MS in Geology

DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES

Requirements for the Master of Science Degree in Geology
Revised September 2006

Admission to the Master of Science degree program for Geology

A student is admitted to the Geology graduate program provided he/she meets the entrance requirements and has been accepted as a thesis advisee by a geology faculty member. The student’s Faculty Research Adviser will convene a preliminary Thesis Committee for the purpose of identifying a tentative thesis topic and also identifying any undergraduate course deficiencies that the student must correct either before or after matriculating to the University. These arrangements will be communicated to the student at the time he/she is notified of the ES Department’s admission decision.

After admission to the Geology graduate program, students are required to do the following for the MS degree:

1. Work with the pre-assigned Faculty Research Adviser to chose a final thesis topic, preferably in the first semester but not later than the second (see requirement #5 below). The Faculty Research Adviser chairs the student’s thesis committee, and has primary responsibility for the student's academic advising and research direction. The Thesis Committee will consist of at least three members, including the Faculty Research Adviser. At least two of the committee members must be faculty in the ES Department as well as members of the University's Graduate Faculty. One or more committee members can come from other departments or even outside the University. Committee members are chosen by the Faculty Research Adviser in consultation with the student. For some research topics it may be necessary to have two faculty members serving as co-advisers. These will share in all advising and supervisory duties, and constitute two of the three required thesis committee members.

2. Complete a Plan of Study at the time the thesis topic is finalized that is approved by the student’s Faculty Research Adviser (or co-advisers), the Geology Graduate Adviser, and the Graduate School (for an on-line form click here). A minimum of 30 semester hours of approved graduate course work is required for the masters degree, including 6 hours of thesis research and 24 hours of formal lecture courses. At least 12 of the required 24 hours of formal lecture courses must be taken in geological subjects (excluding EEES 6930, 6960 and sections of 6980 not offered as formal lecture courses) and up to 8 hours may be taken outside the Department provided the courses are relevant to the student's research program and approved by the aforementioned advisers. Additional credit hours, in excess of the required 30, may be taken in either the ES Department or outside of it.

3. Any remaining undergraduate course deficiencies must be made up during the student’s first year (including summer) at the University. These courses will not count toward the 30 hours required for the masters degree. Depending on the necessary coursework stipulated by the student’s Thesis Committee, the lack of a field-based course (such as, for example, a summer field camp) may be considered a deficiency and, if so, the student will have to take such a course, at their own expense, through another university.

4. Submit a thesis research proposal to the Geology Graduate Adviser before the end of the second semester (for more information on this proposal click here). For those students supported by a departmental assistantship or tuition scholarship, continuation of financial support for a second year is contingent upon them making good progress on their thesis research during the first year.

5. Present a Thesis Progress Report in the form of an oral presentation to the Thesis Committee at the beginning of the fourth semester (summer excluded).

6. Prepare a thesis consisting of a written report on original independent research conducted by the student under the supervision of his or her Faculty Research Adviser (or co-advisers; for more information on how to write a thesis click here). The thesis should be prepared in accordance with the format specified by the aforementioned adviser and departmental regulations as well as be consistent with the guidelines presented in the “Handbook for Preparation of Graduate Dissertations, Projects, and Theses” issued by the Graduate School (for more information on these guidelines click here). The thesis must be approved by the Faculty Research Adviser (or co-advisers) before a thesis defense can be scheduled. The committee members have the right to suggest revisions, deletions or additions to the thesis manuscript, but the Faculty Research Adviser (or co-advisers) ultimately decides what changes will be made. In order for a thesis defense to be scheduled, at least two weeks prior to the defense date the student must complete the ES MS Thesis Defense Request Form. This form requires the signed approval of both the Faculty Research Adviser (or co-advisers) and the Geology Graduate Adviser (for more information and a copy of the form click here).

7. Pass an oral defense of the thesis. The defense will involve an illustrated, public lecture by the student on his/her research before the Thesis Committee. This is followed by questioning from the committee, and approval of the thesis is contingent upon its successful defense during the questioning. For more information on the defense click here.

8. Maintain at least a 3.0 grade point average (on a 0-4.0 scale) for both the overall coursework as well as for courses taken within the ES Department.

9. Submit two unbound and signed copies of the approved thesis to the Graduate School and two (or three, if the thesis is co-advised) bound and signed copies to the ES Department. All copies must be of identical high quality and content. Figure illustrations must be either photo prints or sharp prints made by laser photocopiers, laser printers or high-quality ink-jet printers.

Work for the masters degree will generally require two years of full-time study beyond the bachelor’s degree. Additional time may be taken but the credit hours applied toward the degree must have been earned within the period of six years immediately preceding the time the degree is awarded. For more information about the MS degree record click here.

In addition to the above departmental requirements, there are others specific to the Graduate School (for pre-graduation checklists from the Graduate School click here [page 14] and from the ES Department click here).