Geology - Master of Science

A candidate for a master’s degree must:

• Complete a minimum of 30 graduate credits, including a minimum of 6 credits for thesis (GEOL 599 Master's Thesis ).
  • No more than 5 thesis credits may be taken in any one semester. Early selection of a research advisor is encouraged.
• A thesis proposal must be approved by the advisor and the candidate’s committee before registering for thesis credits.
• At least 15 credits must be earned in courses numbered 500 or above, and at least 15 credits must be earned in geology.
• Students are expected to participate in the department’s colloquium each semester.

The department offers excellent laboratory facilities for research in mineralogy, igneous petrology, geochemistry, stratigraphy, geochronology, and sedimentology. Available are a large, fully equipped rock preparation laboratory, mineral separation laboratory, plus computer, geochemical and petrographic labs. Major equipment includes a Gemeni heavy mineral separation table, X-Ray Fluorescence Spectrometry (XRF), Laser-Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy (LIBS), a class 1000 clean lab, Thermal Ionization Mass Spectrometry (TIMS) and Laser-Ablation Multi-Collector Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry (LA-MC-ICP-MS). The department maintains its own fleet of field vehicles. Also available are computing facilities that include an HP color plotter and GIS system. Financial support is available to graduate students in geology through teaching and research assistantships and scholarships. Inquiries regarding financial aid should be directed to the graduate advisor.