Campuses:
Twin Cities campus
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Twin Cities Campus
Earth Sciences M.S.Department of Earth Sciences
College of Science and Engineering
Link to a list of faculty for this program.
Contact Information
Department of Earth Sciences, University of Minnesota, 310 Pillsbury Drive S.E., Minneapolis, MN 55455 (612-624-1333; fax: 612-625-3819)
Email:
esci@umn.edu
Along with the program-specific requirements listed below, please read the
General Information section of
this
website for requirements that apply to all major fields.
The modern earth sciences are a remarkable synthesis of the physical and biological sciences. They are at the forefront of inquiry into and solutions of most of the major issues involving the global environment: climate, oceans, freshwater in all its forms, natural resources, and natural disasters. Like no other field, they integrate all the systems, from surface to great depth, from physics to chemistry to biology, and over all of geologic time and all geographic scales. The program includes the fields of structural geology, tectonics, petrology, hydrogeology, geomorphology, sedimentology, surface processes, geochemistry, biogeochemistry, biogeology, chemical oceanography, mineralogy, mineral and rock magnetism, rock and mineral physics, geodynamics, seismology, geostatistics, planetary geology, and geophysics and applied geophysics.
Students may accommodate other areas of interest such as engineering geology, environmental geology, materials science, soil science, and paleoecology by choosing a minor or supporting field from outside the program.
Program Delivery
Prerequisites for Admission
Other requirements to be completed before admission:
Materials required for a complete application file include the student's statement of purpose, three letters of recommendation, transcripts, official GRE scores, and the Application for Admission. Applications are considered at any time; however, to be considered for financial aid, all materials must be submitted by January 8. Studies may begin in any semester or summer session, although fall semester is preferable. IMPORTANT: Refer to the Graduate Programs section of the department website (http://www.esci.umn.edu/programs/gradprospective) for a listing of all required application materials and preferred method of submission.
Special Application Requirements:
Most candidates for advanced degrees have completed a bachelor's degree in geology, geophysics, or the broad field of earth and material sciences. However, the department encourages applications from students in fields such as chemistry, physics, or biology.
At least one year each of study in calculus, chemistry, and physics is required. In general, an outstanding academic record is expected.
Applicants must submit their test score(s) from the following:
International applicants must submit score(s) from one of the following tests:
Key to test
abbreviations
(GRE, TOEFL, IELTS, MELAB).
For an online application or for more information about graduate education admissions, see the
General Information section of this
website.
Program Requirements
Plan A: Plan A requires
14
major credits,
6
credits outside the major,
and
10
thesis credits.
The final exam is oral.
Plan B: Plan B requires
14 to 22
major credits and
8 to 16
credits outside the major.
The final exam is written and oral.
A capstone project is required.
Capstone Project:Students must demonstrate familiarity with the tools of research or scholarship in their track, the ability to work independently, and the ability to present the results of their investigation effectively, by completing one or more projects, which may take the form of a research paper, presentation of research results, or completion of a faculty-supervised research experience. The Plan B project(s) should involve a minimum combined total of approximately 120 hours (the equivalent of three full-time weeks) of work.
Plan C: Plan C requires
14 to 21
major credits and
9 to 16
credits outside the
major.
There is no final exam.
This program may be completed with a minor.
Use of 4xxx courses toward program requirements is permitted under certain conditions with adviser approval.
A minimum GPA of 2.80
is required for students to remain in good standing.
At least 1 semesters must be completed
before filing a Degree Program Form.
At the onset of studies, a coursework "compact" will be developed with the student, his/her adviser, and the graduate studies committee. The compact will be reviewed annually to assure timely progress and revise as needed.
For Plan A and Plan B, students must choose one of five tracks in the Earth Sciences program (Geology, Geophysics, Biogeology, Hydrogeology, or Earth Sciences). Tracks carry coursework requirements that are part of the student's course compact.
Plan A (thesis) requires 14 credits in the major, 6 outside the major, and 10 thesis credits. Plan B (project) requires a minimum of 14 credits in the major and a minimum of 8 credits outside the major. The remaining 8 credits can be taken in the major or in any supporting field.
Plan C is a coursework only option with an emphasis in hydrogeology and environmental science. A minimum of 14 credits are required in the major and a minimum of 9 credits outside the major. The remaining 7 credits can be taken in the major or in any supporting field.
All students must complete ESCI 8001 (Introductory Graduate Seminar), preferably in the first year.
With approval of the DGS, credits for ESCI 5093 (Directed Studies in Earth Sciences) may be applied to track requirements.
Program Sub-plans
Students are required to complete one of the following sub-plans.
Students may not complete the program with more than one sub-plan.
Biogeology
Biogeology represents a rapidly growing area at the intersection between Earth and the life sciences. It includes research in microbial evolution and biochemistry, microbe/mineral chemical interactions, the role of organisms in basic geological processes, the principles through which organisms or organic compounds can be used to reconstruct surface conditions, biogeochemical cycling, pollution control and remediation, the origin of life on Earth, and astrobiology. This is a broad field that is moving in new and exciting directions, and witnessing explosive growth in understanding the variety of ways biology mediates geology and vice versa. Many of the most basic earth surface processes are now seen as intimately biological with rates and pathways dictated by organic processes. Understanding the importance of these processes, quantifying them through time and place, and learning to utilize and/or control them will be major components of earth Sciences research in the 21st century.
[ESCI 8402 - Biogeochemical Cycles in the Ocean (3 cr); ESCI 4801 - Geomicrobiology (3 cr)
Earth Sciences
This generalist track exists for students whose curriculum and/or thesis (paper or project for M.S. Plan B) do not fit any of the other four tracks. Because it is not specific to a discipline, there are no mandatory courses in the major apart from the introductory graduate seminar, a minimum of 6 additional graduate-level credits in the major program, 12 supporting program credits or completion of all requirements for a minor, and thesis credits. A curriculum specific to the student will be set through the compact process.
6-credit minimum; courses determined on an individual basis.
Geology
Geology uses field observation, laboratory work, analog and computer modeling, chemical and biological probes and assays to understand Earth's coupled rock, water and biological systems, the underlying processes, and their history of interaction as evidenced in the rock record.
6-credit minimum from any two of the following courses: ESCI 5302 - Isotope Geology; ESCI 5351 - Geochemical Modeling of Aqueous Systems; ESCI 5353 - Electron Microprobe Theory and Practice; ESCI 5502 - Advanced Structural Geology; ESCI 5503 - Advanced Petrology; ESCI 5601 - Advanced Sedimentology; ESCI 5602 - Depositional Mechanics; ESCI 5705 - Limnogeology and Paleoenvironment.
Geophysics
Geophysics uses remote sensing probes (seismic waves, potential fields, etc.), laboratory simulation of deep earth conditions and computer modeling of fluid and continuum mechanical dynamics to investigate the structure, composition, history and dynamics of solid Earth and other planets.
6-credit minimum including ESCI 4211 - Solid Earth Geophysics I; plus at least one of the following courses: ESCI 4203 - Principles of Geophysical Exploration; ESCI 8243 - Geomagnetism and Paleomagnetism; ESCI 4212 - Solid Earth Geophysics II; ESCI 5201 - Time-Series Analysis of Geological Phenomena; ESCI 5203 - Rock and Mineral Physics; ESCI 5204 - Geostatistics and Inverse Theory.
Hydrogeology
Hydrogeology uses direct observation and remote sensing, computer modeling and laboratory simulation to constrain the interaction of water and rock in Earth's shallow subsurface. Freshwater is Earth's most precious and increasingly overexploited resource. Hydrogeology is a key discipline in the effective shepherding of this important reserve. This track establishes a baseline curriculum for hydrogeology at the graduate level. The compact process will identify additional coursework appropriate to the student's prior training and research directions.
6-credit minimum including ESCI 4702 - General Hydrogeology; plus at least one of the following courses: ESCI 5108 - Principles of Environmental Geology; ESCI 5205 - Fluid Mechanics in Earth and Environmental Sciences; ESCI 5713 - Tracers and Karst Hydrogeology; ESCI 5971 - Field Hydrogeology; ESCI 8712 - Transport Phenomena and Analytical Geohydrology; ESCI 8718 - Numerical Methods in Hydrogeology.
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