A broad engineering knowledge is required for the construction, protection, and maintenance of coastal communities and harbors, the development of offshore resources, and the preservation of estuarine and coastal areas. Generic engineering knowledge is crucial, despite the fact that construction of coastal and offshore facilities is highly dependent upon unique site-specific characteristics, such as local bathymetry, coastal topography and the offshore wave climate. Coastal engineers who work on the nearshore region face a wide variety of problems, including:

• Prediction of long-term shoreline changes due to beach nourishment or presence of structures
• Prediction of the forces a marine structure, including a levee, experiences over its lifetime
• Prediction of wave-induced forces and currents on sediment redistribution and morphological change
• Determination of the influence of sea level rise on coastal erosion and infrastructure
• Determination of shallow water directional spectra and storm surge
• Determination of correct breakwater design, including composition, shape, and orientation
• Calculation of estuarine and harbor hydrodynamics and pollution transport
• Wave breaking and air bubbles

Because of shoreline erosion from major storms and increasing sea level rise, pollution of estuaries, and the high cost of constructing and maintaining navigable channels and harbors, the demand for coastal research expertise is strong. The Center for Applied Coastal Research (www.coastal.udel.edu) is responding to this demand through the development of science and engineering methodologies to support design strategies for the coastal and offshore industry.

FACULTY

Tian-Jian (Tom) Hsu - Fluid dynamics, sediment transport
James T. Kirby – Wave modeling, hydrodynamics
Nobuhisa Kobayashi – Sediment dynamics, coastal structures
Jack A. Puleo – Swash dynamics, field monitoring

MS REQUIREMENTS

See the MS in Civil Engineering for the general academic requirements. In addition, the Master’s degree in Civil Engineering or Applied Science in the field of Coastal Engineering requires three core courses and five electives taken from a variety of fields. Electives should be selected based on discussions with your advisor.

Core Courses:

• CIEG 639 – Ocean Fluid Dynamics
• CIEG 672 – Water Wave Mechanics
• MEEG 690 – Intermediate Engineering Mathematics

Suggested electives include:

• CIEG 675 – Matlab for Engineering Analysis
• CIEG 678 – Transport and Mixing Processes
• CIEG 679 – Sediment Transport Mechanics
• CIEG 680 – Littoral Processes
• CIEG 681 – Water Wave Spectra
• CIEG 682 – Nearshore Hydrodynamics
• CIEG 684 – Numerical Methods for Coastal Modeling
• CIEG 865 – Civil Engineering Seminar (Ocean)
• CIEG 870 – Offshore Design
• CIEG 871 – Coastal Structures
• CIEG 872 – Advanced Water Wave Mechanics
• MAST 681 – Remote Sensing of Environment
• MAST 693 – Waves in Marine Environment
• MAST 806 – Geophysical Fluid Dynamics
• MAST 808 – Coastal/Estuarine Physical Dynamics

PhD REQUIREMENTS

PhD degrees are also offered in the Coastal Engineering field. The courses listed above serve as a foundation for the PhD degree. PhD students work with their advisor to develop a program of study that provides appropriate breadth and depth. See the PhD in Civil Engineering for the general academic requirements.