The MS program provides graduates with advanced training in the Geosciences, culminating in the completion of an independent research thesis project. The academic curriculum and extensive faculty expertise provide the opportunity for study in many areas the Geosciences. Graduates are employed as environmental consultants, engineering geologists, hydrogeologists, hydrologists, and geotechnical engineers.

The Department of Geology  welcomes students with undergraduate degrees in other disciplines.

For more information visit www.sjsu.edu/geology.

Admission Requirements

Candidates must meet all university admission requirements . Students can be admitted in either classified or conditionally classified standing. If an applicant’s preparation for advanced graduate work is considered insufficient to meet the course prerequisites or other departmental requirements (typically because the student does not have a BS in Geology or related field), the conditions will include taking the core Geology BS courses to meet their requirements.

The GRE is not required.

Applicants from countries in which the native language is not English must achieve a minimum English-language proficiency test score as indicated on the Graduate Program Test Requirements webpage at GAPE.

Requirements for Admission to Graduate Candidacy

University Candidacy Requirements

A student is eligible for admission to candidacy for the MS degree in Geology after the student has fulfilled the general all-university requirements for advancement to candidacy  as outlined in the Academic Regulations section of this catalog  and the department requirements. Candidacy includes the successful completion of the Graduation Writing Assessment Requirement (GWAR) . In addition, the student’s admission must be approved by the departmental graduate advisor.

Department Candidacy Requirements

The student will prepare a written thesis proposal in consultation with her/his thesis adviser. The student will defend her/his proposal in an oral examination with her/his thesis advisor and a minimum of two other thesis committee members

Requirements for Graduation

University Graduation Requirements

Students must complete all residency, curriculum, unit, GPA, and culminating experience requirements as outlined in the Graduation Requirements  section of the Graduate Policies and Procedures .

Geology Department Requirements

An approved program for each candidate may be designed in consultation with the advisor on the basis of each individual’s objectives. The program shall include at least 30 semester units earned beyond the bachelor’s degree in 200-level and 100-level courses approved for graduate credit. This total includes 4 semester units of thesis research. At least 12 units must consist of 200-level courses. All students are required to take a 2-unit seminar (GEOL 285 ). All candidates are required to submit a master’s thesis.

An oral presentation of thesis research is to be made before an open meeting of the Geology Department. The thesis must be approved by the student’s thesis committee and submitted in final form, as defined in the SJSU Master’s Thesis and Doctoral Dissertation Guidelines, to the Graduate Division of the university in accordance with published deadlines.

Graduation Writing Assessment Requirement

At SJSU, students must pass the Graduation Writing Assessment Requirement (GWAR) .