Graduate Program

Graduate students conducting research in geodynamics and ore deposit research are typically enrolled in the Master of Science or the Doctor of Philosophy Programs offered by the Department of Geology and Geological Engineering. Both programs require graduate course work and the completion of an appropriate research thesis. In addition, students can chose to enroll in the non-thesis Professional Master in Mineral Exploration and Mining Geosciences Program.

A wide range of graduate courses is offered at the Department of Geology and Geological Engineering including highly attractive curricula in economic geology and petrology/mineralogy. Field trips are a key part of the graduate program and are aimed at extending students' knowledge of ore deposits, their regional and local geological settings, and their distribution, both nationally and internationally. Field trips also provide a means for students to meet a number of professionals in the minerals industry and discover individual mineral company styles. Field trips to local sites in Colorado and to mineral districts in the Abitibi greenstone belt of eastern Canada are offered regularly.

Graduate student research projects in geodynamics and ore deposit research are conducted in diverse geological environments and virtually in all parts of the world. We offer unparalleled opportunities for field- and laboratory-based instruction and research in economic geology, igneous petrology, metamorphic petrology, mineralogy, physical volcanology, and geochemistry.

Graduate research is funded by grants from mining companies, individual faculty research grants, departmental teaching assistantships, the Charles F. Fogarty Endowment, and institutional sources such as the National Science Foundation, the Society of Economic Geologists, and the Geological Society of America.