5 Year B.S/M.S. Program in Geological Sciences and Marine Geosciences
A 5-year B.S. /M.S. in Geological Sciences and Marine Geosciences allows qualified UM Undergraduate students to complete a master’s degree in one year of study beyond the B.S. In doing so, students can save both time and money. By the beginning of their junior year students should have obtained a graduate faculty advisor, selected an approved topic for research, and begun work on their senior thesis as preparation for the M.S. In the senior year, students will increase their focus on graduate courses and work closely with their graduate faculty advisor. During the final year, students complete the required M.S. course work while expanding their undergraduate research and completing the M.S. thesis.
For further information and application forms please visit this website.
Curriculum Requirements
| Code | Title | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|
| BS in Geological Sciences | 123 | |
| Refer to link below for information on the BS requirements: | ||
| MS in Marine Geosciences | 30 | |
| Refer to link below for information on the MS requirements: | ||
| Total Credit Hours | 153 | |
Suggested Plan of Study
This is only a sample. There are numerous ways students can create plans of study. Students should feel empowered to use the information listed in the Academic Bulletin to take charge of their education, pursue their own academic interests, and create their own, unique plans of study.
| Freshman Year | ||
|---|---|---|
| Fall | Credit Hours | |
| GSC 110 | The Earth System | 4 |
| WRS 105 | First-Year Writing I | 3 |
| MTH 161 | Calculus I | 4 |
| HUM Course #1 | 3 | |
| Credit Hours | 14 | |
| Spring | ||
| GSC 111 | Earth System History | 4 |
| WRS 107 | First-Year Writing II: STEM | 3 |
| MTH 162 | Calculus II | 4 |
| Minor Course #1 | 3 | |
| Credit Hours | 14 | |
| Sophomore Year | ||
| Fall | ||
| GSC 260 | Earth Materials | 4 |
| CHM 121 | Principles of Chemistry | 4 |
| CHM 113 | Chemistry Laboratory I | 1 |
| Minor Course #2 | 3 | |
| PS Course #1 | 3 | |
| Credit Hours | 15 | |
| Spring | ||
| GSC 440 | Petrology | 4 |
| MSC 204 | Environmental Statistics | 3 |
| HUM Course #2 | 3 | |
| Elective #1 | 4 | |
| Credit Hours | 14 | |
| Junior Year | ||
| Fall | ||
| GSC 360 | Depositional and Diagenetic Systems | 4 |
| PHY 201 | University Physics I for the Sciences | 4 |
| PHY 106 | College Physics Laboratory I | 1 |
| Minor Course #3 | 3 | |
| HUM Course #3 | 3 | |
| Credit Hours | 15 | |
| Spring | ||
| GSC 231 | Field Studies in Earth Systems 1 | 2 |
| GSC 380 | Paleontology and Stratigraphy | 4 |
| GSC 482 | Field Methods | 2 |
| PHY 202 | University Physics II for the Sciences | 4 |
| PHY 108 | College Physics Laboratory II | 1 |
| PS Course #2 | 3 | |
| Credit Hours | 16 | |
| Summer | ||
| GSC 580 | Summer Field Geology | 4 |
| Credit Hours | 4 | |
| Senior Year | ||
| Fall | ||
| MGS 514 | Geophysics | 3 |
| GSC 561 | Communicating Geoscience | 2 |
| Minor Course #4 | 3 | |
| PS Course #3 | 3 | |
| Elective #2 | 4 | |
| MGS 611 | Earth Surface Processes | 3 |
| MGS 614, 682, | Geophysics or Introduction to Seismology or Geological Hazards or Geodynamics | 3 |
| Credit Hours | 21 | |
| Spring | ||
| GSC 480 | Structural Geology | 4 |
| GSC 411 | Research in Geological Sciences 1 | 3 |
| MGS 513 | Introductory Geochemistry | 3 |
| Minor #5 | 3 | |
| Elective #3 | 3 | |
| MGS 613 or 771 | Introductory Geochemistry or Diagenesis of Carbonate Sediments | 3 |
| Approved Graduate Elective | 3 | |
| Credit Hours | 22 | |
| Summer | ||
| Approved Graduate Elective | 2 | |
| Credit Hours | 2 | |
| Fifth Year (Graduate Credit Hours Only) | ||
| Fall | ||
| Approved Elective | 3 | |
| Approved Elective | 3 | |
| Approved Elective | 3 | |
| RSM 700 | Research Ethics | 0 |
| Credit Hours | 9 | |
| Spring | ||
| MGS 701 | Seminar in Marine Geosciences | 1 |
| MGS 810 | Master's Thesis | 3 |
| Credit Hours | 4 | |
| Summer | ||
| MGS 810 | Master's Thesis | 3 |
| Credit Hours | 3 | |
| Total Credit Hours | 153 | |
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Recommended elective to take for the Geological Sciences B.S. major.
