Geology MS

Quality Students

• Highest Masters-level graduate assistantship stipend offered at BGSU
• % students on externally-funded research assistantships:  23%
• Average GPA of students completing the M.S. in Geology:  3.64
• % of M.S. students with undergraduate Geology GPAs >3.33:  64%
• % women current M.S. students:  48%
• % international students:  22% (recent students from Canada, China, Colombia, India, Iraq, Kenya, Nepal, Nigeria, Sudan – a global community)

Quality Faculty

• Our faculty hold Ph.D.s from: University of Arizona, Brown University, University of California-Berkeley, Harvard University, University of Michigan, New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology, Northwestern University, Ohio State University, Penn State University, University of Tennessee-Knoxville, University of Washington.
• The majority of our faculty have recently received external funding.
• Department’s external research funding for 2006-2007 = $964,662.
• Two thirds of our faculty have been invited to give special presentations and/or chair sessions at national or international meetings, and one third have received national awards in their discipline.
• Innovative field-oriented curriculum integrating geospatial science with traditional field geology, including 5-week summer Advanced Field Geology course.
• Pioneers nationally in the use of geospatial technology in the classroom and field.
• What our M.S. students say about our faculty:

“…one of the best instructors that I have ever had for a class. She not only has a tremendous amount of knowledge in her field, she is excellent at synthesizing material and explaining even the most complicated of topics in a very clear fashion.”

“…he was always willing to help students and took an interest in what we were studying.”

“…very good at stimulating discussion and thought …and gave us valuable skills for reading scientific papers.”

“…very involved in the learning process… very in tune with students but not an easy "A" instructor. You feel challenged by the work and yet, you do not feel as though you are set up to fail.”

Quality Research Resources

• Geospatial computer lab with color laser printer, large format color plotter, digitizers, and site licenses for ArcGIS, ENVI, ERDAS, PCI Geomatica, and ER Mapper
• Dedicated student computer labs
• Geochemistry lab with ICP-OES, XRD, and microwave digestion oven
• Fluid inclusion lab with microscope and video system
• Cold cathodoluminescence microscope and camera system
• Mineral synthesis lab with furnaces and cold seal bombs
• Sample preparation facilities with rock saws, polishing equipment, automated thin section machine, mechanical and chemical fossil preparation tools
• Field equipment, including three vans, Giddings trailer-mounted soil auger, standard and survey grade GPS equipment, laser rangefinders, total station, tablet PCs, and Pocket PCs
• Geophysical equipment, including gravimeter, magnetometer, capacitively-coupled resistivity system, and 24-channel seismograph
• Departmental research funding support for graduate students:  Over $4000 a year

Quality Career Opportunities

• % of students recently completing the M.S. in Geology who entered a Ph.D. program or were employed in the field after graduation:  100%
• Employers who have hired our recent M.S. graduates include:  CGGVeritas, Chesapeake Gas, ConocoPhilips, Dewbury Inc., Earth Tech, ExxonMobil, GeoEnvironmental Consortium, Inc., GeoEye, GeoTrans, Inc., Hull & Associates, John T. Boyd Company, U of Nebraska / State of Nebraska, Shaw Environmental Inc., Wright State University.
• Median starting salaries for new Masters degrees nationwide:  $82,500 (oil & gas), $45,500 (environmental), $45,000 (government).  Source: American Geological Institute/American Geophysical Union, 2007
• Ph.D. programs our recent M.S. graduates have entered include:  University of Alabama, East Carolina University, University of Florida, Indiana University, University of Illinois, University of Iowa, Kent State University, University of Kentucky, Louisiana State University, Texas A&M University, Texas Tech University.
• Median starting salaries for new PhD degrees nationwide:  $71,000 (private sector), $53,000 (government), $52,500 (academia).  Source: American Geological Institute/American Geophysical Union, 2007