The MS in Computational Geoscience, jointly offered by the Department of Computer Science and the Department of Geology , prepares students with advanced knowledge and skills for careers in the geosciences that utilize artificial intelligence, computer vision, data analysis and modeling. The degree will prepare students for careers requiring computational techniques for the analysis of environmental, geophysical, seismological and geological data sets, or through the framework of geospatial visualization, for example. These advanced skills prepare students for careers in fields as wide-ranging as hydrology, seismology, geotechnical engineering, as well as with tech companies that specialize in, for example, remote sensing and geospatial mapping. The CG program’s integrated coursework provides students with strong computing and analytical skills and a firm understanding of geological processes to solve problems with important societal and cultural implications.
Requirements for Admission
University Admission
Candidates must apply through the CSU admissions portal, Cal State Apply, and meet all university admissions requirements. Applicants should note that some department admission requirements are higher than university admissions requirements.
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. The program does not currently require the GRE for admission.
Admission to the Program
Candidates must meet all of the university admission requirements. Students can be admitted in either classified or conditionally classified standing. We hope that many students will enter the MS in Computational Geoscience after finishing Computer Science, BS and Geology, BS at SJSU, but many may come from other backgrounds.
To be admitted to classified standing, applicants must have earned the degree in Computer Science, BS and Geology, BS at SJSU, Geology, BS and Computer Science Minor , or Computer Science, BS and Geology Minor or similar fields from a regionally accredited institution with a minimum GPA of 3.0 (based on a 4.0 scale). All classified candidates will have completed the program prerequisites listed below.
Two letters of recommendation are also required. Students that need to fulfill prerequisites may be admitted with conditional standing.
Requirements for Candidacy
Students must meet the university requirements for candidacy which include successful completion of the Graduation Writing Assessment Requirement (GWAR) . The University requires that all graduate students complete the GWAR as a condition for advancement to candidacy. Courses that satisfy the GWAR are listed in the course requirements for the program.
Course Requirements
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A minimum of 9 units must be taken from each department, not including the classes fulfilling the culminating experience (i.e. GEOL 297 , GEOL 299 , CS 297 , CS 298 )
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Students who enter the program having already completed courses equivalent in level and content to any of those required for the degree may be allowed to substitute an appropriate alternative course upon advanced approval by the MS CG Program Coordinator, appointed from the Geology Department.
- The maximum number of upper-division undergraduate units that can be applied toward the master’s degree is 9.
Graduation Writing Assessment Requirement
At SJSU, students must pass the Graduation Writing Assessment Requirement (GWAR) .
Culminating Experience
Both Plan A and Plan B require enrollment in 6-units of coursework in order to conduct the proposed project. Prior to admission, the student is responsible for securing the commitment of a full-time tenured or tenure-track faculty member in either the Department of Geology or Department of Computer Science who agrees to serve as their primary advisor. During their first semester, the student must also secure the commitments of two additional members, one of whom must be a full-time tenured or tenure-track faculty member at SJSU. At least one faculty member from the Geology Department and one from the Computer Science Department must be on the committee. Either plan requires writing a manuscript in a formal formatdescribing research, which is submitted for review by the student’s committee. In addition, the student must successfully pass a comprehensive oral examination, according to the standard assessment used in the home department of the primary advisor, by the student’s committee based on the conducted project or thesis study.
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