Ocean acoustics at the University of Victoria

Abstract

This paper describes the academic program in Ocean Acoustics and Acoustical Oceanography at the University of Victoria in Canada. The program was established when a Research Chair in Ocean Acoustics consisting of two faculty members was funded in 1995 by the Canadian Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council (NSERC). The Research Chair graduate program offered two courses in Ocean Acoustics, and courses in Time Series Analysis and Inverse Methods. Funding for students was obtained entirely through partnership research programs with Canadian marine industry, the Department of National Defence in Canada and the Office of Naval Research. The program was successful in graduating around 30 M.Sc. and Ph.D. students to date, about half of whom were Canadians. Notably, all the students obtained positions in marine industry, government, or academia after their degrees. The undergraduate program consisted of one course in Acoustical Oceanography at the senior level (3rd year) that was designed to appeal to students in physics, biology, and geology. The course attracted about 30 students each time, primarily from biology. The paper concludes with perspectives on difficulties in operating an academic program with a low critical mass of faculty and in isolation from colleagues in the research field.