Geophysics Ph.D.
Admission to the Geophysics program has been suspended. The program has been restructured and is now offered as Earth System Science with a concentration in Solid Earth Geophysics.
Minimum Requirements for Geophysics Ph.D.: 35 credits
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| General University Requirements | ||
| Complete the graduate general university requirements. | ||
| Master’s Degree Requirements | ||
| GEOS F631 | Foundations of Geophysics | 4 |
| GEOS F682 | Geoscience Seminar (fall semester) | 1 |
| or ESS F692P | Seminar | |
| Complete 6 credits from relevant graduate-level courses agreed by the advisory committee, or select one of the following concentrations: | 6 | |
| Solid-Earth Geophysics | ||
Complete 6 credits from the following: | ||
| Seismology | ||
| Geochronology | ||
| Applied Seismology | ||
| Geodetic Methods and Modeling | ||
| Volcano Seismology | ||
| Snow, Ice and Permafrost Geophysics | ||
Complete 6 credits from the following: | ||
| Ice Physics | ||
| Sea Ice | ||
| Permafrost | ||
| Glaciers | ||
| Remote Sensing | ||
Complete 6 credits from the following: | ||
| Atmospheric Radiation | ||
| Digital Image Processing in the Geosciences | ||
| Geodetic Imaging | ||
| Microwave Remote Sensing | ||
| Visible and Infrared Remote Sensing | ||
| Advanced Skills Categories | ||
| Complete 3 credits each in two of the following four categories: | 6 | |
| Digital Signal Analysis and Remote Sensing | ||
| Digital Image Processing in the Geosciences | ||
| Microwave Remote Sensing | ||
| Visible and Infrared Remote Sensing | ||
| Statistics and Parameter Estimation | ||
| Inverse Problems and Parameter Estimation | ||
| Regression and Analysis of Variance | ||
| Applied Multivariate Statistics | ||
| Analysis Methods in Meteorology and Climate | ||
| Mathematical Methods | ||
| Introduction to Partial Differential Equations | ||
| Numerical Linear Algebra | ||
| Numerical Analysis of Differential Equations | ||
| Optimization | ||
| Finite Element Analysis in Engineering | ||
| Skills course | ||
One graduate-level advanced skills course approved by the student’s advisory committee | ||
| Ph.D. Degree Requirements | ||
| Complete the Ph.D. degree requirements. | ||
| Complete and pass a written and oral comprehensive examination. | ||
| Complete and submit a written thesis proposal for approval. | ||
| Complete a research program as arranged with the graduate advisory committee. | ||
| Complete 18 credits of thesis, write a thesis and pass an oral defense of thesis. | 18 | |
| Total Credits | 35 | |
Admission to the Geophysics program has been suspended. The program has been restructured and is now offered as Earth System Science with a concentration in Solid Earth Geophysics.
Admission Requirements
Complete the following admission requirements:
- Complete a master’s degree in geology, geophysics or an appropriate field of physical science or engineering.
Admission to Ph.D. Geophysics Program Directly from a Bachelor’s Program
Entering graduate students whose highest earned degree is the baccalaureate are normally admitted as Master of Science candidates. However, exceptionally able and accomplished students in this category are eligible for direct admission to the Ph.D. program. For direct admission from the baccalaureate to the Ph.D. program, a student must receive approval from the graduate admission committee and also meet one of three criteria:
- At least one first-authored manuscript published, accepted or submitted for publication in a peer-reviewed scientific journal.
- Receipt of an NSF, NIH or similar prestigious pre-doctoral fellowship.
- Demonstrated research proficiency AND either
- attained a GPA of at least 3.5 in mathematics and science courses at the undergraduate level, or
- scored at or above the 80th percentile in two of three categories in the GRE.
The requirement of demonstrated research proficiency can be waived for exceptionally promising students. In this case, the student is required to complete a research or review paper focusing on a thesis-related topic approved by the graduate advising committee. The paper should be roughly 4,000-5,000 words and must be submitted and approved by the advising committee within the first three semesters to maintain Ph.D. status. Failure will result in changing the student’s status to M.S. candidate.
After admission, M.S. candidates may, in exceptional cases, petition for conversion to the Ph.D. program if they satisfy one of the above criteria. Such petitions must be approved both by the student’s current (M.S.) and proposed (Ph.D.) advisory committee and the department director or designee.
Admission to the Geophysics program has been suspended. The program has been restructured and is now offered as Earth System Science with a concentration in Solid Earth Geophysics.
Learning Outcomes
Learning Outcomes are measurable statements that describe knowledge or skills achieved by students upon completion of the program.
Students graduating from this program will be able to:
- Attain a level of technical ability and knowledge to function as professionals in their discipline
- Demonstrate that they can independently identify a problem and devise appropriate methods for its solution, contributing original knowledge to that field
- Demonstrate communication and presentation skills consistent with professional standards
- Obtain employment
