Overview
The 30-credit hour degrees contain several options that are designed to be closely related to today's professional career prospects of geologists and environmental scientists. The graduate program prepares students for employment in the energy and environmental science sectors.
About The Program
The degree expands students' skills needed in areas of natural resources exploration, production and conservation, water supply, environmental engineering and planning, and geological surveying. Graduates will also gain skills in problem-solving, data collection, analysis, and interpretation, and oral and written presentation.
Degree Options
MS-Environmental Science Thesis Option
This degree expands students' scientific skills to deal with the complex array of environmental issues by bringing together various disciplinary knowledge and prepares scientists who can respond to public demands for better protection of environmental quality, health risk management, food safety, mining remediation, and environmental sustainability. The thesis further develops students' capability in problem-solving, data collection, analysis, and interpretation, oral and written presentation, and writing scientific reports.
MS-Environmental Science Non-Thesis Option
This degree expands students' scientific skills to deal with the complex array of environmental issues by bringing together various disciplinary knowledge and prepares scientists who can respond to public demands for better protection of environmental quality, health risk management, food safety, mining remediation, and environmental sustainability. A final project presentation further develops students' capability on oral or written presentation.
MS-Geoscience Thesis Option
This degree expands student’s scientific skills to deal with the complex array of geology problems in the fields of energy, mineral, water, soil, climate, and environmental pollution. The thesis further develops students' capability in problem-solving, data collection, analysis, and interpretation, oral and written presentation, and writing scientific reports.
MS-Geoscience Non-Thesis Option
This degree expands students' scientific skills to deal with the complex array of geology problems in the fields of energy, mineral, water, soil, climate, and environmental pollution. A final project presentation further develops students' capability on oral or written presentation.
MS-Environmental Science Professional Option
This degree offers rigorous advanced training in environmental science and the development of skills valued by industry, business, government, and nonprofit sectors. A final project presentation further develops students' capability on oral or written presentation.
MS-Energy Geoscience Professional Option
This degree offers focused advanced training in geology skills valued by industry, business, government, and nonprofit sectors to deal with today's challenging questions such as geothermal and hydrocarbon energy exploration, earth materials, carbon sequestration, treatment of nuclear waste, and alternative energy. A final project presentation further develops students' capability on oral or written presentation.
Degree Plan
Thesis Option
Core Courses
General core courses --- 7
EVSE 5303 --- Sustainability Issues Seminar Iii
EVSE 5454 --- Statistics For Earth And Environmental Scientists
Select one of the following engineering courses --- 3
CE 5321 --- Engineering For Environmental Scientists
CE 5319 --- Physical-Chemical Processes II
Or CE 5328 --- Fundamentals Of Air Pollution
Select One Of The Following Science Courses --- 3
EVSE 5309 --- Environmental Systems-Biological Aspects 1
EVSE 5310 --- Environmental Systems-Chemical Aspects 1
EVSE 5311 --- Environmental Systems-Geological Aspects 1
Select One Of The Following In City, Or Regional Planning: --- 3
PLAN 5342 --- Environmental Policy
PLAN 5343 --- Foundations Of Environmental Policy
PLAN 5351 --- Techniques Of Environmental Assessment
Electives within one of the following departments: Biology, Chemistry, Earth and Environmental Sciences, Civil and Environmental Engineering, or Urban and Public Affairs --- 6
Two semesters of GEOL 5199 or EVSE 5199 - Seminar --- 2
EVSE 5698 --- Thesis --- 6
Total Hours --- 30
Non Thesis option
Core Courses
General core courses --- 7
EVSE 5303 --- Sustainability Issues Seminar III
EVSE 5454 --- Statistics For Earth And Environmental Scientists
Select one of the following engineering courses --- 3
CE 5321 --- Engineering For Environmental Scientists
CE 5319 --- Physical-Chemical Processes Ii
Or CE 5328 --- Fundamentals Of Air Pollution
Select one of the following in science: --- 3
EVSE 5309 --- Environmental Systems-Biological Aspects 1
EVSE 5313 --- Environmental Regulation Of Chemical Hazards 1
EVSE 5311 --- Environmental Systems-Geological Aspects 1
Select one of the following in City and Regional Planning --- 3
PLAN 5305 --- Land Use, Management, And Development
PLAN 5316 --- Land Use Planning And The Law
PLAN 5352 --- Environment Assessment Policy & Practice
Electives within one of the following departments: Biology, Chemistry, Earth and Environmental Sciences, Civil and Environmental Engineering, or Urban and Public Affairs --- 9
EVSE Seminar --- 2
Two semesters of GEOL 5199 or EVSE 5199
EVSE 5395 --- Master's Project --- 3
Successful completion of the Master’s Comprehensive Examination in the final semester
Total Hours --- 30
Why Choose Us?
Cutting edge laboratory analytical facility
Knowledgeable faculty
Nice location with the abundant intern and job opportunities
Diverse degree options and flexible course plans
Incorporation of data science courses
Admission Requirements
For unconditional admission a student must meet the following requirements:
For the Environmental Science Options: A B.S. degree in biology, chemistry, geoscience, mathematics, or engineering with the following courses or their equivalent: 1 semester of introductory physics for science majors; 2 semesters of introductory chemistry for science majors; and Calculus I and II. Students with a Bachelor’s Degree in other sciences will also be considered, subject to the satisfactory completion of deficiency courses.
For the Geoscience Options: A B.S. degree in an Earth Science discipline with the following courses or their equivalent: Mineralogy, Petrology, Structure, Stratigraphy/sedimentology, Field Geology, and Geophysics or Paleontology. In addition, one semester of Biology, Calculus I and II, and a year of Chemistry and Physics is required.
For all Options:
A minimum undergraduate GPA of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale, as calculated by the Graduate School.
Graduate Record Examination (GRE) scores are used in conjunction with GPAs. For example, a person with a GPA below 3.0 will need a GRE to score better than average. Masters students who have succeeded in the Earth and Environmental Science s Program typically score higher than the 60th Percentile on the verbal and quantitative portion of the GRE.
An applicant whose native language is not English must submit a score of at least 550 on the paper-based TOEFL, a score of at least 213 on the computer-based TOEFL, a minimum score of 40 on the TSE, a minimum score of 6.5 on the IELTS, or a minimum TOEFL iBT total score of 79 with sectional scores that meet or exceed 22 for the writing section, 21 for the speaking section, 20 for the reading section, and 16 for the listening section. However, an applicant whose native language is not English with a bachelor’s or a master’s degree from a regionally accredited U.S. college or university is not required to submit a TOEFL, TOEFL iBT, TSE, or IELTS score for admission purposes.
Favorable letters of recommendation from people familiar with the applicant’s academic work.
