WASHINGTON (NNS) -- Deputy Chief of Naval Operations for Information Warfare Vice Adm. Jan Tighe recently announced that applications are being accepted for the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI) Joint Master's Degree in Oceanography Program.
The joint program run out of MIT in Boston and nearby WHOI, is open to qualified oceanography, submarine warfare and surface warfare officers looking to enhance their understanding and application of operational oceanography, in the undersea warfare arena.
Of the many who apply only few officers get into each class annually, but the Navy's top oceanographer wants to increase that.
"Our competitors are catching up to us, so the Joint MIT/WHOI Master's degree program in
Oceanography is absolutely essential for our Navy to maintain its competitive undersea advantage," said Oceanographer of the Navy Rear Adm. Tim Gallaudet. "The MIT/WHOI Joint Program is a world class graduate level program with the finest oceanographers, engineers, and faculty in the world. Expanding the number of applicants and course content to include unmanned undersea vehicles (UUVs) will benefit Naval Oceanography by providing a superior understanding of the world's oceans. Most importantly, it will also benefit the Navy's larger mission to defend our maritime interests."
The joint program, administered by a joint committee consisting of MIT faculty and WHOI scientists focuses on Applied Ocean Science and Engineering, Biological Oceanography, Chemical Oceanography, Marine Geology and Geophysics and Physical Oceanography. For Submarine Warfare and Surface Warfare Officers, the associated MIT department is Mechanical Engineering. For Oceanography Officers, the associated MIT department is Earth, Atmospheric and Planetary Sciences.
Those focus areas are in part what attracted one of the joint program's current students.
"The aspect that attracted me most to the program was that it was all about the ocean," said Lt. Cmdr. James Kepper, MIT and WHOI Joint Program student. "Additionally, a prime area of research at MIT and WHOI is in the realm of underwater marine robotics. Knowing that the Navy is moving more and more toward a greater implementation of autonomous drones, I thought that area of study would be very interesting as well as have a profound professional impact and lastly, the opportunity to attend graduate school at both of these highly respected institutions was difficult to pass up."
Kepper, who is nearly halfway through the program, will join more than 70 other Naval officers who graduated before him dating back to 1970 including the current Chief of Naval Operations Admiral John Richardson.
Kepper further explained how the joint program is preparing him to provide a competitive advantage after returning to the fleet. "The critical thinking skills developed in this program I think will be the greatest asset to help me when I return to the fleet. Just like onboard a boat, we are constantly presented problems that need to be solved. Skills of scoping the problem, bounding the problem, and developing a solution are all directly applicable to serving at any command," he said.
Kepper explained how he overcame a hurdle that almost kept him from applying to the program: the decision to take time out for school versus other billet options.
"When officers have options for their shore duty, and the joint program is in 'competition' with the other billets, all of the insight, advice, and encouragement from those in the submarine community were crucial for my decision to attend the joint program," said Kepper. "Community managers and detailers are essential in getting more officers into this program. The main reason why I was ever exposed to this program was because of the initial letter from SUBFOR."
Four quotas are available for the June 2017 program and the deadline for application Jan. 5, 2017, but interested officers are encouraged to begin preparing their applications now.
"For task-saturated naval officers it can be a challenge to dedicate time toward crafting a competitive application to a highly selective program such as the MIT-WHOI Joint Program," said Cmdr. Ben Jones, graduate education coordinator for the Oceanographer of the Navy and alumnus of the MIT-WHOI joint program. "However, while the application seems daunting, the electronic submission system is actually very user friendly. Potential candidates should, first, schedule the Graduate Record Exam (GRE) early this fall, and then focus on obtaining transcripts, contacting academic mentors willing to write letters of recommendation, and begin crafting a Statement of Objective. It seems like a tremendous effort, but the benefit of attending a unique and internationally recognized program such as the JP is really priceless — something I'm still benefiting from over a decade after graduation."
To learn more about the joint MIT/WHOI program visit: http://mit.whoi.edu/program-description
To learn more about the Office of the Oceanographer of the Navy visit www.Facebook.com/OfficeoftheOceanographeroftheNavy.
For more Navy news, please visit Navy News Service.