The biggest reshuffling of academic subjects started in 1959, when the maritime science departments of different universities, including Fudan University and Xiamen University were moved to Qingdao. The university was removed from the supervision of Shandong University and placed directly unter the Ministry of Education to form the Shandong College of Oceanology (). It was one of the National Key Universities that were named in October 1960 and as enjoyed a high level of support and funding. In January 1988 it was renamed the Ocean University of Qingdao (). Deng Xiaoping wrote the name of the university in his own calligraphic style to mark the occasion. In October 2002, it was renamed the Ocean University of China.
