Welcome to Graduate Studies in Geological Engineering and Sciences at MTU

The department of Geological Engineering and Sciences at Michigan Technological University (MTU) invites applications from high-quality, motivated students seeking MS and Ph.D. degrees in Geological Engineering, Geology, and Geophysics. The department's graduate programs are challenging yet flexible; they are designed to accommodate individual needs, background, and interests. Interdisciplinary study is also encouraged.
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Research Areas

The department Geological Engineering and Sciences has a wide variety of research strengths. These include:


• Subsurface Remediation and Contaminant Transport
• Basin/Regional Scale Hydrogeology/Hydrology
• Environmental/Aqueous Geochemistry
• Near Surface Geophysics
• Subsurface Visualization
• Seismic Petrophysics
• Stratigraphy and Basin Analysis
• Geochemistry and Ore Deposits
• Volcanology
• Atmosperic Remote Sensing
• Satellite Limnology
• Structure
• Paleomagnetism/Environmental Magnetism
• Mineralogy and Petrology
  
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Degrees Offered

The deparment currently offers MS degrees in geology, geological engineering, and geophysics and Ph.D. degrees in geology and geological engineering. Students in the department may also enroll in Ph.D. degrees in geotechnical engineering, environmental engineering, and sensing and signal processing engineering, which are interdisciplinary programs through the College of Engineering. We tailor individualized programs of study for MS and Ph.D. candidates based on their interests and experience, and our current course offerings and research interests. A critical factor in admitting students into the Ph.D. program is that there be a specific faculty member interested in each potential student, and the interested faulty member has research funds available to support the student. Successfully completing a Ph.D. degree is a long process involving close and extensive interaction with a faculty member (or members). We try to match students and faculty as carefully as possible, as this results in the maximum educational benefits for the students and insures completion of the degree in a reasonable amount of time. For students with a M.S. degree, a period of three years is usually required for completion of a Ph.D. Degree. Students entering a Ph.D. program with a B.S. can expect to take four to five years to complete their degree, depending largely on the number of courses taken in their first two years here.
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Facilities

Our department is housed in the new DOW Environmental Sciences and Engineering building featuring world-class computer and analytical laboratory faciliites. Major research labs and institutes associated with the department include:


• Remote Sensing Institute
• Laboratory for Atmospheric Remote Sensing
  (featuring MTU's Volcanoes web page)
• Subsurface Remediation Laboratory
• Subsurface Visualization Laboratory
• Seismic Petrophysics Lab
• Environmental Magnetism Laboratory
  
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Location

MTU is located in the small town of Houghton in Michigan's Keweenaw Peninsula, on the south shore of Lake Superior. Hundreds of miles of rocky coastline surround the Keweenaw Peninsula and nearby Isle Royale National Park; both areas also feature a rugged topography unusual to the Midwest. The Keweenaw Peninsula, Isle Royale, and other areas in the Upper Peninsula are ideal for outdoor recreational pursuits, such as camping, fishing, canoeing, hunting, and cross-country and downhill skiing.
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Financial Aid

The Department offers a variety of student support through Research Assistanships, Fellowships, annd Graduate Teaching Assistantships which include a stipend and cover tuition. The Department makes every effort to see that graduate students receive funding throughout their tenure as long as they are making satisfactory progress toward their degree. Currently, the department has large research grants from DOE, NASA, EPA, and NSF that include funding for graduate research assistantships in contaminant hydrogeology and remediation, limnologic remote sensing, petroleum geology and geophysics, and volcanic/atmospheric remote sensing, especially at the Ph.D. level.
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Admission

For consideration to our program, we require a completed application, statement of purpose, the verbal/quantitative/analytical Graduate Record Exam (GRE) scores (the advanced geology or other specialty test is optional), as well as transcripts of your undergraduate/ graduate courses. A minimum of three letters of recommendation are required from faculty members or other professionals who are familiar with your background.The Graduate School also requires that international students take the TOEFL exam. Note that both the letters of recommendation and your written statement of purpose are very important in helping us evaluate your application.

Although we receive many inquiries and a considerable number of applications, the numbers and proportions of students from other countries in our program are very small. Most applications by international students are rejected because of low scores on GRE (verbal scores less than 50 percentile and math scores of less than 80 percentile) or TOEFL (less than 550) test. Most often, foreign applicants are not considered for departmental teaching asistantships but are considered for research assistantship if there is a match between an individual researcher's interest and those of the student. Most often, the majority of applicants who attend do so with support either from their own country's program of scholarship aid or with personal funds.
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Forms

We have made the following forms available for your convenience


• Michigan Technological University Graduate School
  Admission Procedures and Application Forms
  
  
• Letter of Recomendation for the Department of Geological
  Engineering and Science
  
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