Master of Science in Geology
Geology Graduate Programs
KU Geology is comprised of students, faculty, staff, and alumni who are inspired by a collaborative and multidisciplinary mission to undertake scientific discovery that benefits society.
Our program is large enough to be led by world-renowned faculty with expertise in areas that span the geosciences, from energy to the environment, volcanology to the cryosphere, microbes to ancient rock, and more. At the same time, we are small enough to offer personalized, student-centered learning experiences. We are located in the world class Earth, Energy, and Environment Center, which houses state-of-the-science laboratories, collaborative spaces, and classrooms.
Our program provides students with a comprehensive curriculum in geoscience with unique research opportunities, including acclaimed field experiences. KU Geology runs one of the oldest field camps in the nation (established in 1922 in Cañon City, CO) and our program emphasizes field instruction at all levels and in locations near and far.
Our students are generously supported by scholarships and resources that allow them to take advantage of all that KU Geology has to offer. Geoscience is a prolific field, with high demand for our graduates in careers that significantly impact society. We maintain a long tradition of connecting our graduates to career and interview opportunities, as well as to our GHawk Community of successful geoscience alumni and professionals around the world.
We invite you to explore further information about KU Geology on our website and we welcome all inquiries related to our program.
Admission to Graduate Studies
Admission Requirements
- All applicants must meet the requirements outlined in the Admission to Graduate Study policy.
- Bachelor’s degree: A copy of official transcripts showing proof of a bachelor's degree (and any post-bachelor’s coursework or degrees) from a regionally accredited institution, or a foreign university with equivalent bachelor's degree requirements is required.
- English proficiency: Proof of English proficiency for non-native or non-native-like English speakers is required. There are two bands of English proficiency, including Admission and Full proficiency. For applicants to online programs, Full proficiency is required.
Graduate Admission
Admission is based on academic records including GPA and general preparedness in geology and supporting sciences, letters of recommendation, and the applicant’s stated academic and professional interests and goals. An attempt is made to balance the interests of students with the availability of faculty members to supervise them and laboratory space in which they may work.
**Graduate Record Examination (GRE) scores are not required for the application. Applicants may choose to submit GRE scores if they feel it will help inform the department of their academic abilities. However, choosing not to submit scores will not affect your chances of admission.**
The Department of Geology will review your application only after the application process is complete. *Please note that it is essential for all applicants to contact and communicate with a potential faculty supervisor in the Geology Department. Their evaluation and acceptance of graduate students is an important part of the admission evaluation.
You will need the following for your application:
- Official transcripts and proof of graduation: U.S. universities generally indicate on transcripts if a degree has been conferred. However, if such a statement does not appear on a transcript, separate proof in the form of a degree certificate or diploma, issued directly by the institution, is required. Photocopies are not accepted. Transcripts from all post secondary institutions that you have attended are necessary for your application. Failure to provide them could result in delay processing your application. If a student is admitted before completing his or her undergraduate degree, the documentation proving he or she did graduate must be supplied to the Dept. of Geology before the end of the student's first semester at KU.
- 3 Letters of Recommendation: You will be asked for the names and email addresses of three people who can write a recommendation letter describing your qualifications for graduate school in geology. Once you submit the application, an email will be sent requesting a letter from each person that you name. Once the applicant submits the online application form (see point 1), referees will receive an email notification with detailed instructions on how to submit a letter of reference.
- Resume/CV: Please include awards, extra curricular activities (student organizations, community outreach), presentations, and publications.
- Personal Statement: This is included in the on-line application form and should be about 2 pages, typed. The Graduate Studies Committee places considerable importance on the thoughtfulness of your remarks – in particular, we are interested in learning about (1) your specific interests within geology and why they are important and interesting to you, (2) what you envision as your educational and career objectives and how a degree from KU Geology helps to meet those objectives, and (3) which of our faculty members you think would be an appropriate graduate advisor and mentor.
The Department of Geology will review your application only after the application process is complete.
Submit your graduate application online.
Inquiries may be sent to the department Graduate Program Coordinator
M.S. Degree Requirements
While completing the following degree requirements, graduate students are expected to understand and follow Office of Graduate Studies policies relevant to their student status and academic standing. These policies can be found in the Policy Library.
Prerequisites normally include credit in one year each of general biology, general chemistry, general physics, and calculus, plus junior- or senior-level courses in mineralogy, petrology, structural geology, paleontology, stratigraphy, geophysics, and a summer course in field geology. Students planning to do research in geophysics also should have more advanced backgrounds in calculus and physics. Incoming graduate students meet with their advisor before enrollment to identify needed prerequisites and to set up curricula aimed at providing a broad background in geology at the intermediate to advanced level during the first year. Some prerequisites may be waived at this time if they are deemed nonessential. Prerequisite courses may not count toward graduate degrees.
Geology has many fields, and the department tailors each student’s curriculum to the needs of the individual.
Thesis Option (M.S. Degree)
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| GEOL 701 | Graduate Students Professional Skills & Ethics | 2 |
| GEOL 899 | Master's Thesis | 6 |
| Electives: These courses are selected with the student's faculty advisor. They may be Geology courses or courses outside of the department. | 22 | |
| Total Hours | 30 | |
At least 50% of coursework for the master's degree must be taken at 700 level or above. The student sets the curriculum in consultation with a 3-member advisory committee selected from the Graduate Faculty and approved by the Graduate Advisor. Course work counted toward the degree must be distributed to provide a comprehensive general knowledge of geology in addition to discipline related knowledge required for the thesis. It may include courses in departments other than Geology.
Although the Department of Geology does not award a master’s degree in geophysics, students can take coursework in geophysics at the master’s level. The requirements for the degree are overseen by geophysics faculty within the Department and scientists on the staff of the Kansas Geological Survey. Similar arrangements with faculty outside the Department can be made for students interested in the following fields of Geology: geobiology, glaciology, hydrogeology, paleontology, sedimentology, or tectonics.
Students seeking to earn an M.S. in geology must maintain at least a 3.0 grade-point average in geology.
Thesis Proposal:
Students must submit a thesis research proposal by the end of their first year in the M.S. program. If the student chooses to do so, the proposal can be made available for review by other members of the department, although final approval rests with the advisory committee and the Director of Graduate Studies. There is no formal defense of the thesis proposal. The thesis advisor and committee will work with the student on the proposal until it is acceptable. Once the committee approves and signs the proposal, the document must be submitted to the Director of Graduate Studies for department approval.
Thesis Defense:
Students must complete an oral presentation and defense of their thesis. Students should submit their thesis directly to their advisors. The advisor’s approval must be received before a “clean and complete” version of this document is passed on to other committee members and the final oral defense is scheduled. Before the final oral defense can be held, the thesis must have the approval of the student’s committee and a copy of the thesis must be shared to the entire faculty for comment for at least one week.
The M.S. thesis defense starts with a twenty-minute presentation by the student with a summary of the thesis research. Following the presentation, students, other guests, and faculty members may ask questions of the student; such questions typically are related to the presentation. After the question period, all guests are excused, and questioning continues with only the committee and the student. After this second period of questioning the student is excused and the committee discusses the defense.
The student can receive a satisfactory or unsatisfactory grade for the defense from each committee member. Department guidelines consider that a student passes the defense if a majority of the committee views the defense to be satisfactory. The defense may be repeated once, if an unsatisfactory grade is received.
Coursework Only Option (M.S. Degree)
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| GEOL 701 | Graduate Students Professional Skills & Ethics | 2 |
| Electives: These courses are selected with the student's faculty advisor. They may be Geology courses or courses outside of the department | 34 | |
| Total Hours | 36 | |
A student may complete an M.S. degree program based primarily on course work and specialized skills. To complete this degree option, coursework and two written reports based on small projects (non-thesis with projects) or a single written report on a prescribed topic (non-thesis without projects) must be completed. At least 50% of coursework for the master's degree must be taken at 700 level or above. The student determines the structure of the curriculum and projects in consultation with an advisory committee of 5 faculty members.
A student must declare an intention to follow the coursework only option during the first semester of graduate study. The coursework only degree is a terminal degree and normally cannot lead to doctoral study. In addition to maintaining a 3.0 grade-point average in course work, the student must demonstrate proficiency in the areas of geology covered by the program. This is accomplished by satisfactory performance on a series of written examinations assembled and administered by the advisory committee (non-thesis with projects) or an oral examination (non-thesis without projects). These constitute the final examination for the degree and may be repeated once, if necessary.
During or after the period of residence, a student who wishes to change to an M.S. (thesis) program or a Ph.D. program must petition the Geology Graduate Studies Committee.
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Electives are selected with approval from the advisor and are tailored to fit the needs of the individual student, and may include other classes outside of this list: | ||
| GEOL 503 | Numerical Methods in the Earth Sciences | 2-3 |
| GEOL 504 | Inverse Problems for Geoscientists | 3 |
| GEOL 511 | Raman Spectroscopy of Crystalline Solids | 3 |
| GEOL 512 | Igneous and Metamorphic Petrology | 3 |
| GEOL 513 | Petrology Laboratory | 1 |
| GEOL 521 | Paleontology | 3 |
| GEOL 523 | Paleontology Laboratory | 1 |
| GEOL 524 | Mammalian Paleontology | 4 |
| GEOL 533 | Shales and Other Mudstones | 3 |
| GEOL 535 | Petroleum and Subsurface Geology | 4 |
| GEOL 536 | Geological Log Analysis | 1 |
| GEOL 538 | Basin Analysis | 3 |
| GEOL 539 | Sequence Stratigraphy | 3 |
| GEOL 541 | Geomorphology | 4 |
| GEOL 542 | Energy and Society | 3 |
| GEOL 543 | Environmental Ethics: A View from the National Parks | 3 |
| GEOL 548 | Geology and Culture of Polynesia | 3 |
| GEOL 552 | Introduction to Hydrogeology | 3 |
| GEOL 554 | Contaminants in Groundwater | 3 |
| GEOL 555 | Climate Science | 3 |
| GEOL 556 | Field Methods in Hydrology | 3 |
| GEOL 557 | Environmental Site Operations, Management, and Safety: HAZWOPER Health and Safety Standards | 3 |
| GEOL 558 | Applied Groundwater Modeling | 3 |
| GEOL 560 | Introductory Field Geology | 3 |
| GEOL 561 | Field Geology | 3 |
| GEOL 562 | Structural Geology | 4 |
| GEOL 563 | Tectonics and Regional Geology | 3 |
| GEOL 572 | Geophysics | 3 |
| GEOL 578 | Seismic Data Analysis and Interpretation | 3 |
| GEOL 591 | Topics in Geology: _____ | 1-5 |
| GEOL 599 | Preparation for Professional Geologist Licensure Exams | 1 |
| GEOL 701 | Graduate Students Professional Skills & Ethics | 2 |
| GEOL 715 | Geochemistry | 3 |
| GEOL 717 | Geochronology | 3 |
| GEOL 718 | Stable Isotope Geochemistry | 1-3 |
| GEOL 723 | Museum Internship | 1-6 |
| GEOL 728 | Paleopedology | 3 |
| GEOL 729 | Ichnology | 3 |
| GEOL 731 | Terrigenous Depositional Systems | 4 |
| GEOL 732 | Carbonate Depositional Systems | 3 |
| GEOL 733 | Shales and Other Mudstones | 3 |
| GEOL 738 | Basin Analysis | 3 |
| GEOL 739 | Sequence Stratigraphy | 3 |
| GEOL 751 | Physical Hydrogeology | 3 |
| GEOL 753 | Chemical and Microbial Hydrogeology | 3 |
| GEOL 754 | Contaminant Transport | 3 |
| GEOL 755 | Site Assessment | 3 |
| GEOL 758 | Applied Groundwater Modeling | 3 |
| GEOL 761 | Topics in Regional Field Geology: _____ | 1-5 |
| GEOL 771 | Advanced Geophysics: _____ | 1-3 |
| GEOL 773 | Seismology | 3 |
| GEOL 780 | Preventive Conservation in Museums | 3 |
| GEOL 781 | Introduction to Museum Exhibits | 3 |
| GEOL 783 | Managing Museums | 3 |
| GEOL 784 | Museum Education and Public Engagement | 3 |
| GEOL 785 | Introduction to Collections Management and Utilization | 3 |
| GEOL 791 | Advanced Topics in Geology: _____ | 1-5 |
| GEOL 814 | Professional Science Masters Environmental Geology Capstone I | 1 |
| GEOL 815 | Professional Science Masters Environmental Geology Capstone II | 2 |
| GEOL 837 | Geoscience and Petroleum Engineering | 3 |
| GEOL 851 | Field and Laboratory Methods: Physical Hydrogeology | 1 |
| GEOL 853 | Field and Laboratory Methods: Chemical Hydrogeology | 1 |
| GEOL 855 | Field and Laboratory Methods: Environmental Geophysics | 1 |
| GEOL 856 | Field and Laboratory Methods Special Topics: _____ | 1 |
| GEOL 891 | Special Studies in Geology | 1-5 |
At the completion of this program, students will be able to:
- Demonstrate the ability to identify and articulate a significant problem in the geosciences.
- Demonstrate familiarity with previous work and published literature relevant to both the research topic.
- Demonstrate familiarity with methods that are commonly used within the discipline.
- Demonstrate the ability to produce a significant contribution to knowledge within the discipline.
- Demonstrate the ability to communicate effectively through technical writing.
- Demonstrate the ability to defend the work when questioned by advisory committee and peers.