Academic Programs Catalog

College of Natural Science

Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences

Graduate Study
Geological Sciences - Master of Science

In addition to meeting the requirements of the university and of the College of Natural Science, students must meet the requirements specified below.

Admission

Academic record, letters of recommendation, and Graduate Record Examination (GRE) General Test scores are considered in admission decisions.  For regular admission, the student must have:

  1. A bachelor's degree in a physical or biological science or in mathematics from a recognized educational institution.
  2. Completed the courses in physics, chemistry, mathematics, and geological sciences that are required for the Bachelor of Science degree with a major in geological sciences at Michigan State University, or equivalent courses.
  3. A grade–point average of at least 3.00.
  4. Satisfactory scores on the GRE General Test.

Depending on the proposed area of specialization, provisional admission may be granted to an applicant who has not completed the courses referenced in item 2. above. Deficiencies must be removed by completing collateral courses before a thesis proposal will be accepted.

Requirements for the Master of Science Degree in Geological Sciences

The student must complete a total of 30 credits for the degree under Plan A (with thesis).  Of the 30 credits, no more than 7 credits may be in Geological Sciences 899.