Research emphasis areas at the graduate level include the following:

• Aqueous and environmental geochemistry and water resources
• Economic geology and petrology
• Geophysics, tectonics and geodynamics
• Sedimentology, stratigraphy limnology, and paleoclimatology
• Paylonology and micropaleontology
• Petroleum systems

For more information, check out the university catalog:

Graduate Degree in Geology and Geophysics

There are two options in the master's program (thesis option and non-thesis option). The non-thesis option requires coursework only, while the thesis option requires a thesis with your research advisor with less coursework.

Both options are equally considered for admission without preference or priority. For the thesis option, the procedure of how to secure an advisor and seek his or her confirmation is the same as that of Ph.D. (see Doctoral Degree below).

The most important thing for Ph.D. admission is to secure your tentative advisor prior to applying. You can do this by viewing the department's faculty directory* to review each faculty member's research areas and identify your potential Ph.D. advisor. Contact the faculty member by email with your portfolio (CV, transcript, and publication(s)) and a detailed description of what interests you about that faculty’s research. Since faculty receive many emails from prospective students, emails identifying specific topics of interest rather than generic emails are most likely to be answered.

Once you find a potential advisor, specify that you would like to work with that faculty member in your Statement of Purpose in your application. Please note that a faculty member’s interest to potentially serve as your advisor does not mean you’ll automatically be offered financial assistantship. You need to ask the advisor about the availability of assistantships.

*Look for Petroleum Engineering next to the faculty's name to find those in our program.