The Department of Geology in collaboration with the KU Edwards Campus now offers an ONLINE professional science masters (PSM) degree in environmental geology. This applied program separates itself from traditional thesis-based research MS degrees in Geology and/or Hydrogeology through its direct integration of management, communication, and case study based coursework, with a focus of developing future government and industry professional leaders in environmental geology with a broad toolbox to address environmental problems.
Coursework for the PSM in Environmental Geology degree is offered online, with the exception of the three (3) required 1-credit-hour field techniques courses, offered on-site at the Edwards or Lawrence campuses (or at a regional location), one per semester, on 1-2 weekdays or a weekend.
Environmental geology is an interdisciplinary field that seeks to address and study anthropogenically-derived and naturally occurring environmental hazards on Earth. The field is grounded in basic geological sub-disciplines such as mineralogy, sedimentology and stratigraphy but has primary focus on hydrogeology, geochemistry, geophysics and components of engineering geology. These sub-disciplines and the associated field and laboratory techniques in the form of a PSM program lead to an applied understanding of how to utilize geophysical, geochemical and hydrogeological techniques to evaluate, remediate, and monitor the impact or potential impact of contamination.
Contact:
Ritchie Hall
Earth, Energy & Environment Center
1414 Naismith Drive, Room 254
Lawrence, KS 66045-7575
Admission to Graduate Studies
An applicant seeking to pursue graduate study in the College may be admitted as either a degree-seeking or non-degree seeking student. Policies and procedures of Graduate Studies govern the process of Graduate admission. These may be found in the Graduate Studies section of the online catalog.
Please consult the Departments & Programs section of the online catalog for information regarding program-specific admissions criteria and requirements. Special admissions requirements pertain to Interdisciplinary Studies degrees, which may be found in the Graduate Studies section of the online catalog.
PSM-Environmental Geology Degree - Admissions Requirements:
- Bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution; the applicant must have an undergraduate major in geology or closely related field (natural, physical, or applied sciences, engineering) OR coursework of at least 20 credit hours in the natural and applied sciences (biology, chemistry, geology, physical geography, environmental sciences, or engineering
- A minimum grade-point average of B (3.0 on a 4.0 scale) for all previous university work is required. Under extenuating circumstances an average below 3.0 can be considered.
- Graduate Record Examination (GRE) (school code 6871):
- The GRE is not required for applicants with an undergraduate degree in Geology from the University of Kansas with at least a grade-point average of B (3.0 on a 4.0 scale);
- The GRE may be waived, upon departmental review, if the applicant has 2+ years of qualified professional and related experience, or has successfully passed the ASBOG Fundamentals of Geology examination.
- For applicants with an undergraduate cumulative GPA of 3.0 or greater, the GRE is recommended, but not required;
- For applicants with less than a 3.0 (seeking provisional admission), GRE scores are required. GRE scores should be from a test date within the last 5 years.
- Statement of interest: This 1-2 page narrative should succinctly summarize the applicant’s education, employment history, long-term career goals, and how this degree program will help achieve these goals.
- Three (3) letters of recommendation from persons qualified to offer judgment on the applicant’s ability to undertake graduate-level work;
- International students must also meet the English proficiency, visa/I20, and financial requirements.
Applications Deadlines
- Spring: December 15
- Summer: May 15
- Fall: August 1
The PSM-Environmental Geology degree requires a minimum of 37 credit hours.
Professional Skill Courses (12 credit hours) | ||
| PMGT 833 | Management of Internal Projects for Scientists and Technical Professionals | 3 |
| ENTR 701 | Entrepreneurship | 3 |
| or PMGT 802 | Innovation and Change Management Process | |
| PMGT 810 | Financial Management | 3 |
| COMS 730 | Writing and Speaking for Decision Makers | 3 |
| or COMS 811 | Applied Organization Communication | |
Science Concentration (13 credit hours) | ||
| EVRN 721 | Environmental Regulation and Policy | 3 |
| GEOL 751 | Physical Hydrogeology | 3 |
| GEOL 753 | Chemical and Microbial Hydrogeology | 4 |
| GEOL 755 | Site Assessment and Remediation | 3 |
Required Electives in Field Methods (Choose 3 of the following) | ||
| GEOL 851 | Field and Laboratory Methods: Physical Hydrogeology | 1 |
| GEOL 852 | Field and Laboratory Methods: Contaminant Transport | 1 |
| GEOL 853 | Field and Laboratory Methods: Chemical Hydrogeology | 1 |
| GEOL 854 | Field and Laboratory Methods: Geobiology | 1 |
| GEOL 855 Field and Laboratory Methods: Envrionmental Geophysics (Course in development) | 1 | |
| Geology 856 Field and Laboratory Methods: Special Topics (Course in development) | 1 | |
Other Electives (Choose at least 6 credit hours) | ||
| GEOL 536 | Geological Log Analysis | 1 |
| GEOL 577 | Environmental Geophysics | 3 |
| GEOL 715 | Geochemistry | 3 |
| GEOL 791 | Advanced Topics in Geology: _____ | 1-5 |
| EVRN 730 | Environmental Toxicology | 3 |
| EVRN 740 | Soil Science for Environmental Assessment | 3 |
| EVRN 745 | Environmental Data Analysis and Statistics | 3 |
| Or other elective chosen in consultation with an advisor | ||
Capstone Requirement | ||
| GEOL 815 Professional Science Masters in Environmental Geology Captstone (Course in development) | 3 | |