(Major Code: 19141) (SIMS Code: 775301)
Advancement to Candidacy
All students must satisfy the general requirements for advancement to candidacy as stated in Requirements for Master’s Degrees .
Specific Requirements
In addition to meeting the requirements for classified graduate standing, the student must satisfy the basic requirements for the master’s degree as described in Requirements for Master’s Degrees , and a graduate program consisting of 30 units of upper division and graduate courses selected from the geological sciences and closely related fields. This program must be approved by the graduate adviser.
A minimum of 18 units must be selected from 600- and 700-numbered courses in the Department of Geological Sciences. Graduate students are required to complete up to six units of GEOL 797 - Research , and three units of GEOL 799A - Thesis (Plan A) or three units of GEOL 750 - Research and Technical Writing (Plan B). Both Plan A and Plan B students are required to pass a final oral examination. With approval of the graduate adviser, students may include 12 units of approved upper division and graduate electives from acceptable courses offered in other related areas. No more than six units of the upper division electives may be Department of Geological Sciences courses; this requirement may be waived at the discretion of the graduate adviser in cases where the student’s thesis committee chair determines more units are appropriate.
Students specializing in Geophysics (SIMS Code: 775346) or Hydrogeology (SIMS Code: 775357) are also required to include 15 units of specialization courses. The geophysics specialization must include at least two of the following courses: GEOL 630 , GEOL 690 , or GEOL 691 . The hydrogeology specialization must include GEOL 675 . In exceptional cases, this requirement may be waived at the discretion of the graduate adviser, provided a substitute course that enhances a coherent program in a specific professional area is included. The remaining nine units in the specialization must be selected from approved courses in the geological, mathematical, computational, physical, or engineering sciences, in consultation with the graduate adviser. The student is required to pass a final oral examination on the thesis.
