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Requirements
The MS degree requires 30 semester credits. A minimum of two of
these credits are assigned for research related to the student's
assignment with Peace Corps. Up to seven credits (GE5994, International
GeoSciences Practicum) are used while a student is overseas working
as a Peace Corps volunteer. Students are considered full-time graduate
students while concurrently serving as Peace Corps Volunteers and
Michigan Tech pays for the credits while students are enrolled in
Peace Corps Service. This leaves a student with 20-26 (usually 21-24)
credits of coursework that they should complete prior to leaving
for their Peace Corps assignment.
Our curricula are
designed to enable students to participate with a considerable variety
of backgrounds, as we believe this diversity is desirable. Candidates
will be able to select one of four different MS degrees (Geology,
Geological Engineering, Geophysics, or Civil Engineering) depending
on their background and research objectives. The requirements reflect
expected coursework requirements for students in undergraduate degree
programs. Students may elect to do either a thesis (6-10 credits)
or report (2-6 credits) for their field projects. In either case students
must return to Houghton after their field assignment for a defense,
but the thesis option would require a semester on-campus after the
field assignment. 30 course credits total are required, with no more
than 12 credits being 3000 or 4000 level. Two credits of a 2000 level
language class are permitted as well.
Students in
geological engineering,
geology or geophysics must take or demonstrate from a previous
degree or work experience that they have background in geosciences
which includes upper division classes global geophysics (GE 4500),
Natural Hazards (GE 4150) Hydrogeology (GE 3850 or CE 3610) and
field geology (GE 3910). Students in civil
engineering working on hyrdological hazards must take or demonstrate
classes in hydrology (CE 3610), open channel flow (CE 4620) and
remote sensing/GIS (FW 3540 or PH 3600). Students in Civil
Engineering working on seismic hazards must take or demonstrate
classes in Geotechnical Engineering (CE 3810) and Structural Analysis
and Design (CE 2201,3201, 4211 & 4221).
In addition, we will require that students take a 2-credit Independent
Study class
in Intercultural Communication of Hazards (GE5001) for the purpose of
preparing students in their volunteer assignment, teaching them about
Latin American culture and daily life, the perception of risk and
hazards in Latin American cultures, realities of available technology in
host countries, available resources in developing countries, and other
practical issues.
To prepare for their assignment with the Peace Corps, students must
take a class in
rural community
development analysis and planning (FW5770, 2 credits). This
course is taken along with Forestry and
Civil/Environmental Engineering MI
students and some of the professors are former Peace
Corps volunteers.
Students can
also apply up to 2 credits of Spanish to their MS degree. Skills
in Spanish are vital to success in the countries targeted in this
program, so students are advised that they should enter the program
with some Spanish skills.
Students take the remainder of the graduate coursework (7-16 credits)
in areas
related to their professional interests (geophysics,
remote sensing, water
resources, seismology, hydrogeology, slope stability). These
classes are meant to prepare the students for their volunteer assignments,
and selection will be done under the direction of the student's
graduate committee and reflect the nature of the assignment and
the student's background. A specialization on some type of natural
hazard is part of the decision. A variety of classes in both GMES
and CEE departments compose the list of technical elective accessible
to the students, but they will also be encouraged to use the whole
university course offerings to build the best focused technical
program possible.
In addition,
during the school year, MI students meet informally with returned
Peace Corps volunteers to discuss issues related to their Peace
Corps assignments.
Graduate Course
Descriptions:
Details
of degree programs in geology, geological engineering and
geophysics
Details of degree programs in civil engineering
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