Master of Science in Geology

Graduate Program Coordinator: Mark Schmitz (mschmitz@boisestate.edu)

Department Chair: C.J. Northrup

Full Graduate Faculty: Warren Barrash, Shawn Benner, John Bradford, Paul R. Donaldson, Matt Kohn, James McNamara, Paul Michaels, C.J. Northrup, John R. Pelton, Jen Pierce, Mark Schmitz, Walter S. Snyder, Kasper VanWijk, Craig M. White, David Wilkins

Adjunct Graduate Faculty: William P. Clement, Thomas M. Clemo, Vladimir I. Davydov, Mary Donato, Virginia Gillerman, Kenneth M. Hollenbaugh (Emeritus), Verne Oberbeck, James Osiensky, Kurt L. Othberg, Mark Seyfried, Claude Spinosa (Emeritus), Edward Squires, Karen Viskupic, Charles J. Waag (Emeritus), Spencer H. Wood (Emeritus)

General Information

Boise State University offers studies leading to the M.S. degree in geology to students with a bachelor ' s degree in geology or a related discipline who are seeking to develop the capability for research or professional careers. All candidates for the M.S. in Geology at Boise State University must successfully complete and defend a thesis; usually the thesis is original research that involves field work. The department does not offer an option for the M.S. degree in Geology without a thesis. Students may include one or more fields in their studies and in their theses, such as biostratigraphy, economic geology, environmental geology, geomorphology, exploration geophysics, hydrogeology, paleontology, petrography and petrology of igneous rocks, stratigraphy and sedimentology, structural geology, shallow subsurface seismic studies and volcanic stratigraphy. University of Idaho courses in geohydrology are offered via video and live video link and may be counted towards the M.S. degree.

A cooperative agreement with Idaho State University provides students access to broader studies leading to a Master of Science degree in Geology. Boise State University students are encouraged to enroll in the ISU/BSU cooperative program and to attend Idaho State University for one semester or more, thereby enriching their graduate experience through course work and intellectual exchange with a larger faculty of greater professional diversity.

Students are encouraged to attach to the department ' s home page at: http://earth.boisestate.edu for information about potential thesis topics, ongoing research, and current activities within the research units of the department.

Graduate Program Committee

The Graduate Program Committee of the Department of Geosciences consists of the graduate program coordinators for geophysics, geology, and earth science education, plus the chair of the Department. The duties of the Graduate Program Committee are defined by the Department and are consistent with policies set by the University. These duties include development of recommendations for admission of prospective graduate students, decisions on transfer credits and required background courses, decisions on the award of departmental graduate fellowships and assistantships, and appointment of Supervisory Committees for graduate students.

Application and Admission Requirements

Application for admission may be made by graduates of accredited institutions holding a baccalaureate degree in geology or related discipline. Regular admission may be awarded to applicants who have earned a minimum grade point average of 3.0 during the last two years of academic work; admission will be based on grade point, GRE scores, and letters of recommendation. Continued enrollment in the program requires a minimum 3.0 grade point (B) average and satisfactory progress toward the degree.

Additional information may be obtained from the Geology Graduate Coordinator, Department of Geosciences, Boise State University, 1910 University Drive, Boise, ID 83725 or cjnorth@boisestate.edu. Information regarding the cooperative program may also be obtained from the Geology Graduate Coordinator, Department of Geology, Idaho State University.