UNDERGRADUATE COURSE IN UNDERWATER ACOUSTICS FOR OCEAN ENGINEERING STUDENTS.

In 1976 a course titled Measurements in the Ocean Environment was inserted into the curriculum for undergraduate ocean engineering students at Texas A&M University. The course was split between underwater acoustics and instrumentation, but in 1980 it evolved into a full semester course dedicated to underwater acoustics. To date approximately 100 students have enrolled in the course as part of their requirements for a BS degree in ocean engineering. The course covers sound generation, transducer array properties, sonar equations, underwater sound propagation, sources of underwater noise, seismic exploration fundamentals, and underwater sound applications. Laboratory work has been used to demonstrate transmission loss, and a field trip has been conducted to observe actual underwater sound equipment and its operation. The paper discusses the course content, the rationale for selecting the above topics, the use of a laboratory experiment, and the value of a field trip.

UNDERGRADUATE COURSE IN UNDERWATER ACOUSTICS FOR OCEAN ENGINEERING STUDENTS. Academic Article