Ocean Studies

Ocean Studies Student Package 2023-24 cover

AMS Ocean Studies is an introductory college-level course developed by the American Meteorological Society for implementation at undergraduate institutions nationwide.

Produced in cooperation with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and prepared by an experienced team of oceanographers and science educators, AMS Ocean Studies places students in a dynamic educational environment where they investigate the role of the ocean in the Earth system by using real-world current oceanographic data.

Special emphasis is placed on the flow and transformations of water and energy into and out of the ocean; physical and chemical properties of ocean water, ocean circulation, marine life, and habitats; interactions between the ocean and the other components of the Earth system (hydrosphere, atmosphere, geosphere, and biosphere); and the human/societal impacts on and response to those interactions. This course provides the physical, chemical, geological, and biological foundations for understanding the world ocean.

Collegial assistance from AMS staff and other course users is available to new instructors.

How can the course be implemented?

  • As a NEW institutional course offering
  • To REVISE an existing course at your institution
  • To EXPAND an existing course by adding a laboratory component
  • As the FOCUS of an online course or as individual directed study

Who can offer the course?

AMS Ocean Studies can be offered by experienced science faculty or those new to teaching the ocean sciences. Collegial assistance is available to all new instructors.

This course has been successfully offered by faculty from many scientific disciplines, including oceanography, geology, meteorology, geography, biology, and physics.

During course implementation and instruction, collegial assistance is available from faculty members who have already offered AMS Ocean Studies. Also, AMS science educators will answer any questions on aspects of course delivery and content. This course enables faculty members to expand and/or update their curriculum and join the ranks of colleagues teaching with the latest technology.

When are the real-time course components delivered?

During fall and spring semesters, the Current Ocean Studies on the RealTime Ocean Portal expands important concepts using recent oceanographic data.

Current Ocean Studies are posted by 9 am Eastern Time on Mondays during fall and spring semesters and then accumulate in the Archives as the semester progresses. Current Ocean Studies 13, 14, and 15, which coordinate with the three independent chapters of the textbook, are designed for use at any point during the course and available year-round.

To further assist with aligning college and AMS delivery schedules, Current Ocean Studies 1–3 are posted on 15 August. Current Ocean Studies answer keys and Respondus-compatible files are posted to the faculty website on the same schedule.

View the real-time course delivery schedule.

What is in the Faculty Resource material?

The Faculty Resource material contains the faculty guide, Investigations Manual answer keys, textbook review and critical thinking keys, test bank questions and keys, chapter progress questions and keys, PowerPoint presentations, and textbook images. The faculty guide describes the course and its components, including an an outline, summary, and learning objectives.

Answer forms and keys are available in a variety of formats, including Microsoft Word and PDF, as well as files archived in Respondus, which converts the answer keys to various learning management system files.

Please visit Faculty Resources to learn more.

How do I integrate this course with my Learning Management System?

Answer keys are provided in lms-compatible Respondus files, as well as text files, to be ported into your system’s quizzing function for automated scoring. This feature allows for full integration into an e-learning environment.

Visit Learning Management System Integration to learn about the three-step process for porting our files into your system.

How do I host this course at my college?

If you would like to use the entire AMS Ocean Studies course package, which includes the textbook, manual, RealTime Ocean Portal, and faculty website, submit a Course License to the AMS Education Program. The Course License fee (from 15 August to 14 August) is $149 per institution, regardless of number of sections or number of students.

Visit Licensing to learn more.

What are the benefits of licensing AMS Ocean Studies?

  • AMS Ocean Studies full course use for academic year
  • Textbook, Manual, and RealTime Ocean Portal
  • AMS Ocean Studies Faculty Website and Faculty Resource Material
  • Files compatible with Learning Management Systems

If you have any additional questions or concerns, please contact us at [email protected] or 1-800-824-0405.