Master of Science

The Master of Science (Geology) program will require 36 semester hours of course and research credit hours. Twelve of the 36 credit hours must be research credits. All Master of Science (Geology) candidates must also complete an appropriate thesis, based upon original research they have conducted. A thesis proposal and course of study must be approved by the student’s Thesis Advisory Committee before the candidate begins substantial work on the thesis research.

Prerequisites

No specific pre-requisites are required for admission to the Master of Science Geology Degree program. However, it is highly recommended that the candidates have the following courses prior to application:

• General Geology
• Structural Geology
• Field Geology (6 weeks)
• Mineralogy
• Petrology
• Stratigraphy
• Chemistry (3 semesters, including at least 1 semester of physical or organic)
• Mathematics (2 semesters of calculus)
• An additional science course (other than geology) or advanced mathematics
• Physics (2 semesters)

The student’s committee will reserve the right to request that students complete additional identified courses prior to granting of a degree of Master of Science (Geology).

The Master of Science (Geological Engineering) program requires 36 semester hours of course and research credit hours. Twelve of the 36 credit hours must be research credits. The degree includes three areas of specialization: engineering geology/geotechnics, groundwater engineering, and mining geological engineering.  All Master of Science (Geological Engineering) candidates must also complete an appropriate thesis, based upon original research they have conducted.  A thesis proposal and course of study must be approved by the student’s Thesis Advisory Committee before the candidate begins substantial work on the thesis research.

Core Competencies for Geological Engineering Degrees

The candidate for the degree of Master of Science (Geological Engineering) must have completed the following or equivalent subjects prior to graduation. These may be satisfied through previous bachelors-level coursework or during the graduate program. Credit will only be granted for 400-level or graduate-level course that are equivalent to the titles below.

Mathematics

• Calculus (2 semesters)
• One semester in two of the following subjects:
  • calculus III
  • differential equations
  • probability and statistics
  • numerical analysis
  • linear algebra
  • operations research
  • optimization

Basic Science

• Chemistry (2 semesters)
• Mineralogy and Petrology
• Physics (2 semesters)
• Stratigraphy or Sedimentation
• Physical Geology
• Computer Programming or GIS

Engineering Science

• Structural Geology
• Soil Mechanics
• Rock Mechanics
• One semester in two of the following subjects:
  • Physical Chemistry or Thermodynamics
  • Statics
  • Mechanics of Materials
  • Fluid Mechanics
  • Dynamics

Engineering Design

• Field Geology
• Engineering Geology
• Hydrogeology
• One semester in three of the following subjects:
  • Foundation Engineering
  • Engineering Hydrology
  • Geomorphology
  • Remote Sensing or GIS
  • Introductory Geophysics
  • Engineering Geology Design
  • Groundwater Engineering Design
  • Other engineering design courses as approved by the program committee

Program Requirements for Geological Engineering Degrees

In addition to the core competency requirements, the Master of Science degree with specialization in Engineering Geology/Geotechnics require:

Typically, the additional courses are selected from the following topical areas: engineering geology, groundwater engineering, groundwater modeling, soil mechanics and foundations, rock mechanics, underground construction, seismic hazards, geomorphology, geographic information systems, construction management, finite element modeling, waste management, environmental engineering, environmental law, engineering management, and computer programming.