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Program Details

Graduate Program: Geosciences (PHD)

General Information

Request Information
Program/Degree
Geosciences (PHD)  
Program Description

Requires the equivalent of the Bachelors degree with a major in geosciences or allied discipline.

The Department of Geosciences at the University of Arizona offers both a two-year M.S. and a four-year Ph.D. program. Both programs are research based and have course work requirements, as well as a final requirement of an M.S. thesis or a Ph.D. dissertation.
 
All students who apply are considered for financial support (in the form of teaching/research assistantships, or fellowships). Almost all students admitted to our degree programs are offered financial support; M.S. students are funded for two years, and Ph.D. students are funded for four years. 
 
Available fields for PhD research are biogeochemistry; climate dynamics; dendrochronology, geoarchaeology; geochemistry; geochronology; geomorphology; geophysics; mineral resources; mineralogy; paleolimnology; palynology; paleontology; petrology; sedimentology and stratigraphy; structure; and tectonics.
 
Department/Academic Unit(s)

Geosciences

The Department of Geosciences, University of Arizona, focuses on research and education in the nature, genesis, and history of the Earth and its crust, and the evolution of the environment and biota at the Earth's surface.

Our faculty, graduate, and undergraduate students are active in biogeochemistry; climate dynamics; geoarchaeology; geochemistry; geochronology; geomorphology; geophysics; mineral resources; mineralogy; paleolimnology; palynology; paleontology; petrology; sedimentology and stratigraphy; structure; and tectonics. 

We encourage interdisciplinary approaches to research in the geosciences, both within the department and through interdepartmental programs.

US National Research Council Rankings - We are one of nine programs, and one of only four in public institutions, to rank in the top 10 in both "survey" and "regression" rankings.

The Department of Geosciences at the University Of Arizona is ranked #3 In Geology, #8 In Earth Sciences, And #11 In Geochemistry Iin the most recent U.S. News and World Report National Survey of Graduate Programs.

 
College

College of Science

 
Campus where offered

University of Arizona - Main - Tucson

 
Contacts
Admissions Contact
Rocina Garcia
520-621-6004
Graduate Program Coordinator
Rocina Garcia
520-621-6004
Director of Graduate Studies
Susan L Beck
520-621-8628
Graduate College Degree Counselor
Kristi Davenport
520-626-1930
 
Tuition and Fees
Please refer to the UA Bursar's Office Tuition and Fees Calculator for up-to-date information about tuition and fees. 
Please refer to the UA Registrar's's Office Special Course Fees for up-to-date information about special course fees. 

Admissions Information

Admissions Requirements

GPA 3.0
English Proficiency: https://grad.arizona.edu/admissions/requirements/international-applicants#english-proficiency
3 letters of recommendation
Statement of purpose, and résumé/CV
Transcripts

 
Standardized Tests



 

 
Funding Opportunities

Teaching and Research Assistantships, Fellowships, Scholarships

 
Admissions Deadlines

Domestic Applicants:

  • Fall: January 7, 2022

International Applicants:

  • Fall: January 7, 2022

No spring admissions.

 
International Conditional Admission

International applicants will not be considered for conditional admission by this program.

Other Information
The GRE Institution Code for The University of Arizona is 4832

ETS Major Field Code(s) for this program: 0503, 0504, 0505, 0506

NRC Taxon(a) for this program: Earth Sciences

Completion Requirements

Minimum Credit Units

63 

Core Coursework Requirements

Minumum credits: 63 units total (36 units of course work for major, 9 units minimum for the minor, and 18 units of Dissertation, GEOS 920) 

Core coursework: GEOS 595A, Topics in Geosciences, 1 unit, taken for two semesters, typically in student's first year

 
Elective Coursework

Approved courswork - in addition courses from cognate departments may be selected with advisor/department approval:

GEOS 500, Introduction to Geochemistry, 3 units

GEOS 502, Analytical and Numerical Modeling in Geosciences , 3 units

GEOS 504B, Ore Deposits Mapping, 1 unit

GEOS 504C, Mineral deposit types , 1 unit

GEOS 508, Tectonic Petrology, 3 units

GEOS 509, Advanced Petrology, 3 units

GEOS 514, Quaternary Geology, 3 units

GEOS 517, Sedimentary Basin Analysis, 3 units

GEOS 519, Physics of the Earth, 3 units

GEOS 521, Petroleum Geology and Geophysics, 4 units

GEOS 523, Regional Structural Geology, 3 units

GEOS 524A, Space Geodesy, 3 units

GEOS 525, Regional Tectonics, 3 units

GEOS 527, Orogenic Systems, 3 units

GEOS 528, Crustal Deformation, 3 units

GEOS 530, Chemical Evolution of Earth, 3 units

GEOS 532, Earthquake Seismology, 3 units

GEOS 534A, Exploration Seismology, 3 units

GEOS 536, Earthquakes and volcanic systems: processes and hazards, 3 units

GEOS 537, Intro to Earth System Modeling, 4 units

GEOS 539A, Intro to Dendrochronology, 4 units

GEOS 540, Geodynamics, 3 units

GEOS 543C, Geologic Best Practices , 3 units

GEOS 544, Advanced Physical Sed, 3 units

GEOS 546, Economic Mineral Deposits , 3 units

GEOS 550, Geomorphology, 3 units

GEOS 553, Glacial and Quat Geology, 3 units

GEOS 556, Thrust Belts, 3 units

GEOS 566, Stable Isotope Geochem, Paleoclimate, 3 units

GEOS 567, Inverse Problems in Geophysics, 3 units

GEOS 568, Advanced Seismology, 3 units

GEOS 569, Seismic Data Processing, 3 units

GEOS 570L, Volcanology: Laboratory, 1 unit

GEOS 570R, Volcanology: Physical Processes and Petrologic Applications, 3 units

GEOS 573, Earth System Modeling, 3 units

GEOS 574A, Geochronology & Thermochronology, 3 units

GEOS 577, Active Tectonics, 3 units

GEOS 578, Global Change, 3 units

GEOS 579, Intro to Climate Dynamics, 3 units

GEOS 582, Paleoclimatology, 3 units

GEOS 584, Coevolution of Earth and the Biosphere, 3 units

GEOS 585A, Applied Time Series Analysis, 1 unit

GEOS 586, Organic Geochemistry, 3 units

GEOS 587, Physical and Dynamical Oceanography, 3 units

GEOS 589, Quaternary Geochronology, 3 units

GEOS 595E, Topics in Dendrochronology, 1 unit

GEOS 596A, Mineralogy-Petrology-Geochemistry, 1 unit

GEOS 596B, Economic Geology, 1 unit

GEOS 596C, Geomorphology-Quaternary Geology, 1 unit

GEOS 596D, Paleontology-Sedimentary Geology, 1 unit

GEOS 596E, Structure-Tectonics, 1 unit

GEOS 596F, Geophysics, 1 unit

GEOS 596H, Geosciences, 1 unit

GEOS 646A, Advanced Ore Deposit Geology, 4 units

GEOS 646B, Advanced Ore Deposit Geology II, 4 units

GEOS 650, Field Studies in Geomorphology, 3 units

 

 
Additional Requirements

Qualifying exam in first semester.

15 units of transfer graded course work from degree outside of UA allowed.

Written and oral comprehensive exam in fourth semester. 

Language requirements: no second language requirement

Other requirements: Please refer to Geosciences PhD Graduate Handbook for Satisfactory Academic Progress Guidelines, PhD diagnostic exam, PhD committee requirement, PhD written and oral comprehensive exam, and PhD final dissertation defense requirements. Students must also have a yearly progress meeting with committee.

 
Minor Requirements for Doctoral Students in this Program

Geosciences PhD students may minor in Geosciences or may select a minor in a cognate area.

 
Student Handbook

Please refer to the Graduate Student Handbook for students who are pursuing this program of study.

 

Program StatisticsInformation about these numbers

Program-level Information
Application Acceptance Rate 21.28%
Med. Time-to-degree (years) 5.25
 
Department-level Information
Enrollment Percent Male 52.54%
Enrollment Percent Female 47.46%
Enrollment Percent International 22.03%
Enrollment Percent URM 13.56%

Back to statistics
  • All application, admit, and enrollment data are from Fall 2020.
  • Median Time to Degree calculates how long graduates in the last 5 years (2015-2019) took to complete their degrees, counting back to the first semester entering their program. This measure uses the methodology established in the 2011 Assessment of Research-Doctorate Programs by the National Research Council.
  • Underrepresented Minorities (URM) includes domestic students of ethnic groups traditionally underrepresented in higher education: African Americans, Hispanics, Native Americans, and Native Hawaiians/Pacific Islanders.

Persistent link: https://grad.arizona.edu/catalog/programinfo/GEOSPHD
Last revised 14 Sep 2021
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