Florida Institute of Technology
High Tech with a Human Touch
Marine and Environmental Systems
Graduate Degree Programs
Printable Program Information:
Catalog Information
- MS - Earth Remote Sensing
- MS - Environmental Resource Mgmt
- MS - Environmental Science
- MS - Meteorology
- Ph.D. - Environmental Science
Master of Science in Earth Remote Sensing
Earth remote sensing is the science, engineering and art of quantitative measurement from satellites, aircraft, marine vehicles, buoys and moorings, radar and other platforms removed from the target. It includes understanding the instrumentation, software, radiative transfer, hydroacoustics and principles of systems designed to acquire, process and interpret information about Earth for application to vital contemporary problems in agriculture, coastal zone management, ecology, engineering, environmental science and resource management, forestry, land use, meteorology, natural hazards, oceanography, urban planning and other issues.
Admission Requirements
Students applying for admission to the Earth remote sensing program should have undergraduate majors in the physical or life sciences with strong backgrounds in computer science. Students with bachelor’s degrees in other scientific or engineering fields may need to complete certain preparatory course work before starting the master of science program, and completion of such courses may require additional time. Any such requirements will be determined by the program chair and graduate faculty before admission. The prospective student will be advised of these requirements prior to acceptance. Applicants must submit Graduate Record Exam General Test scores for evaluation, a statement of interests, a résumé and three letters of recommendation.
General Admission requirements and the process for applying are presented in the Academic Overview section of the university catalog.
Degree Requirements
The Master of Science in Earth Remote Sensing is offered with thesis and nonthesis options. The thesis option requires the satisfactory completion of a minimum of 30 credit hours of required and elective credits (includes six credit hours of thesis) and the nonthesis option requires a minimum of 33 credits hours (includes a written final program examination), based on an approved program plan developed in conjunction with the faculty adviser. Included in the total are at least nine credit hours of core remote sensing courses as listed below.
Core Courses
| CREDITS | ||
| ENS 5000 | Environmental Science Seminar (each semester) | 0 |
| ENS 5010 | Environmental Optics and Remote Sensing | 3 |
| MET 5233 | Atmospheric Remote Sensing | 3 |
| OCE 5550 | Bathymetry | 3 |
| OCN 5704 | Oceanic Remote Sensing | 3 |
Electives
A list of restricted electives is available from the department.
The curriculum is modified to meet the student’s needs, background and chosen area of emphasis, which may be atmospheric, land, submarine or oceanic remote sensing. Students are required to attend the graduate seminar.
Master of Science in Environmental Resource Management
Environmental resource management has become an area of national and international significance. Resource managers, typically in the public and private developmental sectors, face increasingly complex technical problems that cut across several of the more traditional educational disciplines. In addition to the fundamentals of biological and chemical environmental processes, managers must be knowledgeable in local and global cause and effect relationships of human activities in the development and use of environmental resources. Resource managers must also understand the legal and regulatory aspects of resources management. Recognizing these multidisciplinary needs, the master’s degree program in environmental resource management is closely associated with the environmental science program at Florida Tech and includes both university course work and an internship with a regulatory agency, NGO or private company that manages environmental resources. Graduates are well prepared to effectively interact with engineers, scientists, managers and politicians.
Admission Requirements
Students applying for admission to the environmental resources management program should have undergraduate majors in science or engineering, or sufficient course work in the physical and life sciences and engineering to readily understand the fundamental biological, chemical and physical relationships important in environmental resource management. In some instances, additional preparatory work in some areas may be required at the beginning of the program. The prospective student is advised of such requirements before final acceptance. Each applicant is strongly encouraged to arrange for a conference regarding program content and qualifications with faculty and the program chair or other faculty member before arriving on campus to begin an academic program.
General Admission requirements and application procedures are presented in the Academic Overview section of the university catalog.
Degree Requirements
The degree requires satisfactory completion of 30 credit hours of required and elective courses. Included in the total are 24 credit hours of required courses and internship, and six credit hours of selected elective topics as specified in a master’s program plan developed in conjunction with the student’s adviser. An internship document is required by the academic unit, and the student makes an oral presentation of the internship assignment to the graduate seminar or a professional society meeting and to the student’s internship advisory committee. Thesis or internship registration must be continuous from the initial registration until graduation.
Required Courses
| CREDITS | ||
| BIO 5030 | Conservation Biology | 3 |
| ENS 5000 | Departmental Seminar (each semester) | 0 |
| ENS 5001 | Global Environmental Problems and Solutions | 3 |
| ENS 5004 | Aquatic Environmental Toxicology | 3 |
| ENS 5009 | Internship | 6 |
| ENS 5700 | Introduction to Water Resources | 3 |
| ENS 5701 | Environmental Regulation and Impact Assessment | 3 |
| OCN 5210 | Marine and Environmental Chemistry | 3 |
Electives
| CREDITS | ||
| BUS 4425 | Environmental and Urban Planning | 3 |
| BUS 4426 | Environmental and Resource Economics | 3 |
| CVE 4000 | Engineering Economy and Planning | 3 |
| EDS 5430 | Issue Investigation and Evaluation | 3 |
| ENS 4001 | The Earth System | 3 |
| ENS 4010 | Geographic Information Systems | 3 |
| ENS 5010 | Environmental Optics and Remote Sensing | 3 |
| ENS 5101 | Introduction to Air Pollution | 3 |
| ENS 5600 | Radiation and Environmental Protection | 3 |
| OCN 5801 | Coastal Systems Planning | 3 |
Note: Electives listed above are accepted in both environmental resource management and coastal zone management master’s degree programs.
Master of Science in Environmental Science
Today’s increasingly complex technological society has placed new demands on our understanding of human interaction with the environment. In fact, the need has never been greater for highly skilled scientists capable of developing basic data from which far-reaching decisions can be made regarding the intelligent use and protection of our natural environment. Recognizing these needs, the environmental science master’s program provides a thorough background in the biological and chemical fundamentals of natural environmental systems with specific areas of emphasis related to water and air resources, water and wastewater treatment, hazardous and toxic materials including nuclear wastes and basic processes governing the interaction of humans and the natural environment.
Admission Requirements
Students applying for admission to the environmental science program should have undergraduate majors in the physical or life sciences with strong backgrounds in chemistry and biology. Students with bachelor’s degrees in other scientific or engineering fields may need to complete certain preparatory course work before starting the master of science program, and completion of such courses may require additional time. Any such requirements will be determined by the program chair and graduate faculty before admission. The prospective student will be advised of these requirements prior to acceptance. Applicants must submit Graduate Record Exam General Test scores for evaluation, a statement of interests, a résumé and three letters of recommendation.
General Admission requirements and the process for applying are presented in the Academic Overview section of the university catalog.
Degree Requirements
A Master of Science in Environmental Science requires the satisfactory completion of 30 credit hours of required and elective credits based on an approved program plan developed in conjunction with the faculty adviser. Included in the total are 15 credit hours of core environmental courses as listed below and six credit hours of thesis research under the supervision of a member of the graduate faculty. Students are required to attend the graduate seminar. A student registers for graduate seminar each semester and makes an oral presentation of research results after completing thesis research. A nonthesis option is also available. In lieu of the thesis, the student completes an additional nine credit hours of course work and must pass a written master’s final program examination.
Core Courses
| CREDITS | ||
| ENS 5000 | Environmental Science Seminar (each semester) | 0 |
| ENS 5010 | Environmental Optics and Remote Sensing | 3 |
| ENS 5101 | Introduction to Air Pollution | 3 |
| ENS 5700 | Introduction to Water Resources | 3 |
| ENS 5800 | Limnology 1 | 3 |
| OCN 5210 | Marine and Environmental Chemistry | 3 |
The remaining course work in the master’s program is normally developed by the degree candidate, his/her adviser and the program chair. A list of restricted electives is available from the department.
Master of Science in Meteorology
Atmospheric science is focused on understanding Earth’s gaseous envelope, predicting its evolution and mitigating human impacts. The M.S. program at Florida Tech is uniquely interdisciplinary, drawing on expertise from the College of Aeronautics, the College of Engineering and the College of Science. As such, the M.S. in meteorology can have special emphasis in areas such as marine meteorology, water resources, atmospheric chemistry, aviation meteorology or remote sensing. Collaborative research is conducted with specialists from the nearby NASA Kennedy Space Center, the USAF 45th Weather Squadron, the NOAA National Weather Service, the Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institution, Wind and Hurricane Impacts Research Laboratory (WHIRL) and local government agencies or corporations.
Admission Requirements
A student applying for admission to the graduate meteorology program should have an undergraduate major in the physical sciences or engineering. Preparatory course work may need to be completed before starting the master of science program, and completion of such courses may require additional time. Any such requirements will be determined by the program chair and graduate faculty before admission. The prospective student will be advised of these requirements before acceptance. Applicants must submit GRE General Test Scores for evaluation.
Degree Requirements
The M.S. degree requires satisfactory completion of 30 credit hours of required and elective courses including thesis, based on an approved plan developed in conjunction with the faculty adviser. A nonthesis option is also available, where in lieu of a thesis the student completes an additional nine credit hours of course work (for a total of 33 credit hours) and must pass a written master’s final program examination. Students with bachelor’s degrees in meteorology normally take the core courses plus electives emphasizing their areas of special interest. Students with bachelor’s degrees in fields other than meteorology are required to complete the core and other graduate courses in addition to appropriate courses necessary for certification as a professional meteorologist by the American Meteorological Society (see undergraduate curriculum). Students are required to attend the graduate seminar. A student registers for graduate seminar each semester and makes an oral presentation of research results after completing thesis research.
Required Courses
| CREDITS | ||
| ENS 5000 | Environmental Sciences Seminar (each semester) | 0 |
| MET 5001 | Principles of Atmospheric Science | 3 |
| MET 5233 | Atmospheric Remote Sensing | 3 |
| MET 5305 | Dynamic Meteorology 1 | 3 |
| MET 5306 | Dynamic Meteorology 2 | 3 |
Electives
| CREDITS | ||
| AVS 5201 | Aviation Meteorology Theory and Practice | 3 |
| ENS 4001 | The Earth System | 3 |
| ENS 4010 | Geographic Information Systems | 3 |
| ENS 5001 | Global Environmental Problems and Solutions | 3 |
| ENS 5101 | Introduction to Air Pollution | 3 |
| ENS 5700 | Introduction to Water Resources | 3 |
| ENS 5800 | Limnology | 3 |
| MET 4310 | Climatology | 3 |
| MET 4410 | Mesoscale Meteorology | 3 |
| MET 5310 | Numerical Weather Prediction | 3 |
| OCE 5570 | Marine Hydrodynamics and Wave Theory | 3 |
| OCE 5586 | Ocean Engineering Data Analysis | 3 |
| OCN 5001 | Principles of Oceanography | 3 |
| OCN 5210 | Marine and Environmental Chemistry | 3 |
| OCN 5401 | Principles of Physical Oceanography | 3 |
| OCN 5403 | Ocean Wave Theory | 3 |
| OCN 5405 | Dynamic Oceanography | 3 |
| OCN 5407 | Marine Meteorology | 3 |
| OCN 5409 | Geophysical Fluid Dynamics | 3 |
| OCN 5704 | Oceanic Remote Sensing | 3 |
| PHY 5080 | Thermodynamics | 3 |
| SPS 4030 | Physics of the Atmosphere | 3 |
| SPS 5031 | Planetary Science 2: Atmospheres | 3 |
Note: Electives listed above are accepted in the M.S. Meteorology degree program, but no more than six credit hours of 4000-level courses from the department (ENS, MET, OCE, OCN) may be used for the master’s degree.
Doctor of Philosophy in Environmental Science
Admission Requirements
An applicant for the doctoral program in environmental science must have a bachelor’s or master’s degree from an accredited institution in environmental science, biology, chemistry or other appropriate science curriculum. In some cases, certain undergraduate courses must be taken to remediate areas of deficiency before a student can start the doctoral program.
For admission, a student should have a superior academic record and at least three letters of recommendation, including one from the master’s degree thesis adviser. Preference will be given to students with high scores on the Graduate Record Examination.
Included with the application should be a short but clear statement of the interest and objectives of the applicant. Although not absolutely required, an on-campus interview is highly recommended.
General admission requirements and the process for applying are presented in the Academic Overview section of the university catalog.
Degree Requirements
The doctoral degree is primarily a research degree and is conferred in part in recognition of research accomplishments. Each student must complete an approved program of course work; pass the comprehensive examinations; write an acceptable research proposal and petition for admission to candidacy; complete a program of significant original research; prepare and defend a dissertation concerning the research; and present a seminar on the research. Each candidate is expected to publish a major portion of the dissertation in refereed national or international journals. A minimum of 24 credit hours of course work and 24 credit hours of dissertation beyond a master’s degree are required.
General degree requirements are presented in the Academic Overview section of the university catalog.
Curriculum
A program of study must be approved by the student’s adviser and the program chair. A wide degree of latitude is allowed in course selection and research interest within the capabilities of the university and the student’s academic background.
Before admission to doctoral candidacy, the student may be required to demonstrate proficiency in a computer language or a reading proficiency of scientific literature in one foreign language. The chosen language should allow access to important literature in the student’s area of research. This requirement is imposed at the discretion of the doctoral committee.
After admission to doctoral candidacy, a yearly seminar demonstrating progress must be presented to the graduate faculty.