The Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences of Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey is a research-oriented department that takes pride in its instruction of graduates and undergraduates. Boasting a world-class faculty of 26 Ph.D.'s, including three National Academy of Sciences members, and state-of-the art lab equipment (including 7 mass spectrometers), we are leaders in the fields of Biogeochemistry/Paleoceanography, Basin Analysis, Volcanology, and Quaternary Studies. We share four faculty with the Institute of Marine and Coastal Sciences (ranked 9th amongst oceangraphic institution in the U.S. based on NSF funding), two with the Department of Environmental Sciences, and one with the Department of Anthropology Our undergraduate major is personal with class sizes of about 10; undergraduates find universal employment in the environmental industry or attend the best graduate programs in the country. Our graduate major is also personal (30 students) and provides a fostering, yet challenging environment. Recent Ph.D.'s have obtained professorial or research positions at first-tiered universities. We serve over 2,500 undergraduate students per year teaching introductory courses.

We encourage potential students (both graduate and undergraduate) to visit our department and see what we have to offer. Please feel free to contact me (kgm@rci.rutgers.edu) if you have questions.

- Ken Miller, Rutgers College '78, Professor II, Chairman of Earth and Planetary Sciences.

Why study Earth and Planetary Sciences?

Sunset over Long Beach Island during undergraduate overflight of the Jersey shore, 10/2008

Rutgers University Geology Museum

The Rutgers University Geology Museum, which is open to the public, features exhibits on geology and anthropology, with an emphasis on the natural history of New Jersey. The largest exhibits include a dinosaur trackway from Towaco, NJ; a mastodon from Salem County, NJ; and a Ptolomaic era Egyptian mummy. There are mineral exhibits featuring the zeolite minerals of Paterson, NJ, and the zinc minerals of Franklin, NJ. Also on exhibit is a 30-foot-long geologic cross section of New Jersey from the Delaware Water Gap to the southern NJ coastal plain. More

Department Overview

The Department of Geological Sciences at Rutgers University on the New Brunswick/Piscataway Campus represents a community of students, faculty members, and research scientists engaged in the exploration of wide variety of geological problems. Our Department offers both challenging and comprehensive instruction, and students are encouraged to become vital members of this research community. Interdisciplinary studies are fostered through the Quaternary Studies Program , the Graduate Certificate Program in Engineering Geophysics , and our close ties to the Institute of Marine and Coastal Sciences . A weekly Geology Colloquium brings a wide variety of Earth Scientists to our Department to discuss their latest research results and new techniques. Our Geology Museum features geological exhibits on local geology, and is open to the public.

Our Department has experienced considerable growth over the last ten years, including the addition of seven new faculty members. Our professors enjoy international recognition in their fields of inquiry. Many of our faculty and their students are supported by federal, state, and private grants. Our department boasts state-of-the-art analytical and field equipment ; the computer facilities have been substantially upgraded in the last two years.

Rutgers University is located in an area of diverse geology. Precambrian Highlands, the Paleozoic fold and thrust belt of the Appalachians, the Mesozoic Newark rift basin, and the Mesozoic-Cenozoic coastal plain are all represented in New Jersey . Field trips take advantage of the local geology, as do many NJ-based research projects . In addition, current research projects span the globe: members of our Department have recently conducted research in Alaska, Hawaii, Canada, Central America, Europe, Iceland, Africa, and Antarctica on a wide variety of topics ranging from microfaults to mid-oceanic ridges to meteorites.