CL 48/2018

IHO File N° S1/3023 & CBSC-1 CIRCULAR LETTER 48/2018 04October 2018 MASTER OF SCIENCE PROGRAMME IN HYDROGRAPHIC SURVEYING AT THE UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN MISSISSIPPI (USA) SPONSORED BY THE REPUBLIC OF KOREA CALL FOR NOMINATIONS (Seventh Course, August 2019 – August 2020) Reference: CL 24/2018 dated 7 March - Master of Science Programme in Hydrographic Surveying at the University of Southern Mississippi (USA) sponsored by the Republic of Korea - Sixth course (13 August 2018 – 1 August 2019) - Selection of candidates Dear Hydrographer, 1. Following the selection announced in the Reference, two students successfully enrolled in the FIG/IHO/ICA recognized Category "A" (Cat. "A") Master of Science Programme in Hydrography held at the University of Southern Mississippi (USM), USA, and funded by the Republic of Korea (ROK). The IHO Secretariat is now pleased to call for nominations for the seventh ROK-funded programme at the USM (2019-2020 Programme). 2. The Republic of Korea has provided funds through the IHO Capacity Building Programme that can be made available for up to three students to attend the next course that will take place at the USM from August 2019 to August 2020. The exact start and finish dates will be announced later. Further details of the course are provided in Annex A. Funding support will cover almost all student expenses, and, in particular, course fees, travel to and from the respective countries, accommodation, medical insurance, books and a moderate living allowance. 3. Member States are invited to consider nominating ONE suitable candidate who will benefit from this training and will thereby assist the nominating country in developing its hydrographic capabilities. 4. It is essential that candidates are employed by a national hydrographic office, a maritime authority or a related national agency in the nominating country. The nomination must include a statement specifying that the candidate is, or will be, involved in the provision of hydrographic services and that, once the training has been successfully completed, the candidate will continue to work in this field. 5. The authority nominating a candidate should carefully select the nominee and ensure that opportunities will be in place for the candidate to transfer the learning gained through the programme in a structured manner for the benefit of his or her parent organization. This will ensure that the individual and the sponsoring organization gain maximum benefit. Bathymetry –the foundation for sustainable seas, oceans and waterways 6. Nominated candidates MUST meet the following criteria: a. Have a university diploma (equivalent to the US Undergraduate Diploma) in a hydrography-related area (hydrography, cartography, ocean sciences, engineering, etc.) and provide a GRE (Graduate Record Examinations) test score; b. Provide evidence of a good standard of English, both written and spoken, with reasonable technical English via TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language) or IELTS (International English Language Testing System) score tests; c. Have a high standard in mathematics, physics and computing and meet the minimum requirements of the Standards of Competence for Category "A" Hydrographic Surveyors (IHO Publication S-5A) regarding the following Basic Subjects:  B1 Mathematics, Statistics, Theory of Observations  B2 Information and Communication Technology  B3 Physics Matlab is a key tool for the programme and the USM will strive to deliver an introductory course once the students arrive to the Campus. However, students are encouraged to seek qualification in Matlab before the beginning of the programme. d. Comply with the submission requirements to the USM presented in paragraph 10 below. 7. Applications should be submitted in accordance with Procedure 7 of the Capacity Building Sub- Committee (CBSC). This procedure is available on the IHO website at: www.iho.int  Capacity Building  CB Procedures (available in PDF and with a template in MSWord). In addition to following CBSC Procedure 7, candidates must also provide the IHO Secretariat with: a. Their graduation diploma (copy); b. A curriculum vitae (including a photo) and any related documents (copy); c. GRE test result (the Verbal and Quantitative GRE scores should add up to 297 but this is not an absolute minimum if other admission factors score highly. USM does not have an official minimum); d. TOEFL test result (combined TOEFL score should be 80 or better). If IELTS is taken instead, USM requires a minimum score of 6.5; e. A personal letter stating goals and interests; f. Three letters of recommendation. 8. Applications should be submitted no later than 25 February 2019 to the following address: International Hydrographic Organization Fax: + 377 93 10 81 40 e-mail: [email protected] with copy to [email protected], [email protected] and [email protected] 9. A Selection Panel, comprising representatives from the IHO Secretariat and from the Korea Hydrographic and Oceanographic Agency (KHOA), in liaison with the Programme Coordinator of the USM, will select students and reserves for the 2019-2020 Programme. Selected candidates and reserves will be informed of their selection by 18 March 2019. Member States will also be informed of the results of the selection process. 10. Selected candidates (the IHO Applicants) will then be required to submit the following documentation to the USM within 14 days and no later than 1 April 2019: a. a completed online submission at: https://usmgrad.admissionpros.com/default.asp; b. a non-refundable application fee (approximately 60 US Dollars); c. the official transcripts of documents; d. the GRE score; e. the TOEFL (or IELTS) score; f. a personal letter stating goals and interests; g. contact information for 3 academic or professional recommenders; and h. a curriculum vitae. Any IHO Applicant who is subsequently not accepted by the USM will be replaced by one of the reserves, if possible. Prospective candidates are encouraged to seek guidance from the CB Coordinators in their respective Regional Hydrographic Commission. 11. The timetable for the selection and processing of applicants for the 2019-2020 Programme is provided in Annex B. Candidates and their nominating authorities should carefully note the tight timetable and the need to meet the various deadlines. 12. In order to overcome the tight schedule between the selection of students and the submission of their documentation to the USM, candidates may wish to consider providing the required admission documentation to the USM in advance of any decision of the Selection Panel. However, it should be borne in mind that, even if a candidate is accepted for admission by the USM in advance of selection by the Selection Panel, the I-20 Invitation Letter required to obtain a visa and the subsequent funding support will only be provided to those applicants who are eventually selected by the Selection Panel. 13. Candidates and nominating authorities should also carefully consider the following very important aspects of the process: a. GRE (http://www.ets.org/gre) score tests are mandatory for all applicants; b. TOEFL (http://www.ets.org/toefl) English score tests are mandatory for all applicants but may be waived for candidates from English-speaking countries or those who received their bachelor’s degree from an accredited English-speaking university. Candidates may take the IELTS (http://www.ielts.org) English score test when the TOEFL is not available in their region. The official test scores above must be received from the testing agency (USM code is 1479); c. A number of candidates for the previous courses failed to pass the GRE and the TOEFL tests, others failed even to get an appointment to do the tests in time to submit their documents; d. Funding support will be available for the selected student alone; no funds will be provided for family members or dependents; e. Test fees, visa and other administrative expenses must be paid by the student or the student's national sponsoring authority. These expenses are not covered by the CB Fund; f. Incomplete submissions will not be accepted by the Selection Panel. 14. The IHO Secretariat would like to reiterate its appreciation to the Republic of Korea for its generous support of the IHO’s role and objectives. On behalf of the Secretary-General Yours sincerely, Mustafa IPTES Director Annexes: A. Summary of the USM Category "A" Hydrography Programme B. Timetable for selection of 2019-2020 USM-Cat "A" Programme Candidates  Annex A to CL 48/2018 SUMMARY OF THE USM CATEGORY "A" PROGRAMME IN HYDROGRAPHIC SURVEYING August 2019 – August 2020 Courses This is an accelerated one-year track, which includes two periods of classroom lectures and practical exercises and one period of application, combining for about 50 continuous weeks of study. Master’s Degree Curriculum One Year Degree Programme Fall Semester HYD 600 Classical Geodesy HYD 607 Oceanography for Hydrographers HYD 608 Practical Hydrographic Science HYD 609 Nautical Science HYD 620 Math Concepts for Hydrographers MAR 668 Applied Ocean Acoustics Spring Semester HYD 601 Hydrographic Data Management HYD 604 Kinematic Positioning HYD 605 Applied Bathymetry HYD 611 Remote Sensing for Hydrographers HYD 612 Water Levels Summer Semester HYD 603 Law & Policy for Hydrographic Science HYD 606 Nautical Cartography and GIS HYD 610 Hydrographic Science Field Project More information about the programme is available at: http://www.usm.edu/marine/hydrographic-science-degrees  Annex B to CL 48/2018 TIMETABLE FOR THE SELECTION OF 2019 – 2020 USM-CAT "A" PROGRAMME CANDIDATES Deadline Action Responsible Observation/Status 11/02/2019 Complete required documentation for application including GRE and TOEFL Candidates (or IELTS) tests 25/02/2019 Submit candidate application to the IHO Secretariat Nominating Authority 14/03/2019 Selection Board meeting IHO Secretariat, ROK 18/03/2019 Issue notification letter to the selected candidates and request for the affidavit IHO Secretariat 22/03/2019 Send signed affidavit to the IHO Secretariat Selected Candidates 25/03/2019 Issue letter of financial support for the Selected Candidates IHO Secretariat 26/03/2019 Issue Circular Letter for selection results IHO Secretariat 01/04/2019 Finish online application to the USM Selected Candidates 15/04/2019 Issue invitation letter (I-20) for F-1 visa to Accepted Students USM 17/05/2019 Send copy of visa and passport to the IHO Secretariat Accepted Students 01/07/2019 Transfer the funds to the USM account IHO Secretariat 10/06/2019 Provide air tickets to the Accepted Students IHO Secretariat 29/07/2019 Provide the Accepted Students with start-up cash for settling in IHO Secretariat 12/08/2019 Report to the USM Campus in the USA Accepted Date may change Students Dear Hydrographer, Please find attached herewith : CL 48/2018 : MASTER OF SCIENCE PROGRAMME IN HYDROGRAPHIC SURVEYING AT THE UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN MISSISSIPPI (USA) SPONSORED BY THE REPUBLIC OF KOREA. Kind regards Lorene Chavagnas Office Assistant International Hydrographic Organization BP 445, 98011 Monaco Tel : 00377 93 10 81 00 E-mail: [email protected]