Get A Master's In Ocean Engineering

Ocean engineers study the world’s ocean environment, using engineering expertise to analyze its effects on vessels and structures. They are involved in deep-sea exploration and projects such as designing and operating platforms or sub-surface vehicles.

A master’s in ocean engineering from Florida Tech provides students a multidisciplinary, hands-on program oriented toward the needs of industry. With its emphasis on basic engineering sciences, design, and modern engineering tools and methods, ours is one of the only graduate programs in the country that offers training in ocean engineering, naval architecture, oceanography, meteorology, environmental science, and marine biology.

Through hands-on fieldwork, students apply their understanding of civil, mechanical, electrical, and computer engineering to design and build solutions for complex marine environments.

Florida Tech’s unique community offers students seeking a master’s in ocean engineering access to numerous environment-oriented private companies. Students meet and interact with professionals from many prominent local organizations, who help guide students through projects, provide internships, and work at Florida Tech as adjunct faculty. This makes for a special educational opportunity.

Mentorship from World-Class Faculty

Master’s students in ocean engineering benefit from the vast experience Florida Tech's faculty bring to the classroom. With expertise in areas that include materials, composites, anti-fouling, corrosion control, underwater and surface vehicles, and ocean energy, the faculty are on the cutting-edge of their fields. Small class sizes allow professors to provide one-on-one mentoring in collaborative learning and research experiences, using the latest knowledge to prepare students for employment.

We offer an intimate, focused learning environment Florida Tech, where professors mentor students, class sizes are small and there are opportunities for hands-on internships and research in some of the most diverse coastal environments in the world.

Because of its coastal location, Florida Tech provides access to many environment-oriented businesses and organizations. The university has close relationships with many organizations including:

• 45th Weather Squadron of the United States Air Force
• NASA Kennedy Space Center
• Hubbs Sea World Research Institute
• Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institution
• Marine Resources Council
• National Weather Service

An Ideal Environment for Research

Research is an integral part of every degree program at Florida Tech, enhancing classroom learning. The master’s in ocean engineering offers students the flexibility of choosing research that best aligns with their career goals. Professors guide students to take advantage of Florida Tech’s location for unique research opportunities. Here, students get out in the environment—and get wet. Some of the most popular research topics among students in the master’s in ocean engineering program are autonomous underwater vehicles, wave riders, and coastal engineering.

Florida Tech’s coastal location is unmatched. The Atlantic Ocean and the highly diverse, estuarine environments of the Indian River Lagoon are just minutes from campus. The Florida Keys and Everglades are a few hours' drive from Florida Tech.

Facilities

The F.W. Olin Engineering Complex and F.W. Olin Life Sciences Building provide comprehensive research laboratories equipped with 21^st-century technology. Facilities at the Ralph S. Evinrude Marine Operations Center include docks, electrical power, and storage for nautical equipment, supplies, and scientific equipment. A fleet of small craft available for student use for accessing research sites includes pontoon boats, Robalos, Boston Whalers, skiffs, and Chris Crafts.

Research Projects

As part of ocean-engineering internships and research, emphasis is placed on a strong scientific background so that students are prepared for any number of careers in academics, research, private industry, and government. Research projects address current ocean engineering topics with the goal of students contributing to the field, including:

• Autonomous vehicles
• Remotely operated vehicles
• Ocean-energy systems
• Coastal engineering
• Ocean, estuary, and storm modeling
• Ship design
• Reef and beach restoration
• Underwater archaeology
• Corrosion and biofouling

Students can use Florida Tech’s remotely operated vehicles. Divers become AAUS certified, giving them opportunities to dive from research vessels throughout the world.

High-Tech Research Laboratories

Whether working in ocean engineering internships or on research, Florida Tech engineering students have state-of-the-art laboratories in which to do their testing and analysis.

• Structures Laboratory—Supports instructional experiments such as compression and tensile testing, with research and teaching activities focused on the mechanical behavior of metallic, concrete, plastic, and composite materials, and structural forms.
• Fluid Mechanics Laboratory—Houses the experimental hardware used for experiments that measure fluid properties. Experimental topics include rheology, hydrostatics, stability of floating bodies and pressure around a circular cylinder.
• Underwater Technology Laboratory—Provides students with hands-on research using underwater robotic systems and includes equipment such as oscilloscopes, high-range power supplies, frequency generators, and voltmeters, among others.
• The Marine Materials Exposure Site, Indian River Lagoon—Offers a seawater-exposure site for evaluation of biofouling and corrosion characteristics of materials.

Publish Your Work

Graduate students are encouraged to submit their findings for publication in industry journals, including  Oceans, Marine Technology Reporter, Environmental Coastal & Offshore, Marine News, American Society of Mechanical Engineers, and IEEE Marine Technology.

Preparation for Top Ocean Engineering Careers

Ocean engineering is a fast-growing and dynamic field with opportunities that are expanding as people turn to the oceans for food, transportation, and energy. Because ocean engineers study all aspects of the ocean environment to determine people’s influence on the oceans and the ocean’s effects on ships and other marine vehicles and structures, the work is global in nature. Florida Tech provides the type of training a graduate needs to enter challenging careers in private industry, contracting, or government agencies.

Ocean engineering internships are hands-on experiences that give students a glimpse into what real-world employment positions might demand of them. Organizations such as the Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute, the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, and the Center for Coastal Studies have provided ocean engineering internships, giving students a chance to work side-by-side with experts in the field on a range of topics related to their chosen areas of concentration.

In addition to ocean engineering internships, students have a chance to work with national research organizations and institutes that include:

• National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
• Bureau of Ocean Energy Management
• Army Corps of Engineers
• Federal Emergency Management Association
• United States Coast Guard
• Society of Naval Architects and Marine Engineers
• Marine Technology Society
• American Bureau of Shipping
• Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution
• Scripps Institution of Oceanography
• Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute

Career Outlook

On the job, ocean engineers generally work with teams of different types of engineers to find solutions for ocean infrastructure, research and utilization. Integrating a variety of disciplines in ocean science is common and could include a team of professionals trained in oceanography, materials science, mechanical, civil, computer, software, marine, chemical, and electrical engineering. 

Many ocean engineers engage with Remotely Operated Vehicles (ROV) to explore the ocean floor, take pictures, collect samples or perform repairs on an underwater structure such as an oil platform. In addition to creating remotely operated vehicles and autonomous underwater and surface vehicles, ocean engineering careers involve developing underwater structures, oil rigs, wave buoys for data collection, as well as developing ways to capture the energy of waves and turn it into electricity. 

Ocean engineers also develop transportation systems, plan new uses for waterways, design deep-water ports, and integrate land and water transportation systems and methods. They are concerned with discovering, producing, and transporting offshore petroleum, as well as developing new ways to protect marine wildlife and beaches against the unwanted consequences of offshore oil production and storm erosion.

Every instrument, device, and process in an ocean environment is the responsibility of ocean engineers. Ocean engineering careers are often organized among five specialties: 

• Coastal engineering
• Hydrographic engineering
• Marine vehicles (naval architecture)
• Marine materials and corrosion
• Underwater technology / ocean energy

Information about ocean engineering jobs can be found in the Occupational Outlook Handbook, published by the United States Department of Labor Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). The handbook provides information about specific jobs including median annual pay, working conditions and job outlook, among other things.

According to the Department of Labor, employment of ocean engineers and naval architects was expected to grow 10 percent through 2022. One factor stimulating growth is the need to design ships that can transport goods and energy across the globe. Due to the corrosive environment of the ocean and new pollution regulations on cargo shipping, demand for ocean engineers to repair and modify existing ships and their systems will continue to drive employment. Additionally, ocean engineering careers will be found in pharmaceuticals and medicine, agriculture and environmental protection. 

Check the handbook for ocean engineering jobs and other related careers.

Career Options

Ocean engineering careers are numerous and offer a wide range of positions that include:   

• Ocean Engineer
• Naval Architect
• Structural Engineer
• Marine Engineer
• Mechanical Engineer
• Petroleum Engineer
• Environmental Engineer
• Subsea Pipeline Engineer
• Marine Operations Director
• Project Manager – Offshore Vessels
• Underwater Mining Engineer
• Marine Quality Assurance Engineer 

Potential Employers

Ocean engineering careers can be found with such organizations as:

• Rockwell Aviation
• Northrop Grumman
• Boeing
• U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
• National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)
• National Science Foundation
• Florida Department of Environmental Protection
• L3Harris Technologies
• Triton Submarines
• SpaceX