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The Earth and Environmental Geosciences Department welcomes applicants to its graduate master's degree programs. Applicants should possess an undergraduate degree in geology or an allied natural or physical science, such as biology, chemistry, physics, mathematics, or engineering.

The Earth and Environmental Geosciences faculty collaborates across four research clusters:

• Geochemistry: This includes petrology, geochemistry, geochronology, convergent-margin tectonics, and other related disciplines.
• Mineralogy: This includes mineralogy, planetary geology, geology of Mars, impact cratering, and remote sensing.
• Environmental Processes: This includes hydrogeology, contaminant hydrology, groundwater and surface water remediation, low-temperature geochemistry, acid mine drainage, environmental isotope hydrology, or greenhouse gas dynamics in critical zones.
• Surficial Processes: This includes fluvial and karst geomorphology, paleoclimate and geomorphic response to climate change, rivers and flooding, and bedrock stream processes.

Geology Graduate Courses & Resources

Students have several options for pursuing a Geological Sciences M.S. at OHIO:

• On-campus students can pursue either a thesis or non-thesis option.
• The online master's degree is a non-thesis program.

Information for On-Campus Students

A master's degree requires at least six letter-graded graduate-level courses and the completion of a master's thesis. One of the six courses must be Geology 5050. This course, Statistical Methods in Geology, is required of all graduate students.

General information for the prospective and beginning graduate students are available in the Ohio University Graduate Catalog. Additional information on undergraduate curricula and courses is available in the Ohio University Undergraduate Catalog. The student is responsible for knowing graduate regulations and for complying with current procedures. The information on this website is intended to complement the above publications with details that are the concern of the graduate students in the Earth and Environmental Geosciences Department. Within the department, further information can be obtained from the Earth and Environmental Geosciences office (Room 316 Clippinger Laboratories) and the Graduate Chair.

Find an Advisor Before Applying

M.S. Admissions

Most on-campus M.S. student complete a research-based thesis to graduate. The research is conducted in tandem with an advisor, so much greater attention is given to applicants with whom an individual professor has agreed to advise.

Applicants should contact one or more professors about their research and the possibility of working together. As a first step, applicants can email or call those professors whose research they find interesting. These professors will reply in kind and can answer questions about their own work, as well as questions concerning the graduate program.

The application process includes writing a letter of intent, which should clearly identify the professor with whom a mutual agreement has been made. The professor can act as an advocate for the applicant, which will greatly increase his or her standing among applicants.

About Advising

The Earth and Environmental Geosciences Department places the highest emphasis on graduate student advising. Advisors work individually with their students, overseeing coursework and research. Advisors assist with professional development, something many programs overlook, which includes such written and verbal communication skill, attention to detail, critical analysis, and — if needed — encouragement regarding work habits. Achieving an M.S. degree would mean very little without an increase in professionalism. This is why the departments requires all M.S. students to have an advisor, as detailed below, and why the department gives individual attention to students.

What Does An Advisor Do?

• Helps graduate students plan their coursework.
• Supervises and assists graduate student research.
• Helps a student prepare a poster or presentation for a geology convention.
• Assists with applying for research and travel grants.
• Serves as both a writing coach and editor for theses and scientific papers. (Very important!)
• Gives general advice and counsel when graduate school problems arise.
• Works with Graduate Chair and student concerning teaching assignments, office space, and computers.
• Provides guidance about job hunting as graduation approaches.
• And much more.

How Does An Advisor Assist With A Thesis?

M.S. Thesis Requirements

• First and foremost, an advisor helps pick a specific research question to be addressed. The overall topic will be within the advisor's research interests, but the specific problem is defined in cooperation with the advisee; the department offers flexibility, which ensures both parties will enjoy the chosen work.
• Oversees the writing of a thesis proposal during a student's first year. This includes guidance about problem formulation, the scientific literature, and formatting.
• Helps pick members of the student's thesis committee and coaches students as they prepare a verbal presentation to the committee of a research plan.
• Shows an advisee how to pursue their chosen research, including data collection in the field and lab.
• Coaches an advisee on data analysis and interpretation.
• Acts as a writing coach and editor during writing of a thesis.
• Assists with preparation of a thesis defense, a verbal presentation to the committee and department of a student's research findings.