Degree Requirements
- Completed Plan of Study
- Credit Hours: All students are required to complete a minimum of 32 graduate credit hours at the 400, 500 or 600 level. Students who elect to complete a thesis will typically earn additional credit hours.
- Grade Point Average: Students must earn a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0 and a minimum GPA of 3.0 in courses applied to the degree.
- Degree Requirements:
- Complete a plan of study
- Completion Requirements: students must select a completion track for a total of 8 credits. Available tracks are the
- Research track: students must complete a Master's thesis including:
- Thesis Proposal Defense
- Thesis Defense
- Professional studies track: students have the option of completing an internship, completing a project with a faculty member, taking the ASBOG Fundamental exam (first step in professional licensure), additional coursework, or a combination of these options.
- Research track: students must complete a Master's thesis including:
Curriculum Requirements
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Core Requirements | 15 | |
| Any GEOL courses at the 400, 500 or 600 level* | ||
| Electives | 9 | |
Select three courses from the list below: | ||
Any additional GEOG or GEOL courses at the 400, 500 or 600 level** | ||
| Environmental Microbiology | ||
| Soil Genesis and Classification and Soil Genesis and Classification Laboratory | ||
| Reclamation of Disturbed Soils | ||
| Environmental Impact Assessment and Environmental Impact Assessment Laboratory | ||
| Hazardous Waste Training and Hazardous Waste Training Laboratory | ||
| Pedology | ||
| Environmental Sampling and Analysis | ||
| Watershed Management | ||
| Watershed Hydrology | ||
| Reservoir Simulation and Modeling | ||
| Advanced Formation Evaluation | ||
| Advanced GIS for Natural Resource Management | ||
| Environmental Regulation | ||
| Geospatial Modeling | ||
| Spatial Hydrology and Watershed Analysis | ||
| Statistical Methods 1 | ||
| Statistical Methods 2 | ||
| Freshwater Ecology | ||
| Applied Wetlands Ecology and Management | ||
| GRADUATION TRACK | 8 | |
| Select one track: | ||
| Research Track: | ||
| Research (students must complete 6 credit hours) | ||
| GEOL 696 | Graduate Seminar (students must complete 2 credit hours) | |
| Professional Studies Track: *** | ||
| Core Courses: | ||
| Masters: Professional Studies Track Cohort Seminar (taken first semester in program) | ||
GEOL 696 | Graduate Seminar | |
Select one option or a combination of the options below: | ||
Project: | ||
| Masters Project Research | ||
Internship: | ||
| Grad Internship in Geology | ||
Professional Licensure: | ||
Any GEOL course(s) at the 400, 500 or 600 level | ||
GEOL 696 | Graduate Seminar | |
| Total Hours | 32 | |
- *
No more than 40% of courses may be at the 400 level (WVU requirement) and excludes GEOL 790.
- **
Except GEOL 680, 681, 697, 790.
- ***
The professional studies track is completed in part by 1 hour of GEOL 682 and 1 hour of GEOL 696. The remaining 6 credits may be satisfied one or a combination of the following options: additional GEOL 696 credits, Internship, Research Project, Licensure, or additional GEOL coursework at the 500 or 600 level.
Major Learning Outcomes
Geology
Students obtaining a masters in Geology with a Research Track will be able to:
- Communicate geologic concepts orally and in writing
- Apply research skills to analyze geologic questions
- Propose, produce and defend original research in their field of study
- Explain geologic principles as they relate to their area of research
Students obtaining a masters in Geology with a Professional Studies Track will be able to:
- Communicate geologic concepts orally and in writing
- Demonstrate knowledge in either energy geology or environmental geology
- Apply geological knowledge and methods to (1) find, develop and produce energy resources particularly natural gas, natural gas liquids and oil; OR, (2) to assess environmental issues