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Geological Sciences

This is a research-oriented department offering individually designed graduate programs. The department does not have a formal program of rigidly defined courses leading to the MS or PhD in geological sciences, but offers the following areas of concentration: past global change, geodynamics of modern and ancient orogens, geomorphology, biogeochemistry, sedimentology, petroleum geology, hydrogeology and water resources, geophysics and seismology, isotope geology and geochemistry, paleobiology, mineralogy and volcanology, and environmental geochemistry.

Research is global is scope with faculty working on every continent and many ocean basins on Earth. Our department also capitalizes on the proximity of the campus to the natural laboratory of Colorado and the western U.S. A number of research centers and institutes are affiliated with the department, including the Cooperative Institute for Environmental Research (CIRES), the Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics (LASP), the Institute of Arctic and Alpine Research (INSTAAR), the Center for Astrobiology, the Energy and Minerals Applied Research Center (EMARC), and the University Museum. Related areas of study are geography, astrophysical and planetary sciences, atmospheric and oceanic sciences, physics and geophysics, ecology and evolutionary biology.

Degrees Offered:

  • MS, PhD
Degree Details: 

MS
Requires 24 semester hours of formal coursework including 4 to 6 credits of thesis research for a thesis (Plan I) or 30 semester hours without a thesis (Plan II). At least 24 semester hours must be in courses numbered 5000 or above.

PhD
Requires 30 semester hours of formal coursework in courses numbered 5000 and above. Students must complete an additional 30 hours of dissertation research credit.

Admissions Requirements: 
  1. Hold a baccalaureate degree or its equivalent from an accredited college or university.
  2. Have an undergraduate grade point average of at least 3.00 to apply.
  3. Complete the GRE and score on average in the upper 50th percentile.
  4. 24 semester hours of basic geological sciences, 2 semesters each of chemistry, physics and calculus. In some cases, an applicant may substitute part of the 24 credits with other fields of science, mathematics, or engineering.
  5. Three letters of recommendation for U.S. applicants. Four letters of recommendation for international applicants.
  6. Fill out the Science Summary form and upload it with your application.
  7. Official transcripts - 1 hard copy from each post-secondary institution attended.
  8. International applicants - A minimum 500 TOEFL score/61 on the IBT and financial statement showing proof of support.
  9. Application fee - $50 for U.S. applicants; $70 for international applicants.
Financial Support: 

Financial support is available to graduate students through teaching assistantships, research assistantships, fellowships, and loans.

Fall Domestic Application Deadline: 
Tuesday, January 7, 2014
Fall International Application Deadline: 
Sunday, December 1, 2013
Contact Information: 

University of Colorado Boulder
Department of Geological Sciences
Graduate Program Assistant
Benson Earth Sciences Building Room 285
399 UCB
Boulder, CO 80309-0399
Phone: 303-492-2607
Fax: 303-492-2606

Website: 
www.colorado.edu/GeolSci
Email: 
geolinfo@colorado.edu
Where To Send Your Materials: 

Application Mailing Instructions

Domestic Applicants:

Transcripts and other supporting materials required by your department should be sent directly to Graduate Admissions. Transcripts must be official copies and should include ALL post-secondary academic work completed to date, including courses appearing as transfer credit on other transcripts, credits earned in study abroad programs, and courses taken for college credit while in high school. Copies of transcripts mailed in unsealed envelopes and sent directly by applicants are NOT official transcripts.

For standard international mail or mail within the US, including USPS Priority and Express:

Graduate Admissions
University of Colorado Boulder
3100 Marine St Suite A122
553 UCB
Boulder, CO 80309-0553 USA

For overnight or express mail (DHL, FEDEX, UPS):

Graduate Admissions             
University of Colorado Boulder                     
3100 Marine Street - 553 UCB
Bldg RL3 Suite A122
Boulder, CO 80303-1058 USA                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  (303) 492-6301
  

All International Applicants

Transcripts and other supporting materials required by your department should be sent directly to Office of Admissions/International.  Transcripts must be official copies and should include ALL post-secondary academic work completed to date, including courses appearing as transfer credit on other transcripts, credits earned in study abroad programs, and courses taken for college credit while in high school. Copies of transcripts mailed in unsealed envelopes and sent directly by applicants are NOT official transcripts.

For standard international mail or mail within the US, including USPS Priority and Express:

Office of Admissions/International
University of Colorado Boulder
3100 Marine St Suite A122
65 UCB
Boulder, CO 80309-0065 USA

Overnight/Express Mailing Address (DHL, UPS, Fedex)          

Office of Admissions/International               
University of Colorado Boulder                     
3100 Marine Street - 65 UCB
Bldg RL3 Suite A122
Boulder, CO 80303-1058 USA
303-492-6301