Masters Degrees in Geology, USA

The M.S. Program in Environmental Geology Graduate work leading to the M.S. degree in Environmental Geology is offered in Newark for full- and part-time students in collaboration with the Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences at Rutgers-New Brunswick and the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at NJIT.

A Certificate in Environmental Geology at Rutgers-Newark is offered to graduate students admitted to the Rutgers-New Brunswick Geological Sciences Graduate Programs and to students admitted to the NJIT Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering Graduate Programs or other NJIT environmental science or engineering graduate programs provided these students successfully complete 9 credits from the following 3-cr. graduate courses offered at Rutgers-Newark:

• Environmental Geology
• Seminar in Environmental Geology
• Hydrogeology
• Environmental Geophysics
• Soil Geochemistry; Geomorphology
• Analytical Methods in Environmental Geology

Learning goals

The Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences (DEES) Graduate Program in Environmental Science strives to have students complete degrees that allow them to become leaders in their areas of expertise in governmental agencies, non-governmental organizations (NGO’s) and industry. The MS program in Environmental Geology and Environmental Science at Rutgers-Newark focuses on the following three learning goals.

Learning Goal 1 for Students: Obtain advanced knowledge in geoscience and environmental science

Upon graduation:

• MS students will have acquired advanced knowledge in earth sciences, particularly biogeochemistry, geochemistry and geophysics.
• MS students will have developed theoretical or practical research skills in biogeochemistry, geochemistry and geophysics.

Learning Goal 2 for Students: Engage in and conduct original, publishable research (for those students pursuing the thesis option only)

Upon graduation:

• MS students will have completed a dissertation, or equivalent, demonstrating personal integration of, and original intellectual contribution to, a field of knowledge.
• MS students will have made an original research contribution
• MS students will have submitted for publication one international journal subject to rigorous peer review.

Learning Goal 3 for Students: Professional career preparation

Upon graduation:

• MS students will have presented their research to a scientific audience.
• MS students will have participated in professional organizations and activities.
• MS students will find employment in the professional sector based on their degree.

Environmental Geology Certificate

A Certificate in Environmental Geology at Rutgers University-Newark is offered to graduate students admitted to the Rutgers-New Brunswick Geological Sciences Graduate Programs and to students admitted to the NJIT Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering Graduate Programs or other NJIT environmental science or engineering graduate programs provided these students successfully complete 9 credits from the following 3-cr. graduate courses offered at Rutgers University-Newark:

 

• Environmental Geology
• Seminar in Environmental Geology
• Hydrogeology
• Environmental Geophysics
• Soil Geochemistry; Geomorphology
• Analytical Methods in Environmental Geology

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Penn’s Master of Science in Applied Geosciences is engineered for your success
Whether you’re an experienced geoscientist or are preparing to enter the field, Penn’s rigorous Master of Science in Applied Geosciences (MSAG) is a highly practical program that helps you build on your experience and prepare for your next professional move ahead. With a faculty of leading academic researchers and experienced government and industry experts, we know what you need to move forward in your career, and we’ve designed the program for your success.

The Penn Master of Science in Applied Geosciences connects you with the world-class resources of an Ivy League institution and provides you with theoretical and technical expertise in geochemistry, geophysics, hydrogeology and engineering geology. You will also hone essential project management skills necessary for leadership in environmental remediation and pollution prevention. While you’re completing your studies, the program also facilitates your preparation for professional licensure and certification processes.

An advanced degree in applied geosciences prepares you to take on a range of pressing environmental problems in a field where you can make a real, practical difference. You’ll master approaches to mitigating soil and water contamination, solving waste disposal challenges and responding to human-induced natural disasters such as landslides and floods, and learn cutting-edge methods for clean energy extraction.

Designed for your ongoing advancement
We provide you with a rigorous, elite educational experience that you can access without interrupting your career. With day and evening classes available, you can complete the 12-course program, either full or part time, in just two to four years. Depending on your work or internship status, you can change your enrollment status from full time to part time and back, from one semester to the next as needed.

Amplify your expertise
For working professionals in the environmental or geoscience fields, the Master of Science in Applied Geosciences offers the opportunity to accelerate your career by expanding and refreshing your expertise, enhancing your leadership skills and training for Professional Geologist licensure. All courses are available in the evening, so you can enroll in classes while you continue to advance in your current job.

The Master of Science in Applied Geosciences program offers significant benefits even to highly experienced professionals. We’ve partnered with the prestigious Organizational Dynamics program faculty at Penn to provide a comprehensive project management course, designed to teach you innovative best practices for leading your workplace at a higher level. This project management course is a core element of our program at Penn, and prepares you to lead with confidence in your increasing project and people management responsibilities.

Finally, the culminating element of our curriculum, Project Design, both tests and defines your program mastery. During the Project Design exercise, you will propose and defend a complex project of your choice, which allows you to stake out a new professional niche and demonstrate your abilities to current or prospective employers.

Your gateway to a career in the geosciences
If you’ve recently graduated from college and have a strong background in the sciences, the Master of Science in Applied Geosciences offers you exceptional preparation to enter professional geology. In the program, you will apply your undergraduate degree knowledge in physical sciences, math or engineering, providing you with the tools and confidence to become a competitive candidate for potential employers.

The Master of Science in Applied Geosciences program also helps you discover and pursue your individual interests within the applied geosciences. Our faculty members bring an incredible wealth of industry experience and expertise to help you define your career direction. In addition, many of our students are experienced professionals themselves, and program alumni say that the connections they made with their classmates have been invaluable for their professional prospects.

Ivy League preparation for certifications and licensure
Our rigorous coursework also provides the academic depth needed for licensure as a Professional Geologist (PG) in the commonwealth of Pennsylvania. When you complete the degree, your “professional geological work” requirement is shortened from five years to four.

We also subsidize and streamline certification programs like OSHA’s Hazardous Waste Operations and Emergency Response Standard (HAZWOPER), bringing the test to campus for you.

New possibilities with the MSAG

Our alumni are pursuing fulfilling careers in a variety of cutting-edge jobs — including green infrastructure, storm water management, environmental remediation and large-scale construction siting — across government, education and corporate sectors. As part of the Penn alumni network, you’ll join a group of professionals that spans the globe and expands your professional horizons.

We welcome you to contact a member of our program team to learn more about the possibilities that await you through experiences in the Master of Science in Applied Geosciences program at Penn.

Courses and Curriculum

The Master of Science in Applied Geosciences (MSAG) degree is structured to give you a well-rounded grounding in applied scientific knowledge, as well as to train you in the project management and leadership skills necessary to effectively put that knowledge into action in the field. To that end, the curriculum is structured with a combination of foundation courses and concentration electives, which allow you to focus on topics best suited to your interests and goals.

The MSAG requires the completion of 12 course units (c.u.)* as follows:

Seven foundation courses
Three electives in a professional concentration
Project Management
Project Design thesis

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The Department of Earth & Space Sciences offers a 36-credit Master of Science degree in Geoscience designed for the professional development of geologists and precollege teachers. Students may also obtain Pennsylvania teaching certification in Earth and Space Science and/or General Science with the appropriate selection of courses. Employment and advancement opportunities for MS Geoscience graduates are excellent due to the hundreds of environmental firms, government agencies, and school districts within the greater Philadelphia area.

The Curriculum

All students complete a 19-credit core with the following courses: ESS 523 Field Geology, ESS 521 Geometrics, ESS 596 Earth Systems Science, ESS 547 Geoscience Seminar, and ESS 602 Directed Research. The core also includes choosing 2 of the following 4 courses: ESS 530 Oceanography, ESS 570 Meteorology, ESS 536 Environmental Geology, and ESS 549 Advanced Hydrogeology. The remaining 17 credits may be fulfilled by electives, of which at least 8 must be ESS or SCE courses. The MS Geoscience degree requires completion of a non-thesis, final project with a faculty advisor involving original, independent scientific or education research.

Benefits of the Program

• Evening, summer, and weekend courses
• Designed for completion in two years
• State-of-the-art equipment and facilities
• Focus on enhancing knowledge and skills needed by geologists and science teachers
• Meet and work with geologists and science teachers from throughout the greater Philadelphia area
• Affordable tuition
• Hundreds of alumni in the region employed as geologists and teachers

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The Department of Geological Sciences is designed to foster high-caliber student research that will lead to publishable results. The master's degree is intended to prepare students for a job in industry or for entrance into a PhD program. The doctoral degree trains students for work as government research scientists, industry research scientists or academic scientists.

Research activities in the Department of Geological Sciences are far-reaching and often interdisciplinary. A major focus of the department is earth surface processes, including biogeochemistry, geochemistry, geomicrobiology, and sedimentology. Other research areas include climate change, energy and environmental processes, environmental geosciences, experimental geology, and petrology.

The Department of Geological Sciences has research center affiliations with the Center for Integrated Watershed Studies, Materials Science Program, and is in development of projects with Basin Analysis Research Center. Through these strong research collaborations and projects graduates of the Geological Sciences programs have gained employment as geologists in federal programs such as NASA, Sandia National Lab, and US Geological Survey; and in private energy, environmental and mining companies such as Conoco-Phillips, Resource Env. Management, Inc, and SECOR International.

The Master of Science degree is a two-year program in which the student concentrates on graduate level course work during the first year and on thesis research during the second year. The majority of students in the masters program have completed a bachelors degree in the geological sciences, but students with bachelors degrees in chemistry, physics, biology, mathematics or engineering are also encouraged to apply.
Our Master of Science (M.S.) degree in Geological Sciences is intended to prepare students for a job in industry or as a stepping stone to a Ph.D. degree either at Binghamton or another university. M.S. students typically take a year of coursework followed by a year of research that culminates in a publically-defended thesis. Students are encouraged to submit their thesis in the form of a publication-ready manuscript.

All applicants must submit the following:

- Online graduate degree application and application fee
- Transcripts from each college/university you have attended
- Two letters of recommendation
- Personal statement (2-3 pages) describing your reasons for pursuing graduate study, your career aspirations, your special interests within your field, and any unusual features of your background that might need explanation or be of interest to your program's admissions committee.
- Resume or Curriculum Vitae (max. 2 pages)
- Official GRE scores

And, for international applicants:
- International Student Financial Statement form
- Official bank statement/proof of support
- Official TOEFL, IELTS, or PTE Academic scores

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The College of Liberal Arts and Sciences is a thriving center of intellectual excellence that encompasses 14 academic departments and 80 degree programs. Its more than 2,500 students are engaged in a wide variety of challenging courses and hands-on learning experiences that extend across all areas of the humanities and sciences – from the great philosophers and classic literature to the world economy and environmental sustainability.

At the core of each department are faculty members who have garnered national acclaim for their best-selling books, ground-breaking research and creative endeavors. Together, students and their professors explore globally significant subjects and work towards the goal of improving every aspect of the way in which human beings live. To learn more about a specific area of study, click on the left-hand navigation bar for a full listing of academic departments.

M.S. in Earth Science

The Master of Science in Earth Science prepares teachers, geologists, environmental leaders, planners, industry consultants, and others in the public and private sectors to management community and natural resource concerns, from groundwater and recycling to pollution and global warming. Advanced coursework ranges from astronomy, meteorology, conservation of natural resources, and geographic information systems to oceanography, groundwater geology, environmental geochemistry, and global climate change.

The program is designed for working professionals who wish to obtain an advanced degree in the field and also for teachers who hold initial certification but need a master’s degree to secure permanent teacher certification in the State of New York. The program may also benefit fully certified teachers who wish to expand their fields of expertise. Students may use the degree as a stepping stone to a Ph.D. program.

The 32-credit program allows for flexibility in meeting certification requirements, geotechnical and government agency employers’ needs, and individual career interests. The graduate courses are offered during the evening to accommodate working students. Our department’s past graduate students are working across Long Island and beyond as teachers and as environmental scientists and consultants.

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