Program Requirements

The program consists of 48 semester hours of graduate work beyond course work counted toward a master’s degree. Each student’s program is planned in consultation with the advisor and consists of the following:

Additional Program Requirements

All candidates for the Doctor of Philosophy in Science Education: Geosciences must have completed a master’s degree in the geosciences. They may have completed the master’s degree prior to beginning the doctoral program or while concurrently enrolled in the doctoral program.

Students must achieve a grade of “BA” or better in three of four core graduate geology courses. One graduate course in each of the four areas (Hydrogeology, Geochemistry and Petrology, Geophysics and Tectonics, Stratigraphy and Sedimentary Geology) will be designated as a “core” course (see graduate advisor for details). In some cases, students may enter the program with a strong background in one or more of the core areas. Such students may be excused from enrolling in one or more core courses by achieving a grade of “B” or better on the final examination for the course(s). Students who do not achieve a “B” or better in a core area on their first attempt (or an overall average of “BA” or better for the three courses) will be given one additional opportunity to either pass each core course or the final examination with a grade sufficient to achieve an average of “BA” or better for the three courses.

Candidates must attend weekly Geological and Environmental Sciences Department seminars. In the second and each subsequent year of candidacy, the student must give a 12-minute seminar presentation.  The dissertation proposal presentation, if completed during the academic year, will fulfill this requirement in that year of study. The dissertation defense presentation, if completed during the academic year, will fulfill this requirement in the final year of study.

At least one first-authored paper must be accepted for publication in a peer-reviewed journal prior to graduation.

Students must give at lease one scientific presentation in and approved (by student’s doctoral committee) external venue prior to graduation.

Candidates must enroll in the following course for at least one semester:

Advancement to candidacy

Advancement to candidacy for the doctoral degree requires the following:

1. Take the following courses:  SCI 6140, 6150, 6160, and earning an overall GPA with respect to these courses alone of 3.5 or better; each course can be taken one additional time to improve GPA, if needed. Take SCI 6200 each fall for the first three years in the program and complete SCI 6180.

2. Early research requirement culminating in a paper to be:

• Presented at a MISE symposium and at a MISE approved conference;
• Reviewed and approved by MISE faculty before or after presentations (can be re-submitted one time with revisions if needed), and
• Submitted to an approved journal for publication review.

3. Comprehensive Review of the Literature

• Upon successful completion of 1 and 2, student prepares a comprehensive literature review in an area pertaining to the student’s eventual dissertation research. Supervised and approved by a 3-member MISE faculty committee.
• Present Comprehensive Review of the Literature at a MISE symposium.
• Reviewed and approved by MISE faculty before or after presentation (can be resubmitted on time with revisions if needed).

4. Dissertation Proposal

• Upon successful completion of 3, the student’s dissertation committee is officially formed.
• Student develops dissertation research proposal, which must be approved by the student’s dissertation committee;
• Student presents dissertation research proposal at a MISE symposium. MISE faculty to provide comments and suggest revisions;
• Proposal must be approved by the student’s dissertation committee (can be resubmitted one time with revisions).

The research and dissertation are completed under the direction of a major advisor and a Doctoral Advisory Committee. The major advisor and dissertation committee members are chosen by the Institute director in consultation with the student, Institute faculty and Geological and Environmental Sciences Department faculty. The research problem is formulated by the student and must be approved by the committee. Dissertation committees and topics are subject to the approval of the deans of the College of Arts and Sciences and The Graduate College.

To be admitted to candidacy for the doctoral degree the student must have satisfactorily completed the above requirements, and a teaching experience in addition to the other candidacy requirements of doctoral programs in The Graduate College.