Degree Requirements

Only the Plan B nonthesis option is allowed for the MS degree in Applied Environmental Geoscience, which requires 32 credits. The Plan B option requires the production of a paper. At least 2 credits of thesis research are required, but no more than 3 credits of thesis credit can be included on the Program of Study. The Plan B paper is usually a review of literature, with conclusions drawn after conceptualizing an area of inquiry, planning a systematic search, and analyzing and critiquing the acquired information. The summary and conclusions developed should enhance knowledge in the discipline. Plan B papers and reports should follow the same format specifications as theses and dissertations and are expected to reflect equivalent scholarship standards, even though they may be less intensive and not demand the originality of a Plan A thesis. Plan B papers are defended, but are not reviewed by the School of Graduate Studies assistant dean or signed by the graduate dean. Plan B papers must be submitted to the Merrill-Cazier Library to be microfiched, and the binding receipt must be returned to the School of Graduate Studies. Students enrolled in the MSAEG program will be expected to complete four out of seven of the Geology undergraduate core course requirements if they have not done so prior to enrollment (e.g., Introductory or Physical Geology with laboratory, Minerals and Rocks (Earth Materials), Historical Geology, Sedimentation and Stratigraphy, Geomorphology, Structural Geology, and Field Methods or relevant experience).