The Environmental Geosciences Option (EGS) for the M.S. Degree in Geological Sciences, prepares students seeking employment with private environmental consulting firms, NGOs, and government agencies. These employers have expressed a preference for hiring graduates with a solid training in geological sciences, but a bend toward and additional training in applying geologic knowledge to solving environmental problems (e.g., fate and transport of contaminants in the subsurface). It is a shorter, non-thesis program, normally completed within 1.5 years with full-time enrollment, or 2-3 years as a part-time student.
Requirements
The M.S. degree requires 27 credits of course work and 3 credits of a capstone paper on an internship project. Students without a B.S. degree in the Earth and planetary sciences are expected to take up to 12 credits of undergraduate foundation courses.
Core Courses:
- Introduction to Geophysics 01:460:306 (4 credit), or Applied Geophysics 26:380:406 (3) (Newark)
- Environmental Geochemistry 01:460:417 (3), or Applications of Aquatic Chemistry 16:375:517 (3)
- Hydrogeology 01:460:428 (3), or Groundwater Modeling 16:460:528 (3)
- Professional Science Writing and Presentation 16:712:561 (3)
Elective Courses:
Depending on the background, interests and needs of individual students, a wide range of related subjects can be selected from the Departments of Earth & Planetary Sciences, Environmental Sciences, Marine & Coastal Sciences, and others.
Internship:
Students are required to conduct an internship with a firm, organization, or government agency. The program will help students make contacts with potential hosts and participate in a real-world project, involving students in data collection, analysis and technical reporting. A capstone paper of the internship project must be submitted to the graduate program, publically defended, and approved by a three-member committee of the graduate faculty.
Financial Support
Because this option does not involve academic research and is on a fast-track, no financial support will be offered by the department.
Contact Information
Please direct inquiries to Professor Ying Fan Reinfelder (
