Get your PhD in Geoscience

The PhD in Geoscience is a 4-to-5-year graduate program with dissertation that typically, but not always, follows the successful completion of an MS in geoscience, Earth science, or other related discipline. Our program is research-focused, and designed for students seeking a career in academia, and for public, private, and non-profit sector positions that require advanced research skills. Mastery of a specific area of geoscience and geoscience research methods is demonstrated by completion of an appropriate course sequence, the completion and approval of a dissertation proposal, passing a comprehensive exam, and the successful completion and final examination of a PhD dissertation.

SEES facilities include state-of-the-art laboratories and research support facilities, including the Paleontological Repository, Ecoclimatology of Carbon and Water (ECH2O) Lab, Lab for Observing and Quantifying Aquatic and Terrestrial Ecosystems (LOQATE), a Mineral Separation and Sample Processing Facility, and the Micropaleontology, Planetary Exploration, and Sedimentary Materials labs. Analytical instruments are housed in the MatFab facility, including an x-ray fluorescence spectrometer, electron microprobe, field emission scanning electron microscope with automated mineralogy capabilities, and two mass spectrometers for solution or laser analyses. Computing resources include the Geographical Information Systems Instructional Lab (GISIL), a GIS centric computer lab used to teach GIS, cartography, and remote sensing. The lab also hosts an array of special purpose peripherals and software (e.g., ArcGIS Desktop/Pro, Q-GIS, ENVI, GPS units, etc.).