The Master of Arts degree program is designed for students who wish to enhance their technical education. The program of work is designed in coordination with the student’s faculty supervisor and requires approval of the graduate advisor.

Areas of active research in the Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences include studies in sedimentary depositional systems; hydrogeology; climate systems science; structural geology; marine geology and geophysics; regional tectonics; seismology; paleomagnetism; seismic reflection and refraction; isotope and aqueous geochemistry; sedimentary geochemistry; geomicrobiology; igneous, sedimentary, and metamorphic petrology; high-temperature geochemistry; ore deposits and industrial mineral resources; and vertebrate and invertebrate paleontology. Cooperative research projects are under way with the Center for Space Research, the Institute for Geophysics, and the Bureau of Economic Geology.

The Master of Science in Geological Sciences is designed for those planning doctoral study or seeking employment in which research and problem-solving skills are essential.