USF Professional Science Master's Degree in Geology
The USF Professional Science Master's Degree in Geology is a non-thesis M.S. degree option
that culminates with internship experience with local companies or agencies in the environmental
field. This program is appropriate for professionals already working for geoscience
companies in the region, and for students interested in pursuing careers in environmental/water
science fields. The program requires 24 hours of structured coursework, a 3-credit course
on the Introduction to Professional Geology, and a 3-credit internship project. A list of approved
courses and a recommended 2-year path to degree are listed below.
Internship projects are typically supervised by a Professional Geologists (PG) and must
receive prior approval by the internship coordinator. The curriculum requires a comprehensive
exit exam based on coursework and the internship project. Before completing an exit exam, the student
must submit an Internship Project Report approved by the supervising PG. The Environmental
Geoscience internship committee determines the format of the exam. Normally, the exam format is an oral
examination following the student’s presentation of the results of the internship project to the
Environmental Geoscience internship committee. Often, internship students are asked to present the results
of their projects at an evening public meeting hosted by the Geology Alumni Society at the
Southwest Florida Water Management District (SWFWMD) Tampa office.
For more information about the USF Professional Science Master's Degree in Geology contact
Dr. Ping Wang at (813) 974-9170, or by email pwang@usf.edu.
Curriculum
A minimum of 30 credit hours is required.
Core Courses: 12 hours
GLY 6246: General Geochemistry...................................................(3 hrs)
GLY 5865: Mathematical and Statistical Models in Geology.................(3 hrs)
GLY 6739: Introduction to Professional Geology (new course).............(3 hrs)
GLY 6492: Professional Internship Research Project..........................(3 hrs)
Suggested Concentrations and Recommended Courses
Hydrogeology: 10 hours [Hydrogeology Certificate: 14 hrs]
GLY 5932: Physical Principals of Groundwater Flow............................(3 hrs)
GLY 6827C: Advanced Hydrogeology...............................................(4 hrs)
GLY 6828: Groundwater Geochemistry.............................................(3 hrs)
Environmental Geochemistry: 9 hours
GLY 6255: Tracer Geochemistry......................................................(3 hrs)
GLY 6828: Groundwater Geochemistry..............................................(3 hrs)
One additional 6000 level course in Geochemistry...............................(3 hrs)
Environmental Geophysics: 10 hours
GLY 6475C:Principles of Applied Geophysics.......................................(4 hrs)
GLY 6739: Topics in Environmental Geophysics..................................(3 hrs)
GLY 6739: Waves or GLY 6739: Potential Fields.................................(3 hrs)
Coastal Geosciences: 9 hours
GLY 6575C: Coastal Sedimentation..................................................(3 hrs)
GLY 6739: Advanced Field Methods in Coastal Geology.........................(3 hrs)
One additional 6000 level course in Marine or Sedimentary Processes......(3 hrs)
Non-Geology Graduate Courses:
3 hours required, up to a maximum of 9 hours
Some suggestions:
Geography:
GIS 5049: GIS for Non-Majors
GIS 6100: Advanced Geographic Information Systems
Civil Engineering:
CWR 6305: Urban Hydrology
CWR 6533: Water Quality Modeling
CWR 6535: Hydrologic Models
Department Policy: Courses already counted toward a BS degree cannot be counted again
for the MS degree.
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Degree Requirements
- Complete at least 24 hours of structured coursework including the course,
GLY 6739: Introduction to Professional Geology
- Work for ~6 months as an intern with a participating organization
- Complete, publicly present, and defend an approved Internship Research
Project (3 credits) under the supervision of a Licensed Professional Geologist
- Successfully pass a Comprehensive Examination administrated by the internship
MS faculty Committee (to be constituted by the Internship Program Coordinator
from among the participating program faculty)
Department policy: A student’s final roster of courses must
show a B (3.0) average and include no courses with a grade lower than C.
A student will be placed on probation if his/her GPA drops below a 3.0 and
will be dropped from the program if another C, or lower, grade is received during
this probation period.
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Recommended Path to Degree
Duration: 2 years, this includes an intensive first year of course work
Year 1: 18-24 credit hours, 9-12 hrs/semester
Fall-Spring:
Complete coursework in geosciences and allied disciplines
Participate in MS cohort activities
Interview for internship positions
Summer:
Internship placement begins (3-6 hrs coursework)
Year 2: 6-9 credit hours
Fall:
GLY 6739: Professional Internship Research Project
Spring:
GLY 6492: Professional Internship Research Project
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Admission Requirements
- a 3.0 GPA or better (or its equivalent)
- previous courses in mathematics, physics, and chemistry
- a GRE score of 1000 (verbal plus quatitative) is recommended
For students who do not meet the above criteria, a conditional admission will be recommended.
The admission conditions will be individually designated based on individual deficiencies.
Admission to the program is open for both the Spring and Fall semesters
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