Graduate Programs in Geoscience
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The Department of Geoscience offers the
Master of Science, with or without thesis, and a Doctor of
Philosophy in geoscience.
All geoscience graduate students are responsible for meeting
requirements and deadlines. They should acquaint themselves
with the Manual of Rules and Regulations of the Graduate
College, particularly sections IX, X, and XII (see Graduate
College in the Catalog), and with the University calendar
(for deadline dates and so forth).
New graduate students receive a handout that provides
detailed information about graduate degree requirements.
See Graduate Programs in Geoscience on the department's web
site.
Entering graduate students are required to enroll in 012:207
Geologic Orientation. By the first month of their
second semester in residence, they must select an advisor.
Also during their second semester in residence, they must
consult with faculty members and arrange for an advisory
committee.
Throughout their graduate study, all M.S. and Ph.D. students
must maintain a g.p.a. of at least 3.00 on all course work
required for their degree and on all graduate-level
geoscience course work. Students whose g.p.a. drops
below 3.00 are placed on academic probation.
Geoscience graduate students are encouraged to present their
research at local, regional, national or international
meetings. The department provides partial funding for
travel to such meetings.
Master of Science
The Master of Science in geoscience
requires a minimum of 30 s.h. of graduate credit. The
program
is designed primarily to prepare students for professional
careers in geoscience, or for more advanced studies.
Students may count up to 8 s.h. of research credit toward
the 30 s.h. required for the degree. They must earn at
least 24 s.h. in residence at The University of Iowa.
M.S. thesis students are responsible for obtaining their advisory
committee's approval of a suitable program of course work
and for satisfactory development of research plans as
outlined in a thesis proposal, which should be completed
before the end of the second semester of full-time study.
They are required to deliver a half-hour public presentation
of their thesis, followed by an oral defense, supporting
research, and related topics. They also must take a
final examination, for which members of their advisory
committee act as examiners.
Individuals interested in pursuing the M.S. without thesis
must obtain the department chair's permission. The
program is designed for students with extensive geological
background and experience. Requirements for the
nonthesis option are similar to those for the M.S. with
thesis, except that in place of the thesis, nonthesis
students submit a manuscript that their thesis committee
deems acceptable for submission for publication. The
student may choose to submit a previously published
manuscript. Nonthesis students also must take a final
examination that covers course work and the work done in
place of the thesis.
Master of Arts in Teaching (Earth Science)
This program enables students to combine
certification to teach in secondary schools with participation
in a specialized graduate curriculum. Awarded by the College
of Education, the M.A.T. requires at least 20 semester hours
of graduate study in professional education and at least 18
semester hours of graduate course work in earth science.
Doctor of Philosophy
The
Doctor of Philosophy in geoscience
requires a minimum of 72 s.h. of graduate credit. The
program is designed primarily to train
students to be independent researchers and/or teachers, and
to bring students to the forefront of a specialized area of
geoscience. Ph.D. students usually enter the
program with established fields of interest and a research
advisor already selected. Under exceptional
circumstances, a student may be admitted to the Ph.D.
program without an established field of interest.
After earning their first 24 s.h. of
graduate credit, doctoral students must spend at least two
semesters in full-time study (9 s.h. per semester) in
residence at The University of Iowa.
During the first semester of study,
students consult with faculty members and their advisor to
select course work and to choose a faculty committee for the
comprehensive examination. Students should complete
most of their course work before taking the comprehensive
examination, which consists of both written and oral
portions and which must be passed before the end of the
second year of doctoral study.
Once candidates have passed the comprehensive examination,
they are required to register each semester until they
receive the Ph.D. Candidates who have completed their plan
of study may register for 000:002 Doctoral Continuous
Registration or 000:003 Doctoral Final Registration.
In consultation with their advisors and
other faculty members, doctoral candidates prepare a formal
dissertation proposal, which must be submitted to the chair
of the geoscience department by the end of the third
semester of the candidate's full-time doctoral study and
before the bulk of his or her research is completed.
The proposal must receive the dissertation committee's
unanimous approval. The written dissertation must be
available to the committee at least two weeks before the
final examination. All Ph.D. candidates must deliver a
one-hour public presentation associated with the
dissertation defense.
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