(42 hours of coursework and 30 hours of dissertation research)
Preliminary and initial advising will identify background deficiencies and develop a list of required deficiency coursework. Deficiency coursework must be completed with a grade of B or better early in the student’s graduate residence.
All graduate students in geophysics must complete two semesters of GEOL 5210 . Distinguished Lecture Series in the first two semesters of residence plus Rocky Mountain Field Trip.
Completion of GEOL 5020 - Fundamentals of Research is required during the first semester of residence.
Ph.D. candidates in geophysics must complete at least 6 additional hours of graduate level coursework: 3 in mathematics and 3 in physics or engineering. Recommended graduate-level mathematics courses include differential equations, numerical analysis, and real and complex variables; in physics and engineering, they include classical mechanics, continuum mechanics, elasticity, electricity and magnetism. Ph.D. candidates are required to take at least 12 hours of 5000-level geophysics courses exclusive of GEOL 5854 . Substitutions for graduate-level geophysics courses may be made with the permission of the candidate’s adviser. Remaining graduate-level course requirements may be made up from courses in physics, engineering, mathematics, and geology.
All Ph.D. students in the Department of Geology and Geophysics will be required to complete a qualifying exam by the end of the second term in residence. Specific department examination requirements are available from the department office. Failure to complete the exam by the end of the second semester in residence without an approved extension will result in suspension of the student’s financial support, irrespective of the source of funding. Ph.D. students who fail the exam will be asked to withdraw from the graduate program or to enroll in the M.S. program.
The preliminary examination is administered following completion of 30 hours of 4000-level or higher coursework, not including independent study or research credits. Failure of this exam may, at the discretion of the thesis committee, lead to a re-examination during the following semester in residence, remedial work, or expulsion from the program.
The Ph.D. dissertation and its defense are described in the regulations section of this Catalog. Specific department examination requirements are available from the department office. The candidate’s committee is responsible for monitoring progress of the research, refereeing the written work, and administering the final examination.