IHB File N° S1/3023 & CBSC-1
CIRCULAR LETTER 53/2017
25 September 2017
MASTER OF SCIENCE PROGRAMME IN HYDROGRAPHIC SURVEYING
AT THE UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN MISSISSIPPI (USA)
SPONSORED BY THE REPUBLIC OF KOREA
CALL FOR NOMINATIONS (Sixth Course, August 2018 – August 2019)
Reference A: CL 27/2017 dated 7 March - Master of Science Programme in Hydrographic
Surveying at the University of Southern Mississippi (USA) sponsored by the
Republic of Korea - Fifth course - Selection of a Candidate.
Dear Hydrographer,
1. Following the selection announced in Reference A, one student (from Romania) 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 sixth ROK-funded
programme at the USM (2018-2019 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 2018 to August 2019. 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.
Mapping our Seas, Oceans and Waterways - more important than ever
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 (or IELTS) test result (combined TOEFL score should be 80 or better);
e. A personal letter stating goals and interests;
f. Three letters of recommendation.
8. Applications should be submitted no later than 13 February 2018 to the following address:
International Hydrographic Organization
Fax: + 377 93 10 81 40
e-mail:
[email protected] with copy to
[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 2018-2019 Programme. Selected candidates and reserves
will be informed of their selection by 5 March 2018. 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 19 March 2018:
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 2018-2019 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 2018-2019 USM-Cat "A" Programme Candidates
Annex A to CL 53/2017
SUMMARY OF THE USM CATEGORY "A" HYDROGRAPHY PROGRAMME
August 2018 – August 2019
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 53/2017
TIMETABLE FOR THE SELECTION OF 2018 – 2019 USM-CAT "A" PROGRAMME CANDIDATES
Deadline Action Responsible Observation/Status
05/02/2018 Complete required documentation for application including GRE and TOEFL Candidates
(or IELTS) tests
13/02/2018 Submit candidate application to the IHO Secretariat Nominating
Authority
28/02/2018 Selection Board meeting IHO Secretariat,
ROK
05/03/2018 Issue notification letter to the selected candidates and request for the affidavit IHO Secretariat
12/03/2018 Send signed affidavit to the IHO Secretariat Selected
Candidates
14/03/2018 Issue letter of financial support for the Selected Candidates IHO Secretariat
16/03/2018 Issue Circular Letter for selection results IHO Secretariat
19/03/2018 Finish online application to the USM Selected
Candidates
30/03/2018 Issue invitation letter (I-20) for F-1 visa to Accepted Students USM
03/05/2018 Send copy of visa and passport to the IHO Secretariat Accepted
Students
25/05/2018 Transfer the funds to the USM account IHO Secretariat
30/05/2018 Provide air tickets to the Accepted Students IHO Secretariat
20/07/2018 Provide the Accepted Students with start-up cash for settling in IHO Secretariat Date may change
01/08/2018 Report to the USM Campus in the USA Accepted Date may change
Students
-
Dear Hydrographer,
Please find attached herewith :
CL 53/2017 :MASTER OF SCIENCE PROGRAMME IN HYDROGRAPHIC SURVEYING AT
THE UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN MISSISSIPPI (USA)
SPONSORED BY THE REPUBLIC OF KOREA
CALL FOR NOMINATIONS (Sixth Course, August 2018 – August 2019)
Yours sincerely,
IHO
M.MOLLET