School of Natural Sciences and Mathematics
Graduate Programs in Sustainable Earth Systems Sciences
Objectives
The objective of the Department of Sustainable Earth Systems Sciences (SESS) Graduate Program is to provide students with a broad fundamental background in earth and environmental sciences, as well as an in-depth emphasis in one of several specialties.
The Master of Science degree in Geosciences (thesis option) is designed for students desiring research experience in a specific area of earth sciences. This degree will prepare the student for professional employment in industry or government in the natural resource sectors (energy, minerals, water...), or the environmental sciences, as well as those preparing for a doctoral degree. The Master of Science degree in Geosciences (non-thesis option) is designed for students who are employed or seek employment in the natural resource or environmental sectors, and the application of Geospatial Information Sciences (GIS).
The Doctor of Philosophy degree in Geosciences emphasizes fundamental research in one of the specialties in earth sciences (geology, geophysics, hydrology, environmental, climate...) and is designed to prepare students for advanced positions in the earth and environmental sciences in industry, government, or academia.
The Doctor of Philosophy degree in Geospatial Information Sciences (GIS) and Master of Science degree in Geospatial Information Sciences (GIS) are multidisciplinary programs supported by the School of Economic, Political and Policy Sciences, the Department of Sustainable Earth Systems Sciences, and the Erik Jonsson School of Engineering and Computer Science. These degrees reflect geospatial information science at the confluence of work in multiple disciplines, with a focus on advancement of the technology, its associated theory, and the enhancement of its applications. Please see the Graduate Programs in Geospatial Information Sciences catalog page for more details about the GIS graduate degree programs.
Facilities and Resources
Departmental research facilities include specialized labs for geology, geophysics, hydrology, geochemistry, and micro-imaging/micro-analysis, and high-performance computing. Additional research facilities for digital imaging, petrographic microscopes, rock preparation and mineral separation, and geoscience educational filmmaking are also described below.
Computational Resources
The Department of Sustainable Earth Systems Sciences has access to extensive computational resources. A large number of department networked Windows and Linux workstations in several laboratories and classrooms are broadly accessible to students and faculty. High Performance Computational (HPC) geophysical modeling, imaging and inversion is supported by a state-of-the-art Linux Optane cluster (576 Skylake cores, 41 Tflop/s, 15 TB shared memory, 15 TB local cluster disk, 100+ TB high-speed network disk, 56 Gbps Infiniband connectivity) and other department HPC clusters. The Dept also has access to UT Dallas shared supercomputing facilities (Ganymede, Titan, Europa), and the UT System-wide supercomputing facilities at TACC. A number of Department laser printers are available, including a color printer. A large format HP 2500CP printer/plotter is available for creating maps and posters. A variety of software licenses are supported for GIS, remote sensing, image processing, geophysical and pre-stack seismic data processing, graphics and visualization.
Geophysics Facilities
In addition to the high performance computational resources mentioned above, Geophysical research is also supported by two Scintrex CG-5 Gravimeters, and both Geometrics proton-procession and cesium vapor total field Magnetometer systems. An AGI SuperSting R1/IP DC resistivity and induced polarization system is available for near surface electrical conductivity mapping. Seismic and radar equipment include a Geometrics 48-channel floating point seismic acquisition system with Betsy, hammer, and explosive sources for shallow to deep exploration; and pulse EKKO IV, 1000 and PRO ground penetrating radars. The department also has 30 Smart Solo 3-Component 5Hz nodes for passive and active seismic. A variety of surveying instruments are available including a TOPCON imaging station, two Laser Atlanta Advantage CI reflectorless laser rangefinders, a Riegl VZ400 laser scanner, seven dual frequency Leica Viva RTK GPS systems, two dual frequency Topcon HyperLite RTK GPS systems (4 receivers), nine dual frequency Leica SR9500 GPS receiver systems with choke-ring antennas, a Trimble GeoXT GPS system, a Trimble GeoHT GPS system and GPS post-processing.
Rock Shop Lab
The SESS Rock Shop Lab is a rock and sediment preparation lab with equipment for the processing of geochemistry, thermochronology, geochronology and detrital provenance samples. Equipment includes a rock saw, crushing and grinding equipment, a heavy minerals water table, sloped Frantz Magnetic Separator, fume hood and glassware for heavy liquid mineral separations and equipment for particle size analyses.
Micro-Imaging Lab
The Micro-imaging Lab analyzes and images natural materials at several scales, using multiple pieces of equipment: 1) Photography station, macro and micro, with a camera stand, consisting of a digital camera on an adjustable stand with good lighting and a binocular and petrographic microscope with digital cameras, connected to an external PC. 2) Two Leica microscopes for examining thin sections and other materials prior to digital capture. 3) Giga-Macro: A digital camera with zoom lens and computer software that combines focal stacking, image stitching, and 3D depth-maps for very high-resolution imaging of thin sections and samples of 1-10 cm in size. 4) JEOL Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) with EDS. 5) Thermo ARL Equinor 100 Benchtop X-Ray Diffractometer (XRD). 6) Thermo-Fisher DX4 Laser Raman with microscope. 7) A Thermo Niton XL3t 955 handheld X-Ray Fluorescence (XRF).
Hydrology Laboratory
Field equipment for measuring ground and surface water flow and chemistry, including borehole bailers, electric water level meter, FlowProbe hand-held flow meter, Hach DREL 2010 Basic Water Quality Lab (field spectrophotometer, pH and salinity meters), and YSI-85 DO/salinity/conductivity meter. Software for modeling water flow and transport, including general interfaces GMS and WMS, Hydrus-2D (unsaturated flow and transport), TOUGH2 and Tetrad (2-3D multiphase flow and transport), and many public-domain models. Hardware and software for visualizing model results, including Windows and Linux workstations.
Environmental Geochemistry Laboratory
The research facilities of the Environmental Geochemistry Laboratory include several laboratories for sample preparation and sample analysis. This includes fume hoods, refrigerators, -80 C freezers, research grade quality water supply (type-1 water system), Orion Versa Star Pro pH/EH/T benchtop meter, precision balances, analytical balances, digital rotors, digital rockers and vortex mixers, advanced shakers, magnetic stirrer hotplates, and Multifuge X4FR Pro high speed refrigerated centrifuge and rotors. The school is fully equipped with a series of analytical instruments including trace element analysis, stable isotope measurements, NMR and XRD analysis.
Geoscience Studio
The Geoscience Studio (GSS) trains students to make videos and animations about a variety of Earth science and other topics. Video-making equipment includes cameras, microphones, lights, computers with video-editing software, and a small recording studio. All videos are posted on the GSS YouTube channel "UTD Geoscience Studio."
Admission Requirements
The University's general admission requirements are discussed on the Graduate Admission page.
Applicants are strongly encouraged to take the GRE General Test (Verbal, Quantitative, and Analytical Writing). A combined score of at least 300 on the Verbal and Quantitative portions of the exam is advisable based on our experience with student success in the program.
Entering students are expected to have completed the equivalent of the University's BS degree in Geosciences, including courses in physics, mathematics and chemistry. Students whose undergraduate training is in a science other than geology or geophysics are admitted to the program when their previous course work complements or supports their intended research interests. Deficiencies in the undergraduate background of admitted students will be addressed through a sequence of three required graduate courses. It is understood that the minimum course requirements for the intended degree, as specified below, apply to well-prepared students.
Degree Requirements
The University's general degree requirements are discussed on the Graduate Policies and Procedures page.
Additional requirements are specified below for each degree.
Master of Science in Geosciences
36 semester credit hours minimum
Faculty
Professors: David Hyndman, David Lumley, Robert J. Stern
Assistant Professors: Kristina Butler, Nadine Igonin, Zachary Sickmann, Xian Wu, Qian Zhao, Yujie Zheng
Professors Emeriti: John F. Ferguson, John W. Geissman, William I. Manton, George A. McMechan
Professors of Instruction: Ignacio Pujana
Associate Professor of Instruction: William R. Griffin, Steven Pirouz
Admission Requirements
In addition to the University's general admission requirements, applicants are required to submit the following materials as part of their application file for holistic admission consideration:
- Three letters of recommendation.
- A statement of purpose/essay.
- GRE scores.
Deadline: Please take note of regular application deadlines. All complete application files received by the deadline will be reviewed for general admission into the program. Students are accepted for the fall and spring semesters.
- Fall Deadline - May 1
- Spring Deadline - October 1
- Summer Deadline - March 1
First-round Scholarship Deadline: For first-round consideration for assistantships and scholarships, complete application files must be received by the following deadlines:
- Fall Deadline - December 15
- Spring Deadline - August 31
- Summer Deadline - December 15
Applications submitted or completed after the deadline may be reviewed for admission only if spaces remain within the upcoming cohort and will be reviewed in order by the date the application file became complete.
Thesis Option
Deficiencies
Upon admission to the Geosciences graduate program, the admissions committee may require incoming students to take one or more of the following core courses to address deficiencies in geology or geophysics, based on prior academic coursework experience:
GEOS 5315 The Earth: An Overview1, 2
GEOS 5387 Applied Geophysics1, 2
or GEOS 6392 Exploration Seismology1, 2
Core Course Requirements (12-13 semester credit hours)
Area 1: Geology
Select one course from the following:
GEOS 5315 The Earth: An Overview
GEOS 5375 Tectonics
GEOS 5302 Geochemistry
GEOS 5441 Advanced Sedimentary Processes
Area 2: Geophysics
Select one course from the following:
GEOS 5328 Imaging Radar: Principles and Geophysical Applications
GEOS 5334 Induced Seismicity
GEOS 5387 Applied Geophysics
GEOS 6392 Exploration Seismology
Area 3: Quantitative Data Analysis
Select one course from the following:
GEOS 5311 Applied Groundwater Modeling
GEOS 5313 Applied Surface Water Modeling
GEOS 5332 Machine Learning in Earth Sciences
GEOS 5338 Big Data and Machine Learning for Scientific Discovery
Any GISC 5000-6000 level course
Area 4: Earth Resources, Environment, or Climate
Select one course from the following:
GEOS 5305 Petroleum Geosciences
GEOS 5308 Sustainable Energy
GEOS 5310 Hydrogeology
GEOS 5314 Climate Change Resilience and Adaptation
All graduate students must also enroll in at least 2 semesters of:
GEOS 5000 Graduate Seminar
Research requirements (9 semester credit hours)
A minimum of 6 semester credit hours of 7000 or 8000-level research
GEOS 6398 Thesis
Submit and publicly defend an acceptable thesis
Additional coursework (14-15 semester credit hours)
A minimum of 14-15 semester credit hours of additional graduate courses, including at least 9 semester credit hours of graded lecture courses, to be selected in consultation with the research supervisor.
In addition to the above requirements, students seeking the MS degree (thesis option) must submit an acceptable degree plan and a MS thesis research proposal to their supervising committees no later than the second semester of enrollment. Upon completion of the thesis research, the MS degree candidate will publicly defend the thesis.
Non-Thesis Option
Deficiencies
Upon admission to the Geosciences graduate program, the admissions committee may require incoming students to take one or more of the following core courses to address deficiencies in geology or geophysics, based on prior academic coursework experience.
GEOS 5315 The Earth: An Overview1, 2
GEOS 5387 Applied Geophysics3, 4
or GEOS 6392 Exploration Seismology3, 4
Core Course Requirements (12-13 semester credit hours)
Area 1: Geology
Select one course from the following:
GEOS 5315 The Earth: An Overview
GEOS 5375 Tectonics
GEOS 5302 Geochemistry
GEOS 5441 Advanced Sedimentary Processes
Area 2: Geophysics
Select one course from the following:
GEOS 5328 Imaging Radar: Principles and Geophysical Applications
GEOS 5334 Induced Seismicity
GEOS 5315 Applied Geophysics
GEOS 6392 Exploration Seismology
Area 3: Quantitative Data Analysis
Select one course from the following:
GEOS 5311 Applied Groundwater Modeling
GEOS 5313 Applied Surface Water Modeling
GEOS 5332 Machine Learning in Earth Sciences
GEOS 5338 Big Data and Machine Learning for Scientific Discovery
Any GISC 5000-6000 level course
Area 4: Earth Resources, Environment, or Climate
Select one course from the following:
GEOS 5305 Petroleum Geosciences
GEOS 5308 Sustainable Energy
GEOS 5310 Hydrogeology
GEOS 5314 Climate Change Resilience and Adaptation
All graduate students must also enroll in at least 2 semesters of:
GEOS 5000 Graduate Seminar
Research requirement (3 semester credit hours)
A minimum of 3 semester credit hours of 7000 or 8000-level research
Submit a 10-page research paper, to be approved by research supervisor and graduate advisor
Additional coursework (20-21 semester credit hours)
A minimum of 20-21 semester credit hours of additional graduate courses, including at least 15 hours of graduate-level graded lecture courses, to be selected in consultation with the faculty graduate advisor.
In addition to the above requirements, students seeking the MS degree (coursework option) must submit an acceptable degree plan no later than the second semester of enrollment.
Doctor of Philosophy in Geosciences
75 semester credit hours minimum beyond the baccalaureate degree
Faculty
Professors: David Hyndman, David Lumley, Robert J. Stern
Assistant Professors: Kristina Butler, Nadine Igonin, Zachary Sickmann, Xian Wu, Qian Zhao, Yujie Zheng
Professors Emeriti: John F. Ferguson, John W. Geissman, William I. Manton, George A. McMechan
Admission Requirements
In addition to the University's general admission requirements, applicants are required to submit the following materials as part of their application file for holistic admission consideration:
- Three letters of recommendation.
- A statement of purpose/essay.
- GRE scores.
Deadline: Please take note of doctoral application deadlines. All complete application files received by the deadline will be reviewed for general admission into the program. Students are accepted for the fall and spring semesters.
- Fall Deadline - December 15
- Spring Deadline - May 15
First-round Scholarship Deadline: For first-round consideration for assistantships and scholarships, complete application files must be received by the following deadlines:
- Fall Deadline - December 15
- Spring Deadline - August 31
Applications submitted or completed after the deadline may be reviewed for admission only if spaces remain within the upcoming cohort and will be reviewed in order by the date the application file became complete.
Course Requirements
Deficiencies
Upon admission to the Geosciences graduate program, the admissions committee may require incoming students to take one or more of the following core courses to address deficiencies in geology or geophysics, based on prior academic coursework experience. Additional courses may be required to address deficiencies in undergraduate physics, chemistry, or calculus.
GEOS 5315 The Earth: An Overview1, 2
GEOS 5387 Applied Geophysics3, 4
or GEOS 6392 Exploration Seismology3, 4
Core Course Requirements (12-13 semester credit hours)
Area 1: Geology
Select one course from the following:
GEOS 5315 The Earth: An Overview
GEOS 5375 Tectonics
GEOS 5302 Geochemistry
GEOS 5441 Advanced Sedimentary Processes
Area 2: Geophysics
Select one course from the following:
GEOS 5328 Imaging Radar: Principles and Geophysical Applications
GEOS 5334 Induced Seismicity
GEOS 5387 Applied Geophysics
GEOS 6392 Exploration Seismology
Area 3: Quantitative Data Analysis
Select one course from the following:
GEOS 5311 Applied Groundwater Modeling
GEOS 5313 Applied Surface Water Modeling
GEOS 5332 Machine Learning in Earth Sciences
GEOS 5338 Big Data and Machine Learning for Scientific Discovery
Any GISC 5000-6000 level course
Area 4: Earth Resources, Environment, or Climate
Select one course from the following:
GEOS 5305 Petroleum Geosciences
GEOS 5308 Sustainable Energy
GEOS 5310 Hydrogeology
GEOS 5314 Climate Change Resilience and Adaptation
All graduate students must also enroll in at least 2 semesters of:
GEOS 5000 Graduate Seminar
Research requirements (12 semester credit hours)
A minimum of 9 semester credit hours of 7000 or 8000-level research
GEOS 8399 Dissertation
Submit and publicly defend an acceptable thesis
Additional coursework (14-15 semester credit hours)
A minimum of 14-15 semester credit hours of additional graduate courses, including at least 9 semester credit hours of graded lecture courses, to be selected in consultation with the research supervisor.
In addition to the above course requirements, students seeking the PhD degree must submit an acceptable degree plan and PhD research proposal describing the intended project to be completed for the dissertation.
Students should complete the PhD proposal by the fourth long semester. An oral qualifying examination covering the broad background and detailed knowledge relating to the student's specialization and PhD research proposal will be held in the same semester that the proposal is submitted. After satisfactory performance on the Qualifying Examination, the student will become a PhD candidate and should then complete and publicly defend the PhD dissertation by the tenth long semester.
Also, see the university's general degree requirements. Please note that more detailed instructions for Geosciences graduate students are given in the SESS Graduate Handbook, available on the Resources page of the SESS Department website.
Certificates
Graduate Certificate in Geophysics
9 semester credit hours
A Graduate Certificate in Geophysics is offered by the Department of Sustainable Earth Systems Sciences in the School of Natural Sciences and Mathematics.
The focus of the Certificate in Geophysics is to equip science and engineering graduate students with the extra skills and knowledge needed to be successful in mid-level and senior career opportunities involving Geophysics, and also prepare those who may be interested in pursuing a future PhD Geophysics research degree program.
Admission Requirements
The Graduate Certificate in Geophysics is open to any applicant. In addition to submitting the University's general admission requirements, applicants are also required to meet the following requirements as part of their application file for holistic admission consideration:
- Bachelor's Degree in Science or Engineering
- 1 semseter of calculus
- 1 semester of physics
Deadline: Please take note of regular application deadlines. All complete application files submitted by the deadline will be reviewed for admission.
- Fall Deadline - May 1
- Spring Deadline - October 1
Applications submitted or completed after the deadline may be reviewed for admission only if spaces remain within the upcoming cohort and will be reviewed in order by the date the application file became complete.
Certificate Requirements
Choose one course from the following: 3 semester credit hours
GEOS 5387 Applied Geophysics
GEOS 6392 Exploration Seismology
Choose two courses from the following: 6 semester credit hours
GEOS 5335 Introductory Seismology
GEOS 5328 Imaging Radar: Principles and Geophysical Applications
GEOS 5334 Induced Seismicity
GEOS 5387 Applied Geophysics
GEOS 6392 Exploration Seismology
GEOS 6394 Time-lapse Seismology
GEOS 6396 Seismic Full Waveform Inversion
1. Required for students deficient in undergraduate geology.
2. Also satisfies the Area 1: Geology core course requirement.
3. Required for students deficient in undergraduate or graduate geophysics.
4. Also satisfies the Area 2: Geophysics core course requirement.