Graduate
The department offers graduate courses and research programs leading to an M.S. and in Geology or Geophysics and a Ph.D. in Earth and Environmental Sciences. Students are encouraged to obtain broad scientific backgrounds by taking courses in geology, geochemistry, geophysics, and environmental geosciences along with the other sciences and mathematics. Through this multidisciplinary approach, our program provides graduates with the credibility and interdisciplinary vision they need to advance careers in academia, government, and the private sector, as well as continued studies toward a Ph.D. for students in our M.S. track.
The department, with approximately 20 graduate students in residence, is housed in Devlin Hall and has additional research facilities at Weston Observatory. Students enjoy close working relationships with faculty while being able to undertake research using modern scientific equipment available. Both the M.S. and Ph.D. programs stress a strong background in the earth sciences, as well as the ability to carry out research. Students enjoy close working relationships with our faculty. The department offers teaching and research assistantships for admitted students.
Research in the department covers a broad range of topics, including: coastal and estuarine processes, sedimentology, geomorphology, earthquake and exploration seismology, tectonics, structural geology, igneous and metamorphic petrology, isotope geochemistry and geochronology, groundwater hydrology, oceanography, paleoclimatology and cryospheric change, marine biogeochemistry, and environmental geology and geophysics. Our students use state-of-the-art research techniques, including modern scientific equipment and instrumentation, performing field-based research across the globe in in areas such as the Appalachians, western US, Europe, New Zealand, Australia, China, and Greenland, as well as at sea in the Atlantic, Pacific, and Arctic Oceans.
Upon completion of an M.S., graduates should be able to:
- Conduct original, publishable research in the field.
- Demonstrate a broad knowledge of earth processes.
- Demonstrate in-depth knowledge of a sub-discipline in the earth sciences.
- Demonstrate acquired skill in field or laboratory methods and application of appropriate quantitative methods.
- Write and speak effectively to professional and lay audiences about issues in the field.
- Teach effectively at the K-12 and undergraduate levels.
Upon completion of a Ph.D., graduates should be able to:
- Formulate, conduct, and publish original research in the field.
- Demonstrate a broad knowledge of Earth processes.
- Demonstrate in-depth knowledge of one or more sub-disciplines in the Earth sciences.
- Demonstrate acquired skill in field or laboratory methods and application of appropriate quantitative methods.
- Write and speak effectively to professional and lay audiences about issues in the field.
- Teach effectively at the undergraduate and graduate levels.