CONTENTS

Admission	Academic Progress & Dismissal	Graduate Committee
Graduate Advising	Master's Degree	Thesis/Dissertation Proposal
Graduate Assistantships	Non-thesis Master's Degree	Thesis/Dissertation Defense
General Requirements	Doctoral Degree	Petitions

 

 

Admission

Detailed information concerning application deadlines and required materials are provided in the Mississippi State University Office of the Graduate School.

 

Although helpful, an undergraduate background in Geosciences is not a pre-requisite for admission into the M.S. in Geoscience program. The M.S. program is designed such that students with previous training in earth or atmospheric sciences should anticipate completing the program within two academic years. Master’s-level students with non‑Geoscience backgrounds will require background coursework at the beginning of their graduate studies, and should expect to extend the program length accordingly. Applicants to the Master’s program in the Meteorology emphasis area are required to have passed Calculus I prior to arrival on campus and the completion of Calculus II will greatly improve the chances of being accepted. All other Master’s applicants are recommended to have completed Calculus I. 

 

It is expected that applicants to the Doctoral program will have a completed thesis-based Master’s degree and have a background in one of the departmental emphasis areas. Applicants who have not completed a thesis or are from other science disciplines will be considered on a case-by-case basis. The Doctoral degree candidate should anticipate a four-year program of study. All applicants for the Doctoral program must identify a mentor (dissertation supervisor) prior to acceptance into the program. Some mentors may require a qualifying examination prior to acceptance into the program. Depending on the applicant's emphasis area of interest, Calculus I and II may be required for admission. 

 

 

Admission — Distance Learning

Detailed information concerning application deadlines and required materials is provided in the MSU Office of Graduate Studies. 

 

Although helpful, an undergraduate background in Geosciences is not required for admission into the M.S. in Geoscience program.  The GRE is not required for distance learning students.

 

 

Graduate Advising 

Advising of Geoscience graduate students is conducted by all department graduate faculty members. Initially, students may wish to contact the Graduate Coordinator‑‑Dr. Mike Brown‑‑who oversees student files, signs off on Master’s theses and Ph.D. dissertations, and serves as liaison to the MSU Office of Graduate Studies. Students should select an advisor whose interests most closely ally to the area of student interest within the Geosciences. New Master’s-level students who are undecided as to their specific interests should contact Dr. Brown, who will suggest an advisor most appropriate to the general interests of the student. All applicants for the Doctoral program must identify a mentor (dissertation supervisor) prior to acceptance into the program.

 

 

Graduate Assistantships 

The Department of Geosciences offers a limited number of graduate teaching, service, and research assistantships for both Master’s and Doctoral students. The assistantships are awarded on a competitive basis, and are initially based on evaluation of undergraduate transcripts, GRE scores (required prior to admission for all graduate students), letters of recommendation, and needs of the department. Full‑time assistantships are awarded on the basis of qualifications and competition.  In accordance with the Graduate School Bulletin, full‑time assistants are eligible for full tuition waivers, however students are still responsible for their student fees each semester. Full‑time assistantships require a commitment to 20 hours of work per week and normally entail tasks such as teaching or assisting in any of the geology or the physical geography laboratory sections, coordinating map quizzes in introductory geography courses, assisting in the climatology or GIS laboratories, or working in our distance learning programs. Prior to working as a Graduate Teaching Assistant in the department, all assistants must successfully pass a teaching workshop (one time), which is conducted by the Office of the Graduate School, prior to the beginning of fall semester classes.            

 

Research assistantships for the fall and spring academic semesters are available only if a faculty member has a research project in which funds for research assistants are provided by the funding agency.  Similarly, research grants may lead to part‑time support for graduate students in the form of summer graduate assistantships. Work‑study and financial aid opportunities may also be secured through the university by qualified applicants.  

 

Although graduate assistantships are initially awarded on the basis of past qualifications; satisfactory job performance and academic progress must be maintained throughout the duration of graduate study if a student expects to retain funding support from the department. In order for the faculty to evaluate objectively progress, all masters students must submit both a Mid-Semester Report and a Graduate Student Checklist to the Department Academic Administrator (Ms Mary Dean) each and every semester by the deadline All doctoral students must submit annual reports (Appendices C and D).  Poor performance in academic achievement or assigned duties may result in non-renewal of assistantships. 

 

Conversely, students admitted into the program without an award of graduate assistantship may, on the basis of outstanding academic and professional performance, be awarded assistantships during the course of their graduate studies, should sufficient funds be available.  If satisfactory levels of academic and job performance are maintained, graduate students at both the Master’s and Doctoral levels are normally given two years (4 semesters) of assistantship support. Assistance beyond the two year limit is rarely granted and should not be expected, but may be possible through faculty research grants or other unforeseen funding opportunities.  Doctoral candidates are expected to be pro-active in seeking research funding, through the submission of research proposals to appropriate funding agencies in collaboration with their mentor.

 

Additional financial assistance is available to students through several other avenues. Research supplies may be purchased for graduate students through the Erwin/Russell endowment, and requests should be made to the department head.  Other funds permitting, the department will assist in covering limited expenses related to field research or presentation of papers at professional meetings. 

 

Summer internships are sometimes available with agencies such as the Mississippi Office of Geology (Jackson), the U.S. Army Waterways Experiment Station (Vicksburg), NOAA, NWS, and television stations throughout the nation. Student research proposals may also be submitted to professional organizations such as GSA, AAPG, GCAGS, Sigma Xi, AMS, AAG, ACS, NSF and NWA.

 

 

General Requirements – All Students

All graduate students must demonstrate proficiency in the use of either a foreign language or statistical skills, a selection that must be made in the first semester of study. If a foreign language is selected, proficiency may be demonstrated by: a) successful completion (B average or better) of two years' study at the undergraduate level, b) successful completion of a two‑semester graduate‑level readings course at MSU, c) a score of 550 on the Princeton foreign language exam, or d) demonstration of equivalency for any of the above.  Non‑native English speakers may use English as their foreign language, and minimum scores of 550 on the TOEFL exam (213 on the computer version or 79 on the IBT) or 85 on the Michigan exam must be attained.  For statistical skills, completion of GR 6803 (Statistical Climatology) or an approved equivalent with a grade of A or B is required.

         

All students must develop a Program of Study in consultation with the major professor and graduate committee. Specific course requirements are to be recorded on an official Program of Study sheet required by the Graduate School, prior to graduation.

 

Also, up to nine hours of graduate‑level coursework (Grade of B or better) may be accepted as transfer credit from other departments or institutions.

 

 

General Requirements – Distance Learning

Each student in the Distance Learning Program is expected to follow the specific Program of Study for the degree concentration in which s/he is enrolled, unless approval is given for course substitution by the Distance Learning Oversight Committee and Graduate Coordinator.  Specific course requirements are to be recorded on an official Program of Study sheet required by the Graduate School, prior to graduation.

         

 

Academic Progress & Dismissal – All Students

As per the Graduate School Bulletin, all students must maintain continuous enrollment and must maintain a cumulative 3.0 (B) grade average.  Failure to maintain a 3.0 GPA overall, will result in dismissal from the program. If a student earns less than a 3.0 in any given semester, but maintains a higher than 3.0 GPA overall, s/he will be permitted to continue in the program. A student who falls below the 3.0 GPA minimum in their first semester, may petition the graduate faculty to remain in the program. A maximum of two Cs is allowed during the entire program of graduate study. A third C will result in dismissal from the program.  A grade of U given for thesis or dissertation research hours or a grade of D or F for any regular class will result in dismissal from the program.

 

Once a student has completed the core courses on their program of study, they must maintain continuous enrollment until they graduate.  Students must be enrolled in at least one credit hour during the semester in which they take their written comprehensive exam. 

 

The MSU honor code states: “As a Mississippi State University student, I will conduct myself with honor and integrity at all times. I will not lie, cheat or steal, nor will I accept the actions of those who do.”  For further information concerning the university honor code and its application to your academic standing, may be found on line at http://www.msstate.edu/dept/audit/1207.html.

         

 

Academic Progress & Dismissal – Distance Learning

Students must have a minimum of a 3.0 GPA on coursework from their program of study to graduate. A maximum of two Cs is allowed on the program of graduate study.  Students who earn one or two Cs during their first semester in the program will be advised to reduce their workload to one course per semester.  A grade of D or F on coursework will result in dismissal from the program.   Students who earn a Grade below a C may, however, petition the Distance Learning Oversight Committee for permission to remain in the program on a strict probation.  Students approved for probation may only take one course per semester and they must retake the course in which the unsatisfactory grade was earned.

 

 

Masters Degree – General Comments

Both a thesis track and a non-thesis track are available at the master’s level for both on-campus and distance learning delivery methods. The master’s thesis option requires 24 hours of coursework including GR 8542 or GG 8572, GG 8561, or committee-approved substitutions (with appropriate documentation to the Graduate School), 6 hours of thesis research, a thesis, and a thesis defense and comprehensive exam. 

The master’s non-thesis option (normally for students in the on-campus Broadcast Meteorology concentration, and students in the Teachers in Geosciences, or Applied Meteorology in the distance-learning concentrations) requires 36 hours of coursework including a research methods course, a research project presentation, and a written and oral comprehensive examination.  Both options require competency in statistics or a foreign language. Although the on-campus Broadcast Meteorology, and distance-learning Applied Meteorology and the Teachers in Geosciences concentrations are typically non-thesis options, a student may petition the graduate faculty to complete a thesis. The department will not approve the request, unless a mentor has been identified and a committee can be assembled.

 

Masters Degree – Thesis Track 

The thesis track is considered essential for students with career goals in advanced research, in academic fields and in many professional fields. Most on-campus geoscience students are expected to write a thesis. 

 

Thesis-track Master’s students are required to complete a minimum of 30 hours to include 24 hours of course work and 6 hours of thesis research.  According to the Graduate School Bulletin, at least half of the Master’s-level courses, of the minimum required (i.e., 12 of the 24 under the thesis track), must be at the 8000‑level.  No more than six hours of "Directed Individual Study" courses‑‑GG 7000 or GR 7000‑‑may be counted as 8000‑level courses. Supplemental coursework may be required depending upon background training and area of emphasis, and advisors should be consulted. Supplemental work taken to fill background deficiencies may not necessarily be included within the formal Program of Study.

 

Students in the on-campus concentration areas of climatology, environmental geoscience, geography, geology, geographic information systems, and operational meteorology are expected to complete a thesis.

 

All on-campus, thesis-track students must take GR 8542 (Geographic Literature) or GG 8572 (Geologic Literature) during their first spring semester. The courses include an introduction to the literature and writing in the geoscience disciplines.  In addition, students must take a one-hour seminar course (GG 8561).  The literature and seminar courses are taken concurrently in the spring semester. The courses provide the venue for students to develop the thesis proposal and present initial results of their investigations.  Thesis‑track students will generally learn research methodologies appropriate to their field of study in the process of producing a thesis, however, where useful, GR 8993 (Research Methods) can be used as an elective for thesis students (check with your advisor).

 

Thesis students must pass a comprehensive exam during the student's last semester of study and successfully defend the thesis.

 

There is a statute of limitations of six years for the completion of a Master’s degree, and no credit will be received for courses taken more than six years earlier.

 

 

Masters Degree – Non-Thesis Track

The only on-campus, non-thesis Master’s track in the Department of Geosciences is in Broadcast Meteorology. Master’s-level, non-thesis BMP students are only admitted to the program in the fall semester.

 

Any student who wishes to gain admittance to the graduate program in BMP must either a) take GR 1603 (Introduction to Meteorology) at Mississippi State, or b) the equivalent course through the Department’s Distance Learning program, or  c) successfully complete a background assessment test (BAT) in meteorology. 

 

The background assessment test will be offered on-line prior to May 15^th each spring semester and is normally administered in the semester before you begin your program of study. May 15^th is, therefore, normally the last day for qualified applicants to apply to the Department of Geosciences for the upcoming fall semester and be guaranteed acceptance to the BMP program.

 

Students who fail the BAT must successfully complete (grade of “B” or better) GR 1603 (Introduction to Meteorology) course from MSU before starting their program of study in broadcast meteorology. The course is offered via Distance Learning during the summer. It is recommended that students either take the BAT in the spring, or take the Distance Learning meteorology course, so that upon arrival on campus they are fully prepared to enter the course sequence for BMP.  Students who do not satisfy this requirement will not be allowed to enter the Broadcast Meteorology Program.

 

Non‑thesis students in the Broadcast Meteorology Program often seek careers in areas such as on-air weathercasters, and will, therefore, enroll in a minimum of 48 hours of appropriate coursework with a minimum of 15 hours at the 8000 level.  Students accepted into the non-thesis track will need to work closely with the members of their graduate committee regarding specific degree requirements. All non‑thesis students are exposed to extensive broadcast-related coursework, including several TV production courses.  Additionally, all non-thesis track students must enroll in GR 8993 (Research Methods) during their first or second semester.  The course covers the a) research project design, b) development and evaluation of research proposals, and c) methodology and ethical conduct of scientific research. 

 

Non-thesis students must pass a comprehensive exam (oral and written) during the final semester of study.  Students will be required to demonstrate competence in their area of emphasis within the Geosciences as well as ability to relate this competence to allied sub-fields.  Technically, the exam will be administered within a "closed" meeting of the student and the student's graduate committee. Other Geoscience faculty members will be invited and are encouraged to attend.

 

There is a statute of limitations of six years for the completion of a Master’s degree, and no credit will be received for courses taken more than six years earlier.

 

 

Doctoral Degree 

All Doctoral students are required to take 38 hours beyond the Master’s and successfully complete a dissertation. Normally, the 38 hours will include 18 hours of coursework and 20 hours of dissertation research. Additionally, supplemental coursework may be required depending upon background training and area of emphasis, and advisors should be consulted.

 

All Ph.D. students must complete a two-semester course sequence in their first year. The fall semester course will be an introduction to the graduate faculty and their research/research methodologies. The spring semester course will address the philosophy and ethics of the geosciences discipline and sub-disciplines.

 

All doctoral candidates are required to pass written and oral comprehensive exams, which must be taken no later than the semester (fall or spring) following the completion of the coursework in the student’s program of study. The written comprehensive exam must be completed within a two-week period and the oral component will be completed within two weeks of satisfactory completion of the written component.  The comprehensive exam must be taken by June 1^st if a student intends to graduate in December, November 1^st to graduate in May, and February 1^st to graduate in August. Two negative votes will constitute failure for a student on the comprehensive exam. If the exam is not deemed as “passing”, the student must wait a period of four months prior to re-taking the exam. Failure on the re-take will result in dismissal from the program.

 

According to the Graduate School Bulletin, a student will be admitted to candidacy for a Doctor of Philosophy only after the comprehensive examination has been passed and the final Program of Study has been approved and accepted by the Graduate School. Once the conditions for candidacy have been met, Doctoral students must submit an ‘Admission to Candidacy’ form (available from the Office of the Graduate School) to the Dean of the Graduate School with the comprehensive examination results.

 

A dissertation proposal defense is also required.  Ph.D. students may defend a research (dissertation) proposal once they have established a committee and have passed the written and oral comprehensive exams. The research proposal defense must be completed no later than 12 months after the successful completion of the written and oral comprehensive exam.

 

There is a statute of limitations of eight years for completion of a doctoral degree, and no credit will be received for courses taken over eight years earlier.

 

 

Graduate Committee

Students will select a graduate committee, with the help of the major professor; ideally by the end of their first semester.  The committee, of at least three members of the graduate faculty, serves to guide students through their courses of study and their research.  Each student is expected to maintain an active discourse with, and seek advice from, his or her committee.  Committee meetings should be scheduled by the student and/or their major professor as specific problems or accumulated research data demand. 

 

At the Master’s level, under the thesis track, the graduate committee will be formally designated a thesis committee by the Office of the Graduate School.  The thesis committee should consist of a minimum of three members of the MSU Graduate Faculty, of whom two must be members of the Department of Geosciences. One committee member may be from another department, if appropriate. If a minor (entailing at least 9 hours of current coursework in the minor field of study) is officially declared, then one committee member must be from the minor department. In addition to the three MSU members, a committee may also include a member from another institution provided that the individual submits a resume, through the department, to the Office of the Graduate School to determine graduate faculty eligibility as adjunct faculty under MSU guidelines.  (Although not expected to participate in committee meetings, the outside member should be thoroughly involved in the progress of the respective student's thesis research and writing.)  Outside faculty members may instead be asked to serve as "readers" who impart guidance to students' research yet carry neither official status nor formal obligations.           

 

Under the non‑thesis Master’s track, the graduate committee will function similarly. The committee should consist of three members of the MSU graduate faculty, including at least two from the Department of Geosciences.  One committee member may be from another department if deemed appropriate for the student's program of study.   As with a formal thesis committee, external faculty members or "readers" may be invited to lend their expertise to the student's area of emphasis. 

 

At the Doctoral level, the committee will be chaired by a full member of the graduate faculty from the major field of study. The committee will include at least three other members, two of whom must be from the major field. If a minor (entailing at least 12 hours of current coursework in the minor field of study) is officially declared, then one committee member must be from the minor department. The major professor and at least half of the committee must hold academic positions and be employees of Mississippi State University. Exceptions to this rule can be approved by the Dean of the Graduate School.

 

 

Thesis/Dissertation Proposal

A formal, typed thesis/dissertation proposal is required of all Masters-level students on the thesis track and all Doctoral candidates. The proposal should be written in thesis/dissertation format and available to be viewed by all interested faculty no later than one week prior to the anticipated proposal defense date, which is to be advertised department-wide and presented orally before the graduate committee (in open session).

 

For a Master’s student, the proposal defense is to be scheduled after thorough review of the proposal by the student’s committee and prior to the end of the second semester of residency. Under extenuating circumstances, such as non‑Geoscience graduate students doing remedial course work or funding of a research grant, the thesis proposal may be postponed. It is essential, however, that the thesis proposal be presented before extensive fieldwork and/or data analyses are conducted, so the graduate committee can make significant comments to ensure that the student is on the right track.

 

Ph.D. students may defend a dissertation research proposal once they have established a committee and have passed the written and oral comprehensive exam. The research proposal defense must be completed no later than 12 months after the successful completion of the written and oral comprehensive exam.

 

Based upon committee members' suggestions, students are expected to make appropriate modifications to their thesis/dissertation proposals and circulate the amended document to the committee members for approval signatures.  A final, signed copy must be filed in the student’s permanent record.   

 

Typically, a proposal contains:

1) Statement of the Problem, which introduces the purpose of the investigation

2) Statement of Need, in which the importance of the study to the Geosciences is justified

3) Literature Review, in which a review of previous investigations pertaining to the subject and region of study is outlined

4) Method of Study, in which all methods to be utilized in conducting the thesis research (e.g. field techniques, laboratory techniques, statistical manipulations, etc.) will be thoroughly described

5) Expected Results, which may be stated descriptively or in a hypothesis proved/hypothesis disproved format

6) References (Bibliography), in which all literary and graphic data sources are properly cited.  

 

The format of the thesis/dissertation proposal, however, just as the thesis/dissertation itself, will be determined by the major professor with the approval of the graduate committee. 

         

The style of referencing to be used‑‑throughout the text and within the bibliography‑‑should be acceptable to and approved by the major professor and the graduate committee. It is recommended that the selected format be one widely used in the area of emphasis within the Geosciences (e.g. GSA format for Geology, AAG format for Geography, or AMS for Meteorology) or one listed in popular style manuals (e.g. Turabian's A Manual for Writers, Fowler & Aaron's The Little, Brown Handbook, or The Chicago Manual of Style).  Also, the Guidelines for Preparing Dissertations and Theses issued by the MSU Office of the Graduate School (and available in the Geosciences main office) lists several reference styles. 

 

The thesis/dissertation proposal should be a "mini‑version" of the thesis/dissertation, and portions of the proposal should easily be placed verbatim into the final thesis.  Although it is ideal that students include an extensive literature review in the thesis/dissertation proposal, it is more important that students identify research problems, understand the need for further study, and have a methodological framework within which to proceed in the thesis/dissertation research.  Completion of a more thorough review of the literature may proceed following faculty acceptance of the thesis/dissertation proposal. 

 

Following the acceptance of the thesis/dissertation proposal by the student’s graduate committee, students will embark upon their research. Research may entail fieldwork, laboratory work, data analysis, and perhaps all three.

 

The thesis/dissertation proposal and the final thesis/dissertation defense are not to be conducted in the same semester.

 

 

Thesis/Dissertation and Defense 

Preparation and presentation of the thesis/dissertation proposal (as outlined in the previous section) will facilitate the production of the thesis/dissertation.  Thesis/dissertation sections should correspond with sections of the proposal, and detailed formats are outlined in the Guidelines for Preparing Dissertations and Theses issued by the MSU Office of the Graduate School.  Students should work closely with their major professors and graduate committee during the research and writing stages.

 

A minimum of six semester hours is assigned to the Master’s-level thesis research (GG 8000 or GR 8000, in any combination of hours), which will be graded on a satisfactory/unsatisfactory basis.  A grade of ‘U’ will be sufficient to cause dismissal from the Graduate program.

 

A minimum of 18 semester hours is assigned to the Doctoral dissertation research (GG 9000 or GR 9000, in any combination of hours), which will be graded on a satisfactory/unsatisfactory basis.  A grade of ‘U’ will be sufficient to cause dismissal from the Graduate program

 

According to the Graduate School Bulletin, a graduate student must show continuous enrollment, which may be taken to mean that a student must register for at least one hour of thesis research every semester, until he or she graduates (summer term registration is not required).

 

Upon completion of the thesis/dissertation, the major professor will thoroughly review the document for content and format of text and graphics, make appropriate suggestions for changes, and return the document to the student for revisions (normally more than once).  Copies of the revised thesis/dissertation‑‑with all formatting including figures in complete form‑‑are distributed to all members of the thesis/dissertation committee. The committee members should confer with the student on a one‑to‑one basis and go over the strengths and weaknesses of the document. If major problems are found, or if there is disagreement regarding any aspect of the document among committee members, a committee meeting MAY be necessary prior to scheduling a formal defense.  If the comments made on the thesis/dissertation by the individual committee members are relatively minor, the student should make the requested revisions. 

 

When the entire thesis/dissertation committee is in agreement, a date for the formal defense is set.  The student is expected to bring to the defense one copy of the thesis/dissertation in "near-final" form (including all figures, tables, graphs, and photographs), ready for faculty signatures, but this requirement is at the discretion of the committee. Students must be aware of, and adhere to, the deadline dates established each semester by the Office of the Graduate School, College of Arts and Sciences, and the Library in addition to the departmental deadline dates if they wish to graduate on time. 

 

The thesis/dissertation defense will be announced two weeks prior to the event and appropriate paperwork must be filed with the Office of the Graduate School.  The defense will be conducted in an open forum presided over by the major professor.  The graduate committee, other faculty members, and both graduate and undergraduate students will be present. External committee members who cannot be in attendance should approve the thesis/dissertation prior to the defense date. 

 

In the thesis/dissertation defense, students will give a presentation highlighting the various components and results of their research, which may last one half hour.  After the presentation, students will entertain questions from the audience--initially students and later, in closed session, the graduate faculty. 

 

The closed session will also function as an oral comprehensive exam for Master’s students in which competence should be demonstrated both in the area of emphasis within the geosciences as well as an ability to relate this competence to allied sub-fields.  Successful presentation of the thesis research results and demonstration of competence in the student's area of emphasis in the geosciences will be acknowledged by faculty signatures on the thesis signature page and on the comprehensive exam signature page, respectively. 

 

Following approval of the thesis/dissertation by the Office of the Graduate School, students should supply one copy to the department library, and copies to committee members who request them. Electronic submission is now available.

 

In addition to thesis and dissertation defenses, occasional department seminars will be presented during the academic year and will be scheduled so as not to conflict with other required courses. The seminars will also function as a forum for faculty and visiting scholars to discuss recent research activities.  All graduate students are expected to attend.

         

 

 

Petitions

Written petitions to the graduate faculty for student timeline extensions on any departmental graduate requirement can be made by the student through their faculty mentor. Cases for such extensions may be based upon life-changing events that may interfere with the student's ability to meet degree deadline requirements.

 

The petition is to be approved by a majority vote of the graduate faculty. When a petition is approved, a new and reasonable timeline for completion of the departmental graduate requirements will be set by the student’s graduate committee, based upon the special circumstances of the individual student's case.