It is expected that most applicants will have a solid background in Geology, but students with other scientific backgrounds are encouraged to apply to the program. Students with minimal geological backgrounds need to consult with their advisor regarding a course of study. Appropriate background in the following areas must have been completed at the undergraduate level or must be completed as deficiencies that do not fulfill course requirements of the M.S. degree:
   ¤ Field Geology ("Field Camp")
   ¤ Geomorphology
   ¤ Minerology
   ¤ Petrology
   ¤ Stratigraphy/Sedimentology
   ¤ Structural Geology
Students required to take four or more of these courses as deficiencies may substitute either GEOL 550 or GEOL 560 for any of the following non-geology courses (BUSL 570, PBIO 525, MICR 511, CE 570, CHEM 501) completed at the undergraduate level, in order to meet their minimum graduate course requirement.

Graduate Requirements
Environmental Geology requires the completion of the five core courses in the list below and at least at least three courses from the second list. In addition to course work, graduate students must complete and defend thesis research.

Environmental Geology Core Courses:
   ¤ GEOL 505 Modeling and Computational Methods in Geology
   ¤ GEOL 532 Origin and Classification of Soils
   ¤ GEOL 571 Advanced Environmental Geology
   ¤ GEOL 580 Principles of Hydrogeology
   ¤ BUSL 570 Environmental Law

Focus Courses (three are required):
   ¤ GEOL 527 Water Geochemistry
   ¤ GEOL 528 Physical Geochemistry
   ¤ GEOL 533 Glacial Geology
   ¤ GEOL 551 Diagenesis
   ¤ GEOL 552 Depositional Environments
   ¤ GEOL 553 Physical Limnology
   ¤ GEOL 576 Subsurface Methods
   ¤ GEOL 581 Groundwater Flow Modeling
   ¤ GEOL 582 Transport Processes in Groundwater
   ¤ GEOL 585 Introduction to Applied Geophysics
   ¤ GEOL 586 Applied Seismology
   ¤ GEOL 665 Basin Tectonics and Hydrocarbon Exploration
   ¤ GEOG 578 Geographic Information Systems
   ¤ GEOG 579 Advanced Geographic Information Systems
   ¤ PBIO 525 Plant Ecology
   ¤ MICR 511 General Microbiology
   ¤ CE  570 Soil Engineering
   ¤ CHEM 501 Organic Chemistry Survey
   ¤ Additional courses can be substituted with the approval
      of the faculty.

Please contact the following professors for more information and discussion of possible research topics:
   ¤ Elizabeth Gierlowski-Kordesch
   ¤ Dina Lopez
   ¤ Gregory Springer
   ¤ Mary Stoertz