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Graduate ProgramContentsPrintable Summary [pdf] of Department for Potential Graduate Applicants Description of ProgramStudents in the Graduate Program in Geological Sciences at Rutgers join a department that offers both challenging instruction and an unusually active research environment. The program grants both M.S. and Ph.D. degrees to full- and part-time students. Nearly all full-time graduate students are supported by research grants and teaching assistantships. Faculty grants and university funds provide students with necessary support for school-year and summer projects, as well as the opportunity to present original findings at regional and national conferences. Graduate student research projects take full advantage of the region's diverse geology. Precambrian crystalline rocks, the Appalachian Paleozoic fold and thrust belt, Triassic-Jurassic rift basins, the Mesozoic-Cenozoic coastal plain, and the shoreline of the Atlantic all offer excellent possibilities for exploration. Students in the program have also worked in the Canadian Maritimes, the Basin and Range of Idaho, the volcanic zone of Central America, the Hawaii Scientific Drilling Project, Antarctica, Iceland, the East African rift system, Atlantic offshore basins, the Newark basin drilling project , and on DSDP and ODP core materials . Rutgers' Institute of Marine and Coastal Sciences , the certificate program in Quaternary Studies , and the certificate program in Engineering Geophysics offer additional opportunities for research. In addition, the northeast is rich in research resources for the geologist including the Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory and the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution. The program focuses on ten areas of study:
A weekly colloquium for graduate students and faculty brings recognized experts to the campus for formal and informal discussions of current theories, recent findings, and new techniques. Degree OptionsBoth the M.S. and Ph.D. degree programs require completion and defense of a written thesis. The Ph.D. program requires a minimum of 36 credits of course work out of a total of 72 credits. To gain candidacy to the Ph.D. program, students must demonstrate competency in a foreign language, take a written examination, and give an oral defense of their research proposal. The M.S. degree program consists of 24 credits of course work and 6 credits of research. The average time for full-time students for completion of the master's degree is two and one-half years; for the doctorate, four years. Interdisciplinary programs in conjunction with other physical sciences, biological sciences, and engineering are encouraged. Applications and Financial AidRutgers offers assistantships, fellowships, and scholarships to qualified graduate students of scholastic achievement and scholarly promise. Stipends vary up to $14,000 for academic-year appointments and $16,000 for calendar-year appointments, and most awards carry remission of tuition. Applications for the above awards must be received by March 1. For more information on graduate school application procedures and how to obtain applications for admission and financial aid, please contact Graduate Admissions . Decisions on admission are based on the applicant's undergraduate or graduate record, three letters of recommendation, and scores on the GRE tests. The general test is required; the Geology subject test is recommended. For InformationCarl Swisher, Graduate Director, Department of Geological Sciences, Wright Geological Laboratory, Rutgers University, 610 Taylor Road, Piscataway, NJ 08854-8066 |
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