Prospective Students - Graduate

Geological Sciences

Areas of Study and Research

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
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.

Admission

Graduate School Minimum Admissions Standards
Individual graduate departments may have additional or more restrictive standards by which they evaluate graduate applicants. However, the Graduate School at CU-Boulder has established minimum standards for graduate admission. Applicants must:

1. Hold a baccalaureate degree from an accredited college or university, or have done work equivalent to that required for such a degree.
   
2. Show promise of ability to pursue advanced study and research, as judged by the student’s scholastic record.
   
3. Have adequate preparation to enter graduate study in the chosen field.
   
4. Have at least a 2.75 (2.00=C) undergraduate grade point average. Note: Applicants who cannot meet this undergraduate standard may still secure regular admission if they have completed 9 semester hours of relevant graduate course work with at least a 3.25 average.
   

Geological Sciences Admissions Requirements
Applicants must:

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 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 return it directly to the Geological Sciences department.
7. Official transcripts (2 each).
8. International applicants - A minimum 500 TOEFL score and financial statement showing proof of support.
9. Application fee - $50 for U.S. applicants; $70 for international applicants.

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

Application Information and Deadlines   Fall admission Yes Application deadline January 10 International application deadline December 1   Spring admission No   Summer admission No

Contact Information

University of Colorado at 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
E-mail: geolinfo@colorado.edu
Website: www.colorado.edu/GeolSci/