Master of Science [M.S] [Environmental Geosciences] From Michigan State University

The Department of Geological Sciences offers Master of Science and Doctor of Philosophy degrees in Geological Sciences and Environmental Geosciences.

We also offer specializations through the Environmental Toxicology Program and the Ecology, Evolutionary Biology and Behavior Program.

We welcome the application of motivated students to our Department at any time of the year. Research and teaching assistantships are available for highly qualified applicants and are awarded in fall of each year. In addition, several fellowships and scholarships provide additional financial support for summer stipends, research involvement by undergraduate students, conference travel, and research and field expenses.

The roles of geoscientists are to better understand Earth’s physical environment, predict likely outcomes of interacting Earth processes, identify and quantify natural resources for a sustainable planet, and understand the role of anthropogenic forces and societal choices that impact the Earth system. The ability to investigate processes over a wide range of spatial and temporal scales is central to the geoscience perspective. As a part of MSU's land grant philosophy, it is our mission to discover new knowledge, apply fundamental research insights to societal problems, and train the next generation of citizens, scholars, and policy makers.

Changes in the physical, chemical, and biological environment are natural phenomena that impact the earth and its systems from microscopic to global scales. These changes are evident in the geologic record, and their consequences affect the environment where life flourishes now and will continue to do so into the future. Geological scientists determine the history of natural change, what changes are possible, how and when they occur, the phenomena which attend them, and their results. Of particular concern is that many recent changes on Earth (e.g., pollution of soil, water, and air; disruption of global biogeochemical cycles; decreases in habitat diversity) are a direct or indirect consequence of human activities.