Earth & Environmental Sciences

Graduate Degrees

Applicants for an advanced degree should have completed the equivalent of the following basic courses: mineralogy, petrology, structural geology, invertebrate paleontology, sedimentary geology, and field geology. Mathematics through introductory calculus, general physics, and general chemistry are required. Students planning to specialize in the physical aspects of Earth and Environmental Sciences are encouraged to take additional courses in mathematics, chemistry, and physics; those planning to specialize in the biostratigraphic fields are expected to take courses in biology, including ecology. Equivalent courses taken during the undergraduate curriculum may be offered to satisfy these requirements. Although the Subject Test of the Graduate Record Examination is not required for admission, applicants are encouraged to take it.

All graduate students are required to assist in the undergraduate programs in Earth and Environmental Sciences, especially in the laboratory. This assistance requires lecturing, grading, lab preparation, and availability for student inquiry.  Students are also expected to participate in certain departmental activities, including departmental field trips either annually or semiannually and special lecture programs with visiting lecturers.  

For students seeking the Ph.D., laboratory research assistance under the direction of a faculty member is vital to the proper training of an advanced graduate student and all full-time Ph.D. candidates are required to perform such assistance.

A complete listing of rules and procedures for graduate students in EENS can be found in the EENS Graduate Handbook (the document is in PDF format).

Doctor of Philosophy

All students working for the Ph.D. degree must satisfy the general requirements as listed in the EENS Graduate Handbook.  The master’s degree is not a requirement for the Ph.D. in Earth and Environmental Sciences.

Candidates must demonstrate a high degree of creative or research ability and fulfill the following requirements:

1. Take an advisory examination upon completion of 12 semester hours of course work.
2. Complete at least 48 semester hours of course work approved by the graduate advisor.
3. Pass oral and written qualifying examinations which cover the broad aspects of geological knowledge as well as the depth of the student’s acquaintance with scholarly work in the chosen field of specialization. These examinations will be conducted at least one academic year before the degree is expected to be conferred.
4. Present an original contribution in the form of a written dissertation suitable for publication in a learned journal and successfully defend it in a public oral defense of the work.

Master of Science

Applicants may pursue either a thesis or non-thesis program. Those expecting to continue into a Ph.D. program should opt for the thesis program. To be acceptable, the thesis must contain an original contribution to knowledge and be in form and of literary quality worthy of publication. In addition to the thesis, 24 semester hours of course work are required. The non-thesis program requires a minimum of 30 semester hours of course work, as approved by the department. 

A detailed description of the Master of Science curriculum and requirements can be found in the EENS Graduate Handbook.

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Undergraduate Degrees 

B.S. in Geology

Geology Major:  The major in geology provides students with an understanding of the materials that make up the Earth, the history of the Earth, and physical, chemical, and biological processes that have operated on and within the Earth throughout its history.

The major consists of a minimum of ten courses including: EENS 111/113 Physical Geology, 112/114 Earth History, 211 Mineralogy, 212 Petrology, 327 Sedimentation & Stratigraphy, 340 Structural Geology, 399 Field Camp Capstone, 609 Paleontology, and two additional 600-level courses including accompanying laboratories where scheduled. Students must earn a C- or better in 211 to qualify for further enrollment in EENS courses. 

All majors must complete Chemistry 107 and 108 and accompanying laboratories 117 and 118; and Physics 121 and 122, or 131 and 132, with laboratories. Mathematics taken to meet the B.S. degree requirement must be Calculus 121 and 122, or Consolidated Calculus 131. Introduction to Calculus 115 and 116 may substitute for Calculus 121. These supporting science and mathematics courses may not be taken satisfactory/unsatisfactory.

In the junior and senior years, students preparing to enter graduate school in geology or paleontology are strongly urged to elect additional courses in their major field. It should be noted that such preparation may result in students’ attaining more than the total number of credits required for graduation (see provisions for earning graduate credit in the senior year).

All majors are expected to participate in certain departmental activities including departmental field trips held annually or semiannually, and special lecture programs with visiting speakers.

Geology Minor: A minor in geology consists of five courses and accompanying laboratories as follows: EENS 111/113, 211, another 200 level course, plus two courses at or above the 300 level.

B. S. in Environmental Science

Environmental Science Major:  The Departments of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology (EBIO) and Earth & Environmental Sciences (EENS) collaborate to offer this interdisciplinary environmental science major, which provides students with broad exposure to environmental problems, as well as training in essential problem-solving skills, such as Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and Environmental Informatics (EI).  The major is not unlike the majors in EENS and EBIO in that it requires a broad background in the natural sciences, as well as a core curriculum that familiarizes students with tools and methods.  The undergraduate program is preparatory to our 4+1 M.S. degree program in environmental science.  Students completing the terminal masters program should be able to enter environmental scientist positions in private industry, environmental consulting, and regulatory agencies.  In addition, the major provides a strong science background for individuals seeking to practice environmental law.  Students majoring in environmental science may elect to broaden their background in environmental issues by completing a coordinate major in environmental studies in the School of Liberal Arts.  Course requirements for the environmental science major are given below:

I. Courses Required Outside EBIOand EENS (five courses)

MATH 121 Calculus I
MATH 122 Calculus II
CHEM 107/117 General Chemistry I and General Chemistry Laboratory I
CHEM 108/118 General Chemistry II and General Chemistry Laboratory II
CHEM 241/243 Organic Chemistry I and Organic Chemistry Laboratory I or CHEM 250 Environmental Chemistry

II. Foundational Courses (two courses)  

EBIO 101/111 Diversity of Life and laboratory
EENS 130/131 Environmental Science and laboratory

III. Core Courses (six courses) 

EBIO 205 Global Change Biology
EENS 207 Weather and Climate
EENS 310 Geomorphology OR EBIO 204 Conservation Biology
EBIO 404/414 General Ecology
EBIO 408 Biostatistics and Experimental Design OR EENS 602 Geostatistics
EENS 603 Geospatial Analysis  (Note: must complete EBIO 408 OR EENS 602 prior to enrollinging in EENS 603)

IV. Elective Tracks (six courses)

Ecology and Evolutionary Biology Track

-          Any five EBIO courses, two of which must be designated laboratory or field courses
-          Capstone experience:  approved independent study (EBIO 491) OR honors thesis (EBIO 499-500)

Earth and Environmental Science Track

-          Any five EENS courses
-          Capstone experience:  environmental field study (EENS 398) OR honors thesis (EENS 499-500)

Minor under consideration.

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4 + 1 Programs in Geology and Environmental Science

There are two programs available which allow students to obtain a B.S. and M.S. degree after an additional year of study:  Geology and Environmental Science. 

Description of Geology Program

This program combines a Bachelor of Science degree in Geology with a terminal Master of Science Degree in Geology, condensing what normally would be six years of study into five years. The degree is offered to students in Newcomb/Tulane Undergraduate University.  Students fulfill all regular requirements for the B.S. degree in Geology (120 credits). During the senior year and one additional year of study, each student pursuing the M.S. degree in Geology will complete an approved program totaling a minimum of 30 semester hours at the graduate/undergraduate (600) and graduate (700) levels. Six (6) credits in Geology or other approved fields taken at the 600-level during the senior year as part of the undergraduate degree will be counted toward the M.S. degree. Up to 12 additional 600- or 700-level credits taken during the senior year may be counted towards the M.S. degree. These credits are in addition to those required for the B.S. degree. The M.S. degree obtained in this manner will be equivalent to the non-thesis M.S. degree described above.

Description of Environmental Science Program

The five-year, combined degree program is open to students in Newcomb/Tulane Undergraduate College.   It combines the Bachelor of Science degree in either the Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences (EENS) or the Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology (EEB), with the terminal Master of Science degree in Environmental Science, condensing what would normally be about six years of study into five years. 

Undergraduate students typically graduate after four years of study, having fulfilled all regular requirements for the Bachelor of Science degree with a major in either  Geology/Environmental Science or Ecology and Evolutionary Biology.  The accelerated master’s degree component allows six graduate credits (two 600- or 700- level courses) completed during the senior year to be applied to the B.S. degree as well as to the M.S. degree.  Each student pursuing the M.S. degree in Environmental Science then completes course work toward the master’s degree during one additional year of graduate study.  During the fifth (graduate) year the student typically completes a minimum of 24 credits (eight courses, four each semester) of graduate work for a minimum total of 30 semester hours (10 courses). 

Eligibility

Candidates for the program should apply for admission during the junior year, but students in their senior year can also apply.  By the end of the junior year (or at the time of application), candidates should have completed all proficiency and distribution requirements for the B.S. degree and all core requirements for either the GEOL, ENSE or EEB major.  In addition, candidates are required to have a minimum 3.0 cumulative GPA.  To advance to the fifth (graduate) year, candidates must complete all requirements for the B.S. degree in GEOL, ENSE, or  EEB  by the end of the senior year, while maintaining an overall 3.0 GPA and a 3.0 cumulative in GEOL, ENSE or EEB.  Teaching assistantships are not available to students pursuing the master’s degree in Environmental Science as they are only awarded to doctoral students.

Tuition

Tuition for this M.S. degree program is 35% of regular graduate tuition.   For 2009-10, regular graduate tuition was $19,000 per semester; thus, the 4+1 tuition was $6,825 per semester.   Additional semester fees, such as health insurance, Reily recreation fee, student activity fee, etc. and are not discounted.

Application Process

Studfents should complete the on-line graduate application and submit two letters of recommendation and official transcipts to the department, sometime during senior year, but no later than March 15th.   A GRE test is not required for admission.   Admitted students will be assigned a graduate faculty advisor within the department unless the student wishes to redirect her/his disciplinary emphasis and requests an advisor in another department.  Students admitted to the program should be aware that in the fifth (graduate) year their academic progress is evaluated using the performance standards expected of all graduate students; the Graduate School catalog should be consulted for details.