Admission
For admission, an applicant must provide transcripts of previous university work, two rating forms or letters of recommendation, and GRE scores (general). Students are not normally admitted under non-degree status.
Prerequisite for either graduate degree is a bachelor’s degree in the geosciences or other field (typically, but not exclusively, from the physical, natural, or life sciences or engineering). Upon admission, each student selects a major advisor before entering the Department. Once a student is in residence and begins to develop research plans, the student and advisor discuss the best possible individuals to form a committee that will be suited for advising the student. The Thesis/Dissertation Committee is primarily responsible for advising the student’s research activities, but also can modify the course curriculum based on the student’s area of research.
Requirements
The department offers only a thesis option in its master’s program. Successful completion of the master’s degree requires a minimum of 24 credit hours approved coursework, and six credit hours of thesis credit (GEOL 500 ), an approved written thesis proposal, successful oral defense of a written thesis, and a minimum cumulative 3.0 GPA in all graded graduate course work. The department also has separate course requirements in addition to University requirements. Students pursuing a MS degree must enroll in GEOL 595 every semester they are in residence unless course or teaching conflicts preclude a student from being present. Students must also enroll in GEOL 596 one time during their residency. Taking courses from outside the department is encouraged. Before receiving an MS degree, students must demonstrate committee-approved proficiency in field-based Earth Sciences.
Interdisciplinary Graduate Minor in Computational Science (IGMCS)
The Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences participates in the interdisciplinary graduate minor in computational science (IGMCS) program. Any student pursuing a master’s or PhD with a major in geology can receive a minor in computational science by completing the appropriate IGMCS requirements. For additional information, see the description of the Interdisciplinary Graduate Minor in Computational Science listed under the Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science or visit the IGMCS website at http://igmcs.utk.edu/. The Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences also contributes courses to the IGMCS program curriculum.
Watershed Minor
The Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences participates in the interdisciplinary Watershed Minor for graduate students. Any student pursuing a master’s or PhD with a major in geology, who completes the appropriate requirements, can receive a Watershed minor. For additional information, see the description of the Interdisciplinary Watershed Graduate Minor on the website at https://ag.tennessee.edu/watershedminor/Pages/default.aspx. The Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences also contributes courses to the Watershed program curriculum.
