Graduate Degree Programs
Core Graduate Courses
Graduate Course Schedule
Graduate Course Descriptions
Information and Recipients
The Petroleum Geosciences Program offers MA and MS degrees.
Hydrogeology Certification Program
Geographical Information Systems
Graduate Level Petroleum Short Courses
Geosciences Graduate Students
Geosciences Thesis
Overview | Requirement Details
Admission Requirements for the Masters of Science in Geology
The Department of Geosciences offers a wide range of courses leading to the Degree of Master of Science in both Geology and Geophysics. Applicants to the Master's of Science Program must have earned a Bachelor's Degree or its equivalent. Applicants to graduate school will be evaluated based upon their Grade Point Average (GPA), Graduate Record Exams (GRE) scores, and letters of recommendation. A GPA of 3.0 or better in the last 60 hours and commensurate scores on the verbal, quantitative, and analytical writing sections of the GRE is generally considered acceptable for admission. Individuals with a lower GPA but elevated GRE's may also be admitted. Letters of recommendation are also given considerable weight in the evaluation process. All non-native English-speaking students must take the TOEFL examination and receive a score of 550 or better for the paper exam and 213 or better for the computer exam.
All application forms, transcripts, test scores, and three letters of recommendation should be sent to:
Sylvia Marshall, Advising Assistant
Geosciences Department
Rm. 312 SR1
University of Houston
Houston, Texas 77204-5007
Deadlines
Domestic students: The first Friday of July for the Fall, the first Friday of December for the Spring, and April 1st for the summer.
International students: General application deadlines are April 1st for the Fall semester, Oct. 1st for the Spring semester, and April 1st for summer enrollment.
Financial Aid: Students applying for financial support (Teaching Assistantships, Research Assistantships, Fellowships, etc.) should have all of the required forms, letters, scores into our departmental office by March 1st for the following Fall semester, and October 15th for the Spring semester. Additional funding may be available for late applicants.
Do NOT send any material to the office of admissions.
Background Requirements
Candidates for an M.S. degree in Geology are required to have successfully completed course work equivalent to the University of Houston's undergraduate B.S. in Geology program. These courses include:
| Physical geology | Rocks & minerals |
| Mineralogy | Geologic field methods |
| Optical mineralogy | Stratigraphy |
| Structural geology | Geophysics |
| Paleontology | Petrogenesis |
| Field camp. |
Allied courses include:
3 semesters of Calculus
2 semesters of Calculus-based Physics
2 semesters of Chemistry.
Substitution of courses equivalent to those listed above as well as waivers of requirements will be considered on an individual basis. Applicants with a few deficiencies can satisfy those requirements while also taking graduate courses at the University of Houston. It is normally recommended that a student with 6 or more deficiency courses—e.g., those whose undergraduate degree was in another discipline—work toward a second undergraduate degree in Geology prior to graduate work.
Program
A minimum of 30 credit hours is required for the M.S. degree in Geology, 6 of which are thesis hours. All students are responsible for familiarizing themselves with all rules, regulations, etc., of the University, College of Natural Sciences and Mathematics, and Department of Geosciences and for meeting all requirements. Applicants are encouraged to review the detailed requirements for the M.S. degree.
revised 5/03
