Geoscience

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The Department of Geoscience is an active and enthusiastic department consisting of eighteen full-time faculty, approximately sixty graduate students and one hundred undergraduate majors. The department offers a program of courses, seminars and research opportunities leading to Master of Science and Doctor of Philosophy degrees in Geoscience. The interests of the faculty and students cover a wide range of topics. Graduate students can choose one of three Geoscience emphases: Geology, Hydrogeology, and Soil Science. Active research by faculty and students is ongoing throughout the western United States, as well as in Antarctica, Canada, Chile, China, Costa Rica, Indonesia, France, Guatemala, Mexico, New Zealand, Panama, Poland, Russia, South Africa, Spain, and Switzerland.

The department encourages interdisciplinary research. Opportunities for geological and interdisciplinary research may be pursued with organizations near, or on, campus that cooperate with the department including: the Harry Reid Center (HRC) for Environmental Studies; the Division of Hydrologic Sciences of the Desert Research Institute (DRI), a division of the University and Community College System of Nevada; the Environmental Monitoring and Support Laboratory of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA); the Department of Energy; and other university departments and schools such as life sciences, chemistry, physics, and engineering.

Students are encouraged to read the general graduate college rules and regulations elsewhere in this catalog and to read the Department of Geoscience Graduate Student Guidelines, which are available on the department’s web site at: http://geoscience.unlv.edu/graduateprogram.htm. An understanding of these documents is essential for satisfactory progress toward the degree.

Admission Requirements for M.S. and Ph.D. Degrees in Geoscience

Admission for any of the four emphases may be in the spring or fall semester. For preferential consideration, please submit materials for fall admission by February 1, and for spring semester, by October 1.

Admission and degree requirements for the Department of Geoscience are listed below. These requirements apply to all of the emphases. Note that each emphasis has requirements in addition to those listed below. Please check the section describing the emphasis of interest to you.

General Admission Requirements Common to All Geoscience Emphases

1. A B.S. degree (specific degree requirements are listed under each emphasis description). A master’s degree is recommended, but not required, for admission to the Ph.D. program.
2. A minimum overall grade point average of 3.00 (on a 4.00 scale).
3. Satisfactory scores on the general Graduate Record Examination (GRE).
4. Three letters of recommendation from individuals competent to comment on the applicant’s promise as a graduate student.
5. A letter of application stating interests and goals for graduate study. This is a 1-2 page essay describing the applicant’s reasons for considering graduate study, goals after completion of the graduate degree, and the applicant’s specific areas of interest.
6. Submission of official copies of academic transcripts.
7. Submission of an application and fees to the Graduate College.
8. All international students whose first language is not English or who have not received baccalaureate or master’s degrees from an institution in which the language of instruction is English must pass the TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language) examination. Satisfactory scores for the TOEFL exam are listed in the Admissions section of this catalogue.

Programs

• Geosciences M.S. 
• Geosciences Ph.D. 

Return to: College of Sciences