Florida Institute of Technology - Department of Marine and Environmental Systems - Overview
Numerous Master of Science and Ph.D. Degree Paths in Environmental Science and Related Fields Offered by Florida Tech
Florida Institute of Technology (FIT) offers students a highly interdisciplinary set of programs in which they can pursue the Master of Science degree in environmental science and related fields. Students may earn an M.S. degree in environmental science, environmental resource management, meteorology, Earth remote sensing, coastal zone management, and oceanography. A Doctor of Philosophy degree is also available in environmental science.
All environmental science programs at Florida Tech are highly interdisciplinary, allowing students to view complex environmental issues through different perspectives, bringing to bear their knowledge in engineering, aeronautics, and liberal arts, in addition to the traditional sciences. This allows students to become more prepared for the dynamic modern workplace, with emphasis placed on the application of scientific principles to the maintenance and proper use of the environment.
Students are given the fundamentals of chemistry and biology as they apply to natural systems, as well as water and wastewater treatment systems. This gives students the necessary background in environmental science to enter the industry, studying freshwater and estuarine problems in areas such as eutrophication, toxic wastes, aquatic ecology, and hydrology, as well as groundwater contamination problems from sources such as septic tanks, landfills, and underground storage tanks. Students also study atmospheric issues, dealing with air pollution, air quality monitoring, impacts of air pollutants on natural systems, renewable energy, environmental and marine remote sensing, and real-time spectral monitoring of environmental systems.
Course work covers these basics, as well as mathematics, meteorology, and physics. Graduate students are expected to take courses in specialized areas such as remote sensing, environmental biology, environmental chemistry, environmental systems, environmental restoration, hydrology, limnology, environmental modeling, and contaminant transport.
After the course work, the bulk of the graduate program is research-based. Most research in the environmental science program is related to water issues in Florida. This is due to the state's dependence on water and funding from local agencies. Graduate students can expect to do a lot of research on local water issues, although a thesis is not strictly mandatory for master's degree candidates. Ph.D. candidates are expected to complete a research thesis, and M.S. candidates in environmental resource management are expected to take an internship to put their skills to work in the industry.
Environmental Science Research Labs and Facilities Give Students a Unique Hands-On Experience at Florida Tech
Florida Tech's research is well funded by many government agencies, from the state and local level to federal and even international governmental boards. Most research is related to water issues in Florida, as Florida is ideally located both for research on the water itself, as well as a hands-on experience with what happens when a state highly dependent on water begins to experience environmental problems due to an expanding population.
Students that focus in environmental science will find most of their time is spent doing this sort of water-oriented research. Students who choose to pursue the degree in environmental resource management will instead focus on becoming knowledgeable in local and global cause and effect relationships of human activities in the development and utilization of environmental resources. This will be accomplished through hands-on work at environmental resource management agencies, serving as a "living laboratory" for environmental resource management research.
Florida Tech also boasts a number of impressive research facilities. Laboratories are located throughout the university to give students a space to perform research in biology, chemistry, computers, geology, marine instrumentation, mathematics, meteorology, and physics. A new wave channel has been added to the laboratory for increased verisimilitude.
The R/V Delphinus, a 60-foot coastal research vessel, offers students the opportunity to train in research conducted at sea. The Evinrude Marine Center serves as host to a number of small research vessels moored for studies of the nearby Indian River Lagoon and its tributaries. The Indian River Lagoon Research Platform is a large shallow-water wooden tower where important research is conducted on biofouling, marine meteorology, tides and currents, and environmental change.
Perhaps the largest research space on campus is the Aquaculture Lab and Field Facility, a five-acre teaching and research facility with ponds, tanks, indoor hatchery, and laboratories for graduate student use. Students interested in beachfront aquaculture may also make use of the experimental Vero Beach Marine Laboratory for a truly hands-on experience.
Florida Institute of Technology's Environmental Science Faculty Are Well-Qualified and Do Important Research
Florida Tech has a number of qualified faculty members drawn to the campus by the important research being done. Professor George Maul, head of the Marine and Environmental Systems Department, spent 25 years as a research oceanographer with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. His current research interests include quantifying the impact of climate and global change on society, establishing operational forecasts of coastal ocean circulation, and developing an integrated global sea-level/weather network for climate studies and sustained economic development. Assistant Professor Steven Lazarus is a member of the Florida Academy of Sciences, and an active participant in the peer-review process. Dr. Lazarus' current research interests include mesoscale analysis and modeling.