Academics | Policies & Procedures for Current CMES Students

The policies relevant to all graduate students at the University of Delaware are available at http://udcatalog.udel.edu/general/grad.html. It is a graduate student's responsibility to be aware of these policies. Click on a link below to view policies:

CMES Academic Programs

Admission and academic offerings are administered by four academic programs:

Each program has a program director who advises students and faculty on issues of program policy. Students may choose to affiliate with any of these programs and meet the degree requirements of any of the College's degrees. Students admitted in one program may elect to change their program affiliation at any time after matriculation. Such a change is normally made in consultation with the student's advisor.

CMES Graduate Degrees

The degrees awarded in each of these program areas are:

Marine Biosciences

  • Ph.D. in Marine Studies with a concentration in Marine Biosciences
  • M.S. in Marine Studies with a concentration in Marine Biosciences

Marine Policy

  • Ph.D. in Marine Studies with a concentration in Marine Policy
  • Master of Marine Policy
  • M.S. in Marine Studies with a concentration in Marine Policy. (This degree is not usually offered; requirements are identical to those of the Master of Marine Policy degree.)

Oceanography

  • Ph.D. in Oceanography
  • Ph.D. in Marine Studies with a concentration in Oceanography. (This degree is not usually offered; requirements are identical to those of the Ph.D. in Oceanography)
  • M.S. in Marine Studies with a concentration in Oceanography

Physical Ocean Science and Engineering

  • Ph.D. in Marine Studies with a concentration in Physical Ocean Science and Engineering
  • Ph.D. in Ocean Engineering
  • M.S. in Marine Studies with a concentration in Physical Ocean Science and Engineering
  • M.S. in Ocean Engineering Students may change their choice of degree in consultation with their advisors.

CMES Graduate Degree Requirements

The degree requirements at both the Master's and doctoral levels for the four academic programs are given at the following locations:

Performance in Courses

According to University of Delaware Policy, CMES graduate students must maintain a B or better grade point average in all courses in order to remain in good academic standing. This University policy is described at http://udcatalog.udel.edu/general/grad/gradregs.html#standing

Academic Advisement

On matriculation, students are assigned an advisor with interests similar to those of the student. A student may change advisor in consultation with the assigned advisor and the potential advisor. Additional advisement is provided by the program director and the student's advisory committee.

Composition of Student Advisory Committees

A M.S. or M.M.P. student's committee consists of at least three members (usually committees have three members), meeting the following criteria:

  • At least half of the committee shall be CMES faculty (core, joint, adjunct, or emeritus faculty)
  • One member must be a CMES core faculty member

A Ph.D. student's advisory committee consists of at least four members (usually committees have four members), meeting the following criteria:

  • At least half of the committee must be CMES faculty (core, joint, adjunct, or emeritus faculty)
  • One member must be a CMES core faculty member
  • One member must be external to the College. The external member may include adjunct faculty.

Advisory committees for M.S. or M.M.P. students should be established by the second semester and for Ph.D. students by the third semester after matriculation.

Changes to an Advisory Committee require submission of a new Advisory Committee Formation Sheet which is approved by the advisor, Program Director and Associate Dean.

Bypassing the Master of Science and Master of Marine Policy Degrees

The College offers an M.S. bypass option for exceptional students. Students who have formed an advisory committee and who have completed an M.S. thesis proposal may petition for admission to the Ph.D. program after one year of residency in the College. Students considering this option should first consult with their advisors.

To petition, students must submit evidence of performance to their M.S. advisory committee. Such evidence generally includes:

  • Excellent grades in graduate courses
  • Promising research results
  • Sound plans for Ph.D.-level research

The following steps are necessary for approving the bypass:

  • Chair of advisory committee sends a letter of approval on behalf of the majority of the advisory committee to the program director. The letter should note dissent, if any;
  • Associate dean reviews the letter and input from program director;
  • Student completes a change-of-status form and continues as a Ph.D. student in the College (see Milestones).

Ph.D. Qualifying Examination

In order to take the Ph.D. qualifying examination, each student must be in good academic standing and have:

  • Satisfied most of the requirements of the academic program
  • Established an appropriate advisory committee
  • Submitted a research proposal to the advisory committee; and
  • Received approval of the proposal by the student's advisor and advisory committee.

Each Ph.D. candidate is required to pass a qualifying examination in those areas of marine studies designated by the advisory committee. The exam consists of written and oral parts.

At least 60 days prior to the examination, the student will be advised by the committee of the areas to be examined and the format of the written and oral parts of the examination.

Thesis and Dissertation Format

The University of Delaware has strict format requirements for M.S. theses and Ph.D. dissertations. These requirements are available here.

The Thesis Manual is regularly updated, and students are responsible for being informed of any changes.

Defense of the Ph.D. Dissertation and M.S. Thesis

The defense of the dissertation and thesis is focused on the candidate's research, including the scope of the research, its contribution to the field, its significance to advancing the body of knowledge, and its potential for contributing to future research directions. The student's advisory committee serves as the examining board.

The defense is oral and is open to the public. It must be announced at least two weeks before the date on both CMES campuses. University regulations require that a draft copy of the thesis or dissertation be sent to the Associate Dean's office (CMES-academics) at least two weeks before the date of the defense. An electronic copy (pdf) is acceptable. Normally, the defense shall be conducted over ITV to allow participation by students, staff, faculty, and the public on both campuses.

The defense will begin with a presentation of the work by the candidate, followed by questioning by the public and student's advisory committee. The defense shall be chaired by the student's advisor. At the close of the public questioning, the examiners will retire immediately for deliberation and decision. Upon reaching a decision, the board will communicate that decision to the candidate, the program director, the dean of the College of Marine Studies, and the Office of Graduate Studies. Theses and dissertations must be submitted to the Office of Graduate Studies according to the deadline published by the Office of Graduate Studies.

Deadlines can be found at http://www.udel.edu/gradoffice/current/importantdates.html

The thesis defense form can be downloaded as a PDF here.

M.S. Students Continuing for the Ph.D.

Students who want to continue for a Ph.D. after completing an M.S. must reapply for admission to CMES. There is no fee for this application. Procedures are as follows:

  • Student solicits three new recommendation letters. Usually these recommendations will be from the prospective Ph.D. advisor and two members of the M.S. advisory committee.
  • Application dossier of student is circulated, and the admission decision is made in the usual manner.

Progress Reports, Milestones and Deadlines

A graduate student is required to make satisfactory progress toward their chosen degree in order to remain a student in good standing and to be eligible for financial support from the College or other sources. Students not in good standing may be dismissed from the University of Delaware. University Policy can be found at http://udcatalog.udel.edu/general/grad/gradregs.html#standing.

Students report their progress toward meeting degree requirements and other academic activities to the College at the end of every academic semester using the Graduate Student Progress Report form provided in a Word Document format here. The student's advisor and advisory committee are responsible for determining whether satisfactory progress is being made, as defined by the milestones given below.

Students requiring an extension beyond a milestone must submit a written petition first to their advisors. This petition is then reviewed by the advisory committee and the relevant program director, who then submits it to the Associate Dean for final approval.

Requests for extensions beyond the University deadline for graduation must follow the same route. The University deadlines for graduation are: ten semesters for M.S., M.M.P., and Ph.D. students already with a M.S. degree. For Ph.D. students without a M.S. degree, the deadline is fourteen semesters. These deadlines also apply to students who are no longer in residence at the University. The Associate Dean then forwards this request to the Office of Graduate Studies.

The milestones are:

Milestones for M.S. and M.M.P. Time Limit
Approved Advisory Committee Two semesters
Approved Thesis Proposal Two semesters
Complete Required Courses & Credits Before graduation
Six Credits MS Thesis Before graduation
Defend Thesis Four semesters
Graduate Four semesters
Milestones for Ph.D. with M.S. Time Limit
Approved Advisory Committee Three semesters
Approved Dissertation Proposal Three semesters
Pass Qualifying Exam Three semesters
Complete Required Courses and Credits Before graduation
Nine Credits Ph.D. Dissertation Before graduation
Defend Dissertation Six semesters
Graduate Six semesters
Milestones for Ph.D. without M.S.
(For students admitted directly into a Ph.D. program) 		Time Limit
Approved Advisory Committee Three semesters
Approved Dissertation Proposal Three semesters
Pass Qualifying Exam Four semesters
Complete Required Courses and Credits Before graduation
Nine Credits Ph.D. Dissertation Before graduation
Defend Dissertation Ten semesters
Graduate Ten semesters
Milestones for Ph.D. with M.S. Bypass
(students admitted to a M.S. program who are bypassing the M.S. degree)		 Time Limit
Approved M.S. Advisory Committee Two semesters
Approved M.S. Thesis Proposal Two semesters
Approved Bypass Petition Three semesters
Approved Ph.D. Advisory Committee Three semesters
Approval of Ph.D. Dissertation Proposal Three semesters
Pass Qualifying Exam Four semesters
Complete Required Courses and Credits Before graduation
Nine Credits Ph.D. Dissertation Before graduation
Defend Dissertation Ten semesters
Graduate Ten semesters

 

*For students admitted into a M.S. program but who are bypassing the M.S. degree.

Competencies of CMES Graduates

A recipient of a Ph.D. from the University of Delaware generally must have the analytical skills and intellectual scholarship to perform research with independent creativity. This criterion is demonstrated by the submission of a written dissertation of original research expressing profound knowledge and new discoveries in one area of marine studies; this accomplishment should gain wide recognition through a publication of one or more articles in an internationally recognized and refereed journal or equivalent medium. A second criterion is unique to the CMES graduate program — a broad understanding of both scientific and socio-political issues related to the oceans.

For the M.S. and M.M.P., the above criteria are the same except for the depth of understanding, creativity, and independence demonstrated in one area of marine studies by the dissertation. Instead, a written thesis is required. It must, by definition, be of a stated hypothesis with originality that may warrant publication, or a profound analysis of some policy issue with critical conclusions. Here the intent is a focused and limited exposure to research; the duration of which is not meant to exceed a year. In this respect, the doctoral and Master's degrees granted in the College of Marine Studies aim toward a common breadth of understanding and differ only in intensity and scholarship of the written research.

Fellowships, Scholarships and Assistantships

Most students in CMES are supported by research assistantships, but a number of fellowships and scholarships are available from the University and College. For a complete list, see Scholarships/Fellowships. Students interested in a teaching assistantship should contact the Associate Dean.

CMES Awards are made competitively, on the basis of merit, by the recommendations of the CMES Academic Council to the Associate Dean. Funding eligibility is determined by university and college policy.

Interested students should contact faculty members to inquire about research assistantships.

Graduate students who hold a graduate assistantship, teaching assistantship, fellowship, or scholarship in CMES must register for a minimum of nine graduate credits.

Percentage of Students Funded. Almost all full-time CMES students receive full financial aid, while most part-time students receive partial aid (miscellaneous wages, tuition scholarships, etc.). It is the policy of the College to support all graduate students making satisfactory progress toward their degrees, subject to the availability of funds.

Useful Web Sites

A complete list of all web sites for students can be found at http://www.udel.edu/gradoffice/gradindex.html