The Geology & Geophysics Graduate Program

• Typically a 2 year program 
• At least 20 graduate level credit hours (5000, 6000, 7000)
• At least 10 credit hours of thesis research
• Complete Thesis w/Defense
• Maintain 3.0 GPA

• Typically a 2 year program 
• At least 20 graduate level credit hours in major area
• At least 10 graduate level redit hours in minor area
• Complete a 1 semester research project
• Maintain 3.0 GPA

Important to note:

1. M.E Students do not receive department funding.
2. When applying for the M.E program, students do not need to list 3 faculty of choice.

• a 3-5 year program
• You, your faculty advisor & committee will decide if you need to take any graduate level credit hours

• At least 12 credit hours of thesis research

• Pass PhD Qualifying Exam

• Complete Dissertation w/ Defense

• Maintain 3.0 GPA

• Typically a 5 year program
• At least 20 graduate level credit hours (5000, 6000, 7000)
• At least 12 credit hours of thesis research
• Pass PhD Qualifying Exam
• Complete Dissertation w/ Defense
• Maintain 3.0 GPA

Important to note:

1. Most student who don’t have their master’s yet and want to do Direct to PhD, don’t end up taking this route.
2. Instead, faculty will have a student start in a master’s program and then do a change in grad classification a year and a half into their program

Funding

• Once accepted into our program, our students are fully funded; meaning their general graduate tuition and mandatory fees are covered.
• Graduate students will receive funding through their participation as a Research Assistant, Teaching Assistant (TBP), or by receiving a fellowship. Students do not need to apply upfront for these. 
• Additional fees, such as differential fees or semester international fees, are not covered by this and it is the student’s responsibility to pay for these.
• International fees MAY be covered by a student’s faculty advisor, but that is a conversation the student needs to have with them each semester.

• Students will also get a ‘stipend’ or ‘allowance’. These are monthly payments if you are a research or teaching assistant and a 1 time semester payment if you are on a fellowship.

Visit this website for more information on the Tuition Benefit Program (TBP).

Health Insurance

All graduate students are eligible for health insurance through the university, at no additional cost. More information is available here.

International Students must meet U of U application deadlines and I-20 document deadlines.

• International Students & Scholar Services: The International Student & Scholar Services office serves as the primary campus contact for international students, scholars, and alumni. 
  • Email: international@utah.edu
• International Graduate Student Admissions
  • Email: iao@sa.utah.edu
• English Proficiency Requirements
• New F-1 & J-1 Students
• I-20 Certification

Search through our faculty directory and the research themes and program page to find out which of our academic or research faculty aligns with your research interests. (Note: The majority of our advising faculty are academic faculty.)

Prior to submitting an application, identify 3 potential advising faculty in our department.

Contact the faculty member(s) directly with the following information:

• Include your CV
• Briefly introduce yourself, your background, and any connections you may have to them.
• Briefly tell them about your experience and how your intrests are relevant to their research.
  • Do your research BEFORE sending an email. 
    • Know about their research and publications
    • Share what interests you about their work
    • Give specifics when referring to their work
• Inquire about openings on their current research project.

Important tips to follow:

• Be personalbe and use your own words.
• Be patient & understanding. If faculty don't respond to your emails, it is because they are busy teaching, doing research, and advising students. They receive a lot of prospective student requets and may not be adding new grads to their team. 
  • Do not send multiple emails!
  • If you don't hear from them, we recommend applying anyway. We encourage you to continue to reach out to prospective faculty prior to the application due date. Remember to include your top 3 faculty choices in your applciation, even if you haven't been in contact. 

Below is a list of materials you will need to complete the process.

• Academic Transcripts. A copy of your transcript from each college or university you have attended should be uploaded in the online application system. You can upload unofficial copies for your application; however, if you are selected for admission to the graduate program, official, sealed copies of transcripts from all colleges and universities attended should be sent at that time to the university admissions office. More information can be found here.
• English Proficiency Test Score (For international students only). 
  • Your official report does not have to be received by the Admissions Office by the application deadline. However, your application cannot advance until the Admissions Office receives your official report. 
• 3 Professional Letters of Reference. Names and contact information for three (3) references will be requested in Apply Yourself. At least three letters of professional references are required. The recommenders will be contacted by email and may upload their recommendations using the U of U's online system. It is your responsibility to make sure all three letters are submitted before the deadline. We highly recommend that you check in the system at least a week before the due date to see which ones are missing and then email that person directly to remind them of the deadline. Once the deadline has passed, no letters can be submitted. 
• CV or Resume
• Statement of Purpose. A two-page personal statement outlining your background, research interests (including possible faculty research advisors), goals, and reasons for applying to our graduate program.
• Faculty of Choice.
  • List 3 faculty advisors of choice (failure to list faculty advisor(s) may lesson your chance of being accepted into the program). 
• Writing Sample (Optional): There is an option to submit a writing sample. Writing samples could be a research paper, professional publication, etc.
• Payment. Credit card for application fee
  • Just because you paid, does not mean your application has been submitted. After you pay, there is an additional step you need to do in order to complete the process to submit your application. 
  • Application Wavier Code: Codes are granted through the graduate advisor pending faculty approval.

Once you have received an offer, we encourage you to apply for the EDGES Fellowship Program. Talk to your prospective faculty advisor before applying.

The EDGES fellowship program seeks to increase success for graduate students in STEM fields, to enrich the academic environment for the campus community, and to broaden the STEM workforce.

EDGES Fellows receive a monetary award (up to $10,000 per fellow) and participate in supported cohort-based activities. 

For more information, visit EDGES (Enhancing Diversity & Graduate Excellence in Science) Fellows.

• Master's Program Checklist
• PhD Program Checklist