Postgraduate Courses

On successful completion of the course, students will be able to:

• 1.
  Analyze environmental and earth system problems based on fundamental scientific principles and by applying interdisciplinary skill and knowledge.
• 2.
  Describe ocean sciences from interdisciplinary perspectives including physics, chemistry , biology, and geology.
• 3.
  Communicate problem solutions using correct oceanographic terminology in English.

On successful completion of the course, students will be able to:

• 1.
  Describe major processes in biological oceanography.
• 2.
  Identify the biotic and abiotic factors controlling primary productivity.
• 3.
  Understand the principles and methodologies of marine genomics.
• 4.
  Demonstrate knowledge and ability to read and critically evaluate research articles in biological oceanography.
• 5.
  Communicate scientific ideas effectively in written and oral formats.

On successful completion of the course, students will be able to:

• 1.
  Describe various oceanic processes and the associated physical mechanisms.
• 2.
  Identify dynamic regimes and scalings in physical oceanography.
• 3.
  Analyze the interactions between oceanic processes using mathematical and numerical tools.
• 4.
  Evaluate and implement theories of physical oceanography via numerical tools.

On successful completion of the course, students will be able to:

• 1.
  Demonstrate an understanding of the physical, chemical and biological processes affecting the distribution of chemical parameters in the ocean.
• 2.
  Demonstrate an understanding of the importance, major forms, distribution, measurement and cycling of inorganic nutrients, dissolved organic matter and trace elements in the oceans.
• 3.
  Explain how chemical tracers are used to determine the geological, physical and biological characteristics of present and past oceans.
• 4.
  Identify how chemical processes interact with other fundamental areas of oceanography (physical, biological) and inform marine environmental science.
• 5.
  Understand and think critically about recent research in biogeochemical oceanography and able to integrate the latest information into ongoing research.
• 6.
  Demonstrate familiarity with biogeochemical oceanographic approaches for data collection and interpretation.
• 7.
  Use written and oral communication to clearly explain biogeochemical processes in the ocean and related contemporary research questions.

On successful completion of the course, students will be able to:

• 1.
  Define the scope of ecotoxicology study and recognize the major classes of pollutants.
• 2.
  Describe the major concepts in ecotoxicology study, such as the entry and fate, bioaccumulation and bioavailability.
• 3.
  Describe the ecological and biological responses of pollutants at different levels.
• 4.
  Demonstrate methods in conducting ecotoxicology research, such as the kinetic modelling, biomonitoring, toxicity testing, biomarkers and toxicity mechanisms study.

On successful completion of the course, students will be able to:

• 1.
  Obtain a broad overview of research in ocean science.
• 2.
  Demonstrate the ability of researching, critically analysing and summarising scholarly literature.
• 3.
  Present research questions, methods, analyses, research data and interpretations to a diverse audience.
• 4.
  Learn how to respond to audience questions.
• 5.
  Ask relevant and thoughtful questions.
• 6.
  Constructively evaluate their peers' presentation and their own presentation.

On successful completion of the course, students will be able to:

• 1.
  Identify marine science research study topics at HKUST.
• 2.
  Apply marine science research resources and facilities at HKUST.
• 3.
  Recognize the importance of scientific ethics in marine science research.
• 4.
  Explain specific research skills in marine science.
• 5.
  Demonstrate basic job hunting skills.
• 6.
  Explain academic/industrial career opportunities in marine science.

On successful completion of the course, students will be able to:

• 1.
  Demonstrate understanding of the fundamentals of ocean science and an ability to identify critical scientific questions in a subfield of ocean science.
• 2.
  Develop scientific hypotheses through literature review.
• 3.
  Develop research methodology through laboratory or field experiments, or model simulations.
• 4.
  Execute reliable data collection and analysis using laboratory, theoretical, and/or computational techniques necessary to test the hypotheses developed.
• 5.
  Demonstrate a capability to solve real problems and achieve scientific goals by presenting results in a research seminar, a scientific conference, or an international academic journal.
• 6.
  Make a contribution to the advancement of a subfield of ocean science.

On successful completion of the course, students will be able to:

• 1.
  Demonstrate understanding of the fundamentals of ocean science and an ability to identify critical scientific questions in a subfield of ocean science.
• 2.
  Develop scientific hypotheses through comprehensive literature review.
• 3.
  Develop research methodology through independent laboratory and field experiments, or model simulations, using innovative technologies or novel approaches.
• 4.
  Execute reliable data collection and analysis using laboratory, theoretical, and/or computational techniques, and demonstrate the ability to interpret and synthesise the results through critical thinking in the context of the hypotheses developed.
• 5.
  Demonstrate a capability to solve complex scientific questions and achieve significant advancements in a subdiscipline of ocean science by successfully defending the dissertation.
• 6.
  Develop skills to communicate concepts and research results such as through presentation in scientific conferences and publication of research papers in high impact academic journals.
• 7.
  Make a significant contribution to the advancement of a subfield of ocean science and explore its potential impact beyond basic science in terms of benefits to nature and the society.