Degree Requirements

Degree requirements generally follow those of The Graduate School. The M.S. degree requires the satisfactory completion of 30 semester hours of graduate credit, a thesis proposal presentation, a written thesis, and a thesis defense. Additional course work is determined by the student and his/her advisory committee in accordance with departmental requirements and the student’s background and specific needs. Qualifying and comprehensive exams must be successfully completed in a timely manner. The oral portion of the comprehensive exam consists, in part, of the defense of a paper written by the student which has been submitted for publication in an approved peer-reviewed journal. Additional details are available from the director of graduate studies in geological sciences.