DOCTORAL PROGRAMS

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 CEOs of Fortune 500 companies, Firefighters, Police, and high-ranking military officers have chosen International Diving Institute for their education. Students considering doctoral programs should consider everything that International Diving Institute has to offer.

The International Diving Institute PhD program is organized into three separate academic programs. Each is responsible for all graduate educational activities in its area, including teaching, advising, and examining. Prospective PhD students will apply directly to one or more.
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Academic programs

• Climate-Ocean-Atmosphere Program
• Geosciences of the Earth, Oceans, and Planets
• Ocean Biosciences Program

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A graduate students work normally will be concentrated in one of several curricular groups under one of the academic programs:
Climate - Ocean - Atmosphere Program (COAP) curricular groups:

• Applied Ocean Science (AOS)
  Applied Ocean Science is multidisciplinary and focused on the application of advanced technology to ocean exploration and observation. The emphasis is on the resolution of key scientific issues through novel technological development.  Instruction and research focus on mechanical, electrical, and physiological problems operating within the ocean and upon applied marine environmental science.
• Climate Sciences (CS)
  Climate Sciences concerns the study of climate systems with emphasis on the physical, dynamical, and chemical interactions of the atmosphere, ocean, land, ice, and terrestrial and marine biospheres.  Researchers study changes on seasonal to interannual time scales and those induced by human activities, as well as paleoclimatic changes on time scales from centuries to millions of years.  Graduates understand the climate system as a whole, crossing boundaries of traditional Earth science disciplines.
• Physical Oceanography (PO)
  Physical Oceanography deals with the mechanisms of energy transfer through the ocean and across its boundaries and with the physical interactions of the ocean with its surroundings, especially the influence of the seas on atmospheric phenomena.

Geosciences of the Earth, Oceans and Planets (GEO) curricular groups:

• Geophysics (GP)
  Geophysics emphasizes the application of general principles of mathematics and experimental physics to fundamental problems of the oceans, oceanic and continental lithosphere, and crust and deep interior of the Earth.
• Geosciences (GS)
  Geosciences emphasizes the application of general principles of geology, geochemistry, and geophysics to problems in marine and terrestrial environments.
• Marine Chemistry and Geochemistry (MCG)
  Marine Chemistry and Geochemistry concentrate on the chemical processes operating within the marine environment — the oceans, atmosphere, and seafloor.  Studies are typically interdisciplinary and involve integration of chemical concepts with information about physical, biological, or geological processes that influence natural systems.

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Ocean Biosciences Program (OBP) curricular groups:

• Biological Oceanography (BO)
  Biological Oceanography focuses on the interactions of populations of marine organisms with one another and with their physical and chemical environment.  This is an interdisciplinary program of study, including physical oceanography, marine chemistry, and marine geology, in addition to biology.
• Marine Biology (MB)
  Marine Biology is comprised of two tracks:
  • Marine Biology is the study of marine organisms, their development and adaptations, as well as physiological and biochemical processes, genetic relationships, and ecology.  Several prominent areas of modern biology are encompassed and interpreted through an understanding of the physical and chemical dynamics of the oceans.
  • Marine Chemical Biology is a multidisciplinary program focused on problems relating to the marine environment that are best addressed through research at the chemistry-biology interface.  Studies involve marine biomedicine, biotechnology, and chemical ecology.

The interdisciplinary nature of research in marine and earth sciences is emphasized; students are encouraged to take courses from various departments and to consider interdisciplinary research projects.

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​World-Class Faculty That Mentors Students

Doctoral students enjoy a collaborative learning experience at International Diving Institute, where professors mentor them in a tight-knit research-based environment. Students develop expertise across a variety of disciplines, making them more attractive to employers. Rigorous courses, excellent laboratories, and valuable field experiences combine to create subject-matter experts.  International Diving Institute offers a high-quality, challenging curriculum and research experiences in a supportive environment. Students complete a doctoral dissertation with the expectation of publishing their results in scientific journals.

Careers

International Diving Institute offers a flexible environment for working professionals to attain a PhD in oceanography. According to the US Labor Bureau, oceanography careers (as part of geoscientists) were projected to grow by 16% through 2020.
Jobs will continue to involve such expertise in the study and analysis of ocean currents, water temperature changes, salinity, and ecosystem changes. A PhD in oceanography enhances salary potential and prepares graduates for fulfilling careers in academics or industry.