristics, suspended load, and bed load. Applications include the estimation of transport rates in waves and currents, and the influence of hydraulic structures.
- OE 635 Stochastic Analysis of Ocean Waves
Introduction to probability theory; statistical techniques for characterizing random variables and evaluation of data; statistical techniques for analyzing stochastic processes; and application of power spectral density techniques to the representation of the sea surface and other stochastic marine processes.
- OE 641 Dynamics of Ocean Waves
Description and formulation of wave problems in the ocean, development of classical wave theory, free waves and forced waves induced by pulsating and uniformly translating pressures and sources in steady and unsteady states, diffraction, refraction and reflection of waves, application to floating breakwaters, and harbor oscillations.
The remaining course could be one of the following:
which are in subject areas outside of coastal engineering.
- CE 684 Mixing Processes in Inland and Coastal Waters
Development of advective-diffusion equations for conservative and non-conservative substances. Fickian diffusion, turbulent diffusion, shear flow dispersion. Description and specification of mixing processes in rivers, reservoirs and estuaries. Methods and analyses of conservative dye tracer studies. Monte Carlo simulations of diffusion processes, and numerical models for simulation of advection diffusion processes in rivers and estuaries.
- OE 539 Introduction to Underwater Acoustics
The course is intended to acquaint students with environmental acoustics and the application of acoustic waves to remote environmental monitoring. Students will learn how to measure and suppress environmental noise and how underwater acoustic systems are used for remote measurements of various ocean and river parameters, including: bottom profile, surface waves, current, bubble and fish density, etc. The course also surveys recent developments in acoustic tomography, including global warming control. Students will be asked to write a research paper on the application of acquired methods to remote acoustic measurements conducted at Stevens.
- OE 642 Motion of Vessels in Waves
Dynamic response of a ship in regular and irregular seas, the equation of motion with six degrees of freedom, added mass and damping coefficient of an oscillating ship on the free surface, coupled equation of motion of a ship in waves, and description of ship motion in the irregular sea with the discussion leading to nonlinear equations of motion.
