The educational and research program in coastal science and engineering offered by the Georgia Institute of Technology and the Skidaway Institute of Oceanography (SkIO) is designed for students from either engineering or science backgrounds.
The program leads to Master's and Ph.D. degrees awarded by the Georgia Tech School of Civil and Environmental Engineering, as well as a Ph.D. minor for students outside of the civil and environmental engineering disciplines.
Prospective graduate students should apply for the M.S. or Ph.D. degree from Georgia Tech's School of Civil and Environmental Engineering (see http://www.admission.gatech.edu/ for details). Graduate students in other schools within Georgia Tech are also eligible for course enrollment, with instructor approval.
Program Architecture
The list of potential research issues in coastal settings that can be investigated by teams of engineers and oceanographers is extensive.
- For example:
- Saltwater intrusion due to groundwater withdrawal; desalination
- Sea level rise and long-term shoreline change
- Storm inundation, including storm surge and tsunami impacts
- Anthropogenic impacts on water chemistry, aquatic biology, and geomorphology
- Health and safety issues, such as pathogen trajectories
- Storm-resistant structural design, both terrestrial and offshore
- Beach erosion, beach nourishment, impacts of structures and dredging
- Materials for use in or near saltwater environments
- Ocean energy extraction
- Coastal ocean observing systems
The majority of classroom experiences take place at the Georgia Tech Savannah (GTS) campus, with field exercises and research experiences originating from the SkIO campus. Due to significant experience and investment in distance learning technologies, courses can be easily broadcast via high quality video to or from either campus, and to Georgia Tech's Atlanta campus.
The program emphasizes the concept that research is a necessary part of graduate education, and thus field experiences are integrated into the curriculum. The coastal engineering courses offered by GTS have traditionally included nearshore and beach field trips, while SkIO's R/V Savannah (a 92 ft UNOLS fleet research vessel) is frequently used for both research and educational missions. The introductory and capstone courses in the new program include field components that involve use of the R/V Savannah, as do several other courses. Because this is a focused, coordinated curriculum, field experiences of concurrent courses are frequently combined to reduce scheduling conflicts and maximize student participation in activities.
For more information, please contact:
Paul Work, Ph.D., P.E.
Associate Director, Georgia Tech Savannah
Associate Chair, Civil and Environmental Engineering
Associate Professor, Civil and Environmental Engineering
Download brochure (PDF):
Program in Coastal Science and Engineering
This program is funded in part by the National Science Foundation.
