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.
  Communicate efficiently (in both written and oral formats) in academic settings using genomic
  terminologies.
• 2.
  Read and evaluate research articles in marine genomics critically.
• 3.
  Understand the fundamental concepts in marine genomics and the essential mechanisms of the genomics
  tools.
• 4.
  Apply common genomics tools to the student’s research projects.
• 5.
  Modify existing genomic tools to accommodate the student’s own research projects.
• 6.
  Conduct research following standard ethical rules.

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

• 1.
  Describe the diversity and biology of some exploited fishery resources.
• 2.
  Recognize the importance of fisheries and aquaculture to human society in terms of food security and socioeconomics.
• 3.
  Comprehend the relationship between fisheries productivity and marine ecological processes.
• 4.
  Explain how fisheries and aquaculture production impacts marine populations and communities.
• 5.
  Apply basic knowledge of common fishing and aquaculture techniques.
• 6.
  Describe the principles of fish stock assessment and management models.
• 7.
  Summarize and critically evaluate the impacts of various fisheries and aquaculture practices.
• 8.
  Explain the concept of sustainable fisheries and appreciate why fisheries need to be managed.

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

• 1.
  Identify in-depth and up-to-date knowledge in the field of marine resources management.
• 2.
  Recognize the importance of managing marine resources sustainably.
• 3.
  Recognize the advanced methodologies and technologies employed in ocean surveying and ocean spatial planning.
• 4.
  Apply the knowledge learnt to evaluate current coastal policies and maritime strategies; and to recommend new policies in response to local and global emerging threats.
• 5.
  Critically assess and evaluate new research ideas, communicate effectively with scientific community on marine resources management topics.

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

• 1.
  Describe the major resources in the deep sea.
• 2.
  Explain the interactions between the geological, biological and chemical components in the deep sea environment.
• 3.
  Identify the right methodology of utilizing resources in the deep sea.
• 4.
  Explain the ecological importance of deep sea resources.
• 5.
  Analyze data and to take samples from the deep sea.
• 6.
  Communicate scientific ideas effectively on deep sea management and regulation.

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 research questions related to marine resources management.
• 2.
  Use relevant scientific literature.
• 3.
  Collect data for evaluation and for statistical treatment, if relevant.
• 4.
  Formulate an individual research plan.

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

• 1.
  Carry out a substantial research project in selected areas of marine resources management.
• 2.
  Demonstrate the initiative and intellectual achievement of the investigation by applying skills and knowledge learnt.
• 3.
  Apply experimental methods to solve a given scientific task.
• 4.
  Develop expertise and experience of project management and practical training.
• 5.
  Analyze data and synthesize research findings.
• 6.
  Report research findings in written and verbal forms.

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

• 1.
  Carry out a substantial research project in selected areas of marine resources management.
• 2.
  Demonstrate the initiative and intellectual achievement of the investigation by applying skills and knowledge learnt.
• 3.
  Apply experimental methods to solve a given scientific task.
• 4.
  Develop expertise and experience of project management and practical training.
• 5.
  Analyze data and synthesize research findings.
• 6.
  Report research findings in written and verbal forms.

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.