The University of Southern Mississippi will be conducting two-tiered UxS certificate classes this summer and fall that will give working knowledge of everything from ocean science to engineering (ocean, electrical and mechanical) for operators and pilots that will help them safely and successfully execute UxS missions.

This will be the first offering of the two tier program with a heavy focus on buoyancy gliders. These courses/certificates have been developed in collaboration with NOAA, Navy, academia and industry partners to meet the user’s needs.

Tier I

Unmanned Maritime System Certificate Program: Aug. 24 – Sept. 25, 2020

Students will learn foundational material in oceanography and ocean engineering related to unmanned undersea and surface vehicles (UUVs and USVs), such as powered gliders. This 10-credit hour program compressed into five weeks of instruction is intended to provide sufficient background to safely operate vehicles in challenging marine environments as well as work with a variety of sensors.

Tier II

Unmanned Maritime System Operator Certificate Program: Oct. 12 – Nov. 13, 2020

The Tier II follow-on curricula will be focused on specific types of vehicles, but with topics generalized across vehicle types where appropriate. In this first module focused on gliders, students will learn about glider operations including mission planning, mission execution and management and maintenance and management of assets.  The curriculum draws knowledge from real-world case studies of specific situations, sensors and platforms. Students will apply these concepts in developing and conducting operations during a short field project. The UMS Operator Certificate program consists of four courses totaling 12 credit hours compressed into five weeks of instruction including a field project during which students will conduct mission analysis & planning, specific vehicle and sensor matching, specific vehicle preparation, launch, operation, and recovery, followed by quality review of collected data.

• For more information on the unmanned maritime systems certificate programs, call 228.688.3177
• Admissions information