IAMU News - Special Edition

DALIAN MARITIME UNIVERSITY

Post-graduate Education at Dalian Maritime University

Abstract

Dalian Maritime University (DMU) is a renowned higher learning institution with a history of 95 years and enjoys an international reputation. DMU has started its master program since 1959 and its doctoral program since 1980s. At present DMU offers 25 master programs and 9 doctorate programs, as well as a post-doctorate mobile research center. DMU aims to provide graduates with both solid theoretical foundation and professional knowledge and research capability.
Key Words: Dalian Maritime University; master program; doctoral program

1 Introduction

DMU has started its master program since 1959 and its doctoral program since 1980s. Up to now, around 2200 people have successfully completed their post-graduate studies and been awarded doctoral or master's degrees respectively.

At present DMU is at the forefront of universities of the same kind in the world in terms of scale and level of running a school. At present DMU offers 25 master degree programs and 9 doctorate programs as well as a post-doctorate mobile research center. The total number of students pursuing master and doctoral degrees reaches 2229 people this year.

DMU has a teaching staff of excellent quality, well distributed across a range of disciplines, with over 150 professors and almost 100 doctoral supervisors. The academic research capacity of the staff is substantial and research projects center on marine transportation engineering, navigation information technology, marine intelligence programming, marine power systems and energy-saving technology, marine mechanical maintenance engineering, communication information systems, marine environmental protection, and maritime law.

2 Master Program

DMU aims to provide students with a sound outlook on the world, life and values. With a solid theoretical foundation and a systematic approach to professional knowledge, the candidates must also be aware of the developing trends of a specific discipline and have the ability to work independently on projects. At least one foreign language should be mastered so that candidates can be able to read original foreign materials and better understand other cultures.

Full-time candidates with their bachelor degree normally complete the master program in 2.5 years, of which 1.5 years will be coursework. Candidates who are working full-time as they study may complete the master program within 3.5 years. Programs offered are as follows:

· Traffic information engineering and control · Nautical science and technology · Vehicle operation engineering · Transportation planning and management · Road and railway engineering · International law · Civil and business law · Environment and resources protection law · Environmental science · Environmental engineering · Linguistics and applied linguistics in foreign languages · Power electronics and power drives

· Marine engineering · Communication and information systems · Applied mathematics · Electrical circuit and systems · Signal and information processing · Control theory and engineering · Applied computer technology · Computer software and theory · Management science and engineering · Education of Marxist theory, ideology and politics · Corporate management science · Material processing engineering · Maritime safety and environmental management

Supervisors will be guide candidate training throughout their study. In addition, regular meetings are held between the supervisors and students. In this way, supervisors may be well informed of how candidates are getting on with their study and work, so that they can give suitable guidance. The latest developments of research within a certain discipline is also a topic of these meetings.

Degree thesis, as an important part in master program, should be clear in purpose, logic in reasoning, reliable in reference as well as concise in statement. Candidates must express their new ideas in a certain research field so that they can prove that they are capable of conducting scientific research and professional work independently.

3 Doctoral Program

Compared with the master's program, the doctoral program sets up higher requirements in certain aspects. Besides what is included in master program, several points are added:

In academic study, doctoral candidates must document creative achievements in a scientific or professional field. At least one foreign language should be mastered so that candidates can be able to read original source material in that language. In addition, doctoral candidates should be able to show that they can effectively communicate with other professionals in their respective fields.

Full time doctoral candidates are supposed to complete doctoral program in 3 years, while 4 years is the usual for working candidates. Doctoral programs offered are as follows:

· Traffic information engineering and control · Nautical science and technology · Transportation planning and management · Road and railway engineering

· Marine engine engineering · Vehicle operation engineering · Communication and information systems · International law · Environmental science

The doctoral candidates with their master's degree are supposed to complete courses, consisting of compulsory and optional courses, up to 15 credits within all school years. In addition, all doctoral candidates must participate in other related academic activities at least 12 times and give presentations at least 3 times within all school years. Finally, doctoral candidates must publish at least 3 academic papers in international periodicals, at an international academic conference or in domestic core periodicals.

Supervisors will be in charge of guiding the candidates through their study. The teaching is primarily discussion-oriented. Regular meetings will also be held between the supervisors and students in which supervisors and candidates can exchange ideas on latest development of specific discipline and individual research.

The Doctoral degree dissertation should be such that it contributes to or adds to the development of society and technology. It must be a complete academic paper clear in purpose, logic in reasoning, reliable in reference, and meeting the usual requirements for publishing in domestic or international important academic periodicals.

4 Overseas students Program

DMU started its master's and doctoral program for overseas students in 1992. Overseas students come from more than ten countries, such as Madagascar, Nepal, Pakistan, Nigeria, Korea, Poland, Germany, etc. Up to now, 44 overseas students have received doctoral and master's degrees on specialties such as Marine Engineering, Transportation Planning and Management, and International Law, to name a few.

5 Joint Programs and other programs

World Maritime University (WMU) and DMU have signed an agreement to run a master program in Maritime Safety and Environmental Management (MSEM), aiming to meet the needs for high-level professionals capable of handling increasingly complex and important issues of maritime safety and marine environment protection. The program will provide graduates with advanced technical, legal and managerial skills needed to enhance innovation and performance. The 12-month MSEM program will start in March 2005, and will continue in next five years.

In addition, DMU is applying for MBA and MPA programs, which are under consideration, and will soon be approved by the educational authority of China. DMU will start the EMBA program in a couple of years.

6 Conclusions

The postgraduate education of DMU will advance and enrich the institutional educational culture and continue to provide candidates with high-level education in a demanding but supportive studying environment under the instruction of excellent advisors and mentors. Our mission is "Be steadfast, rigorous, industrious, pioneering, to build the University into a first-rate maritime university in the World."