Ocean Engineering Department-Undergrad Objectives
The educational objectives for the ocean engineering B.S. program have been developed in consultation with the department’s advisory board, alumni, graduate employers, and students. Graduates are prepared to:
- Gain employment with private or government organizations and advance to positions of increased responsibility, or pursue an advanced degree in an engineering program.
- Work in one of the specialty areas within the broad field of ocean engineering including ocean instrumentation, hydrostatics, ocean waves, underwater acoustics, marine structures, marine geomechanics, and ocean engineering design.
- Behave ethically, contribute to society, participate in strengthening a diverse engineering professional environment, and succeed in diverse workplaces, nationally and internationally.
URI’s curriculum provides a basic ocean engineering program that gives students a firm base in engineering fundamentals and prepares them for direct entry into a professional career or continued study toward a graduate degree. The required ocean engineering courses begin at the freshman level and include laboratory, analysis, and design courses. There is a strong emphasis on the application of scientific principles in the ocean environment gained through laboratory courses. Experiments covering several basic areas are employed and provide an integrated approach to investigations into ocean phenomena and processes. Students are involved in the planning and execution of experiments, including collection and analysis of data and the reporting of results. This hands-on experience provides graduates with an understanding of ocean engineering activities in scientific and industrial fields. Two ocean engineering professional elective courses are also required.
The broad-based program exposes students to the following topics: ocean instrumentation and data analysis, underwater and sub-bottom acoustics, marine hydrodynamics, coastal and near shore processes, marine geomechanics, coastal and offshore structures, and corrosion.
To ensure that each student gains an in-depth knowledge of one of the ocean engineering disciplines, the curriculum allows sequences of courses in hydrodynamics, structures, geomechanics, acoustics, instrumentation, and data analysis. An Ocean Systems Design Project course in the senior year integrates previously obtained knowledge in a comprehensive design project. This experience may be obtained through an on-campus course, by participating in an ongoing research project, or through an off-campus internship in an ocean-oriented private company or government laboratory; this internship allows interested students to take advantage of the many opportunities available in the region.
The Department of Ocean Engineering is located at the University’s Narragansett Bay Campus. Computational facilities include personal computer and workstation rooms networked and connected to the Engineering Computer Laboratory and Office of Information Services. Extensive laboratory facilities are also available. The department often utilizes an 80-foot research vessel equipped with a fully integrated side-scan sonar and sub-bottom mapping system; this vessel is used for both lab courses and research. A remotely-operated vehicle is operated by the department. A 100-foot tow and wave tank and a large acoustics tank are located on the Bay Campus, as well as an electronics shop, machine shop, and the Marine Geomechanics Laboratory. These facilities are available to undergraduates for course work, research, and independent study.
This major requires 130 credits.
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Freshman Year First semester: 16 credits
CHM 101 (3), 102 (1); EGR 105 (1); MTH 141 (4); PHY 203 (3), 273 (1); and general education elective (3).
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Second semester: 17 credits
ECN 201 (3); EGR 106 (2); MTH 142 (4); OCE 101 (1); PHY 204 (3), 274 (1); and general education requirements (3).
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Sophomore Year First semester: 17 credits
MCE 262 (3); MTH 243 (3); OCE 205 (3), 215 (1); PHY 205 (3), 275 (1); and general education elective (3).
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Second semester: 16 credits
CVE 220 (3); MCE 263 (3); MTH 244 (3); OCE 206 (3), 216 (1); and free elective (3).
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Junior Year First semester: 16 credits
MCE 354 (3); OCE 301 (4), 310 (3); professional elective14 (3), and general education elective (3).
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Second semester: 16 credits
EGR 316 (3); OCE 307 (3), 311 (4), 471 (3); and general education elective (3).
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Senior Year First semester: 17 credits
OCE 416 (2), 421 (3), 49513 (3); CHE 333 (3); general education elective (3), and professional elective14 (3).
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Second semester: 15 credits
OCE 49613 (3); OCG 451 (3), professional electives14 (6), and general education elective (3).
Other Requirements:
1 Engineering electives for this curriculum may be chosen from any two of the following: CHE 333, 347, 574; CVE 220, 374; ELE 331, 423; ISE 404, 411, 412; MCE 323, 341, or 354. At least one course must be outside ELE.2 Biomedical engineering design electives may be chosen from any two of the following: ELE 401 (and 402), 405 (and 406), 408 (and 409), 427 (and 428), 432, 435 (and 436), 437, 438, 444 (and 445), 447 (and 448), 457, or 458 (and 459).
3 A mathematics elective is MTH 215, or any 300- to 500-Ievel mathematics course except MTH 381. MTH 451 is recommended as a mathematics elective.
4 The elective must meet accreditation requirements. OCG 451 is required for chemical and ocean engineering majors.
5 Computer engineering electives—six or more credits from the following courses: BME 462/463, 464/465; any ELE 300- or 400-level course not otherwise required by the major, any ELE 500-level course with petition, and CSC 301, 305, 402, 406, 415, 436, 481, 485, 486.
6 See your advisor for help in preparing a suitable senior-year program.
7 A technical elective for this curriculum is one of the following courses: ELE 305, 325; ISE 404, 412; MTH 215, 244, or any 300- to 500-Ievel mathematics course except MTH 381, or an additional electrical engineering design elective.
8 Electrical engineering design electives may be chosen as any three of the following: BME 462/463, 464/465; ELE 401/402, 405/406, 408/409, 423, 427/428, 432, 435/436, 437, 438, 444/445, 447/448, 457, 458/459. However, one of the courses must be chosen from BME 462/463; ELE 408/409, 427/428, 435/436, 444/445, 447/448, 458/459.
9 Any course for which the prerequisite is met by CHM 101, including PHY 205, 223, and 275; any physics course at or above the 300 level; or any course in astronomy, biochemistry, biology, botany, geology, microbiology, or zoology. Any other course must be approved by an advisor.
10 Professional electives must be satisfied by a minimum of three three-credit elective courses in mechanical engineering, two of which must be taken at URI. The fourth course may be a 300-, 400-, or 500-level course offered by: the College of Engineering; or the Departments of Chemistry, Computer Science and Statistics, or Physics; or the Department of Mathematics (one 400- or 500-level course). Professional elective courses taken outside URI are subject to URI rules on transfer credit and require prior written approval.
11 One course must be selected from OCE 421, 495, 510, 522, 534, or 561.
12 May be satisfied by any 400-level professional elective mechanical engineering course.
13 An approved off-campus experience, usually between the junior and senior years, can be substituted for OCE 495 and 496.
14 The requirement for professional electives must be satisfied by a minimum of two approved three-credit elective courses at the 300-, 400-, or 500-level in engineering or oceanography and two approved three-credit courses in ocean engineering.
