Ocean Science and Engineering OpenCourseWare: MIT's Free Undergraduate Ocean Engineering Class

Published Jan 31, 2009

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'Introduction to Ocean Science and Engineering' is a free course that is offered by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) as a part of the OpenCourseWare project. This course studies the basic uses of ocean science and engineering for investigating, monitoring and making use of ocean environments. This undergraduate-level course is ideal for students earning bachelor's degrees in Coastal Engineering, Marine Engineering, Physics or a related field.

Introduction to Ocean Science and Engineering: Course Specifics

Degree Level Free Audio Video Downloads
Undergraduate Yes No Yes Yes

Lectures/Notes Study Materials Tests/Quizzes
Yes Yes No

Introduction to Ocean Science and Engineering: Course Description

The objective of this OpenCourseware is to educate students on the principles of ocean science and engineering, hydrodynamics, offshore mechanics, marine robotics and fluid mechanics. The course is presented in a lecture format by Professor Alexandra Techet, an instructor in the MIT Department of Mechanical Engineering. Lectures focus on giving students an introduction to ocean systems and engineering. Students can expect to study currents, heat fluxes, water masses and the distribution of oceanic winds. The course provides a review of the physical processes that influence the oceans and coastal regions. Students will also study the interaction of the ocean with the atmosphere. Subsequent lectures examine a variety of topics, including properties of ocean water, subocean sound waves, the theory of conservation of mass/momentum/energy, El Nino and La Nina and the hydrostatic behavior of floating and submerged bodies as it applies to ocean vehicle design.

Materials for the course include labs, assignment, exams and a reading list. There is also an image gallery and videos of lab projects. If you are interested in taking advantage of this OpenCourseWare, visit the ocean science and engineering course page.

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