To Apply
Introduction
Course Information
Student Activity
Admission
Housing
The University
The City/Surrounding Area
Graduate Alumni/Alumnae

Introduction

The Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences offers both M.S. and Ph.D. programs. The moderate size of the department and low student/faculty ratio allow close personal interactions between the students and faculty. Students are encouraged to work closely with their advisors to design programs that fit their interests and goals. Research in the department is a healthy blend of field-oriented studies and laboratory research. Field research projects range from local problems in Appalachian geology, to problems in the Cordilleran mountain chain, and to areas as far afield as the Virgin Islands, Europe, India, China and Russia. Laboratory research is done both within the University, and on cooperative projects at other universities and at the U.S. Geological Survey.
M.S. students usually spend a year on course-work, followed by a year almost entirely on research.
Ph.D. students are expected to spend 3 to 5 semesters in intensive coursework (both within the department and in other departments) before taking their qualifying examinations. They are encouraged to start research as early as possible, and are expected to spend all their time on research during the third and fourth years. Both M.S. and Ph.D. students present an open, oral thesis defense.
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Course Information

A wide selection of upper level courses is available, with the individual student's program being determined by his or her field of interest.

The courses include:


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Student Activity

Graduate Students are encouraged to present their research in formal talks both within the department and at regional and national meetings. The department also has an outside speakers program that brings in speakers, particularly from other well-known institutions in the northeastern U.S. Such interactions with the geologic community allow the students and faculty to be involved in the latest developments in research.
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Admission

Admission to the graduate program in the Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences is determined on an individual basis. Students with various backgrounds in science and mathematics may be admitted. Normally, a student is expected to have basic training in geology, mathematics through calculus, and three semesters of chemistry, physics or biology, depending upon the area of specialization. Additional information may be requested by sending an e-mail message to grad_info@earth.rochester.edu

Applications for admission should include transcripts of all undergraduate and graduate work done at other institutions, letters of recommendation, and Graduate Record Examination scores. Foreign students should also submit TOEFL scores. Because of competition for admission and financial aid, applications should be submitted by February 1. 

Financial aid is available in the form of teaching and research assistantships and fellowships. Well qualified students may get additional support in the form of a university fellowships (e.g., Sproull fellowship ) and/or summer scholarships. Normally, Ph.D. students are supported for four years, and receive a full tuition scholarship. M.S. students are treated on an individual basis - many receive partial to full tuition waivers.


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Housing

A wide range of University housing is available for single and married students in areas adjoining River Campus. Accommodations include furnished and unfurnished apartments in University Park, Goler House, and Whipple Park. Additional, privately owned rental housing is available near campus, many within walking distance. Information about University housing may be obtained from: University Apartments Office University Towne House 1325 Mt. Hope Avenue Rochester, New York 14620, USA.


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The University

The University of Rochester is an independent, privately endowed university located in Rochester, New York. The university, founded in 1850, currently offers 90 different graduate programs in its seven colleges on four campuses. It has a teaching-research faculty of over 1,000, and an enrollment of about 6,500, with over 2,000 graduate students. The university combines high quality with medium size, allowing the close student-faculty interactions associated with smaller institutions, and the bustle and excitement of a large university.


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The City/Surrounding Area

Rochester, a city of 500,000, is situated on the south shore of Lake Ontario near the mouth of the Genesee River. It is the home of many high-tech companies such as Kodak, Xerox and Bausch & Lomb. The city has an excellent orchestra, the Rochester Philharmonic, and several chamber music groups. GEVA is the city's professional repertory theater. Internationally famous artists, ballet, opera and off-Broadway groups frequently come to the Eastman theater in the heart of Rochester's downtown cultural district. Also in downtown are the Memorial Art Gallery, the Margaret Woodbury Strong Museum, the Rochester Museum and Science Center, the Strasenburgh Planetarium, and the George Eastman House, an internationally renowned museum of photography (which also houses the best movie film collection in the world). The city also has professional baseball and hockey teams. Lake Ontario, the Finger Lakes, the Bristol Hills, the Adirondack Mountains, Niagara Falls, and the Genesee River Valley all make up the beautiful countryside of upstate New York. They provide excellent opportunities for hiking, camping, fishing, canoeing, sailing, skating, skiing, or casual excursions.

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Graduate Alumni/Alumnae

Alumni of the graduate program can be found all over the United States and throughout the world.  Click here for a list of past students and where they are now.

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