Professional Masters in Environmental Geochemistry
Program Overview
Introduction to the Professional Masters in Environmental Geochemistry
The Professional Masters in Environmental Geochemistry program is designed to provide an opportunity for undergraduate students to obtain a Master's degree in addition to their Bachelor's degree, as well as offer additional education for working professionals in the field of geochemistry as it applies to environmental problems. This non-thesis Master's degree program is administered by the Environmental Biogeochemistry subprogram of the Geochemistry program.
Program Overview
The program consists primarily of coursework in geochemistry and allied fields, with an emphasis on environmental applications. No research is required, although the program does allow for independent study, professional development, internship, and cooperative experience.
Admission Criteria
Undergraduate students at the university must declare their interest in the program during their third year to allow for planning of coursework that will apply towards the program. These students must have an overall GPA of at least 3.0. Students majoring in other departments may want to decide on the combined degree program option earlier to ensure prerequisites are satisfied. Applicants who are not undergraduate students at the university must follow the same procedures as all prospective graduate students, although the requirement of the general GRE may be waived.
Prerequisites
Each entering student will have an entrance interview with members of the Geochemistry faculty. A placement examination in geology and/or chemistry may be required, and the results may be used to establish deficiency requirements. Credit toward a graduate degree will not be granted for courses taken to fulfill deficiencies.
Requirements
A minimum of 30 credit hours are required, with an overall GPA of at least 3.0. The overall course requirements will depend on the background of the individual, but may be tailored to professional objectives. The program includes:
- A 10 credit-hour core program consisting of:
- GEGN466: Groundwater Engineering (3.0 credits)
- CHGC503: Introduction to Geochemistry (3.0 credits)
- CHGC509: Introduction to Aqueous Geochemistry (3.0 credits)
- An additional 14 credit hours selected from the following core areas:
- Geochemical methods
- Geographic information system
- Geological data analysis
- Groundwater engineering or modeling
- Hydrothermal geochemistry
- Isotope geochemistry
- Physical chemistry
- Microbiology
- Mineralogy
- Organic geochemistry
- Thermodynamics
Courses that may be selected include:
- CEEN560: Molecular Microbial Ecology and the Environment (3.0 credits)
- CHGC504: Methods in Geochemistry (2.0 credits)
- CHGC555: Environmental Organic Chemistry (3.0 credits)
- CHGN503: Advanced Physical Chemistry I (4.0 credits)
- GEGN532: Geological Data Analysis (3.0 credits)
- GEGN575: Applications of Geographic Information Systems (3.0 credits)
- GEGN581: Analytical Hydrology (3.0 credits)
- GEGN583: Mathematical Modeling of Groundwater Systems (3.0 credits)
- GEGN586: Numerical Modeling of Geochemical Systems (3.0 credits)
- GEOL540: Isotope Geochemistry and Geochronology (3.0 credits)
- GEGN530: Clay Characterization (2.0 credits) Laboratory courses:
- GEGNXXX: Advanced Geoenvironmental Analysis (3.0 credits)
- GEGN530: Clay Characterization (2.0 credits)
- An additional 6 credit-hours of free electives, which may be selected from the course offerings of the Department of Geology and Geological Engineering, the Department of Chemistry and Geochemistry, or the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering.
Course Program
A course program will be designed in advance through consultation between the student and an advisor from the Geochemistry Committee of the Whole.