Program Overview

Geoscience MS Program

The Masters of Science degree in Geoscience is designed to prepare students for a broad range of challenging careers in government service, private consulting, and industry. This thesis-based degree program also serves as a stepping-stone for those students who wish to pursue further graduate studies at the Doctoral level.

Program Description

Working closely with their advisor, students focus on original research in one of several areas of specialization, including:

• Petrology
• Volcanology
• Economic geology
• Structural geology
• Sedimentology
• Geochemistry
• Hydrology
• Soil science
• Climate change
• Petroleum geology
• Paleontology Students are expected to develop original research suitable for submission to a refereed scientific journal. Students are expected to have strong content knowledge in their area of specialization, which is tested during the culminating defense of their thesis research.

Career Opportunities

Students who complete the MS in Geology are ideally suited for mid to management-level jobs in:

• Environmental consulting
• Energy exploration
• Mining
• State or federal government agencies The MS is the professional degree for geoscientists, and the salary for this level is the highest across all sub-disciplines. The jobs for MS-level geologists can range from field-based work such as geologic mapping, to computer modeling, to corporate management. Industries and agencies often provide additional training to MS-level geologists that allows them to perform specialized work, but the educational experience students gain with an MS is sufficient for immediately entering the workforce at mid to high-level positions.

Learning Outcomes

Upon completion of the program, students will be able to:

• Demonstrate an understanding and appreciation for scientific inquiry / scientific method
• Demonstrate the ability to define and frame a research problem, including hypothesis
• Demonstrate the ability to search existing scientific literature for work relevant to a specific problem
• Demonstrate the ability to execute problem-specific skills at an advanced level
• Demonstrate the ability to design and carry a substantial independent research project through to completion
• Demonstrate the ability to successfully present the results of a scientific inquiry in both oral and written formats