Structure of Program

Course Schedule

A student may enroll in selected courses or complete the entire program for a Master of Science degree in Geosciences. An M.S. degree in Geosciences can be earned in as little as two years by taking two courses at a time, or one can extend the program over a longer period of time. The M.S. degree in Geosciences requires 36 semester hours with a program of study that consists of 12 courses.

All courses are offered on the semester schedule.  The Fall semester runs from mid-August to the end of November. The Spring semester runs from early January to the end of April, and the Summer semester is from mid-May through the end of July. Courses are only offered at specified times. For example, a new student beginning the program may only begin in the fall semester by taking one or both courses offered.

The first courses offered are Meteorology I and Geology I in the fall semester. In the Spring semester of the first year Meteorology II and Geology II are offered. Finally in the Summer semester of the first year, Climatology and Ocean Science are offered.

In the second year, Planetary Science and Environmental Geoscience are offered in the Fall semester. In the Spring semester of the second year, Hydrology and Research Methods are offered. Research Methods serves as preparation for the field courses, and requires a comprehensive understanding of the material taught in the program. Students will demonstrate specific geoscience principles through on-line and presentations. Instruction on the use of software required will be provided within the class. The program will conclude with a comprehensive final exam on the material presented within each core course.

The TIG program concludes with two capstone courses, the Local Field Methods course and an "on location" Field Methods course. In the Local Field Methods course, each student develops a "virtual" field course to demonstrate a comprehensive understanding of the geosciences as they relate to their local region.  To accomplish this, students design and present a one-week field course highlighting concepts from the TIG program.

The final requirement is the Field Methods course. This "on location" course is required of all students completing the TIG program. After completing the core TIG courses, each student will travel to their selected field course site (chosen from a list of pre-selected locations during the student’s final fall semester in the program) with approximately ten other TIG students and Mississippi State University professors to participate in planned, hands-on activities related to the earth science aspects of the area. 

NOTE: It is required of all students enrolling the BMP to have Internet access, email capability, and access to a DVD Player. Students will also need to download RealPlayer in order to watch streamed video.

Listed below is the course schedule for the TIG program. The courses are offered only during the semester under which they are listed

TIG FIRST YEAR

TIG SECOND YEAR

Policies and Procedures
We urge all students enrolled in the TIG program to familiarize themselves with the policies and procedures of Graduate Studies at MSU. The link to the 2008-2009 Graduate Bulletin is below:

http://www.grad.msstate.edu/pdf/bulletin.pdf

As a graduate student in the Department of Geosciences, you should be aware of the following:

• The Department of Geosciences allows graduate students to earn only two grades of "C" in the program. Any additional grade below a "B" will result in dismissal from the program and MSU
• The time limit on credits earned that can be accepted toward fulfilling degree requirements is 6 years
• A student may repeat only one course per degree. Both grades earned for that course will appear on your MSU transcript and will be calculated in to your cumulative GPA.  However, only the second grade will be used for the degree audit where one must have a 3.0 GPA to graduate
• To remain in good academic standing, students must maintain a GPA of 3.0. Students must complete all program requirements taken at MSU with a GPA of 3.0 or higher in order to be eligible for graduation

Written Comprehensive Exam

MSU policy requires that all M.S. degree students successfully pass a Written Comprehensive final exam.  This exam is given during mid to late May to all students who are expecting to graduate in August.  The exam must be proctored at a local college or university testing center and it contains questions pertaining to all of the core TIG courses. More details will be given to you in the spring term before taking the exam.

Progress Report Exam

Following the spring semester, all students in the first year of the program are required to take a Progress Report Exam. This exam contains questions from the courses that you have completed and are similar in format to what you will find on your written comprehensive exam. Each answer is graded pass/fail and specific feedback is provided for each response and on the exam as a whole.  Scores on the exam do not become part of the student’s academic record, and do not impact a student’s ability to continue in the program.  The purpose of the Progress Report is to provide each student with feedback on their level of understanding of key concepts from the program and to provide experience taking a test in the format of their written comprehensive exam.

Course Materials

Most of the courses require the purchase of textbooks. You may order these online from the MSU Bookstore. You may also print a book order form, and mail it to the MSU Bookstore with appropriate payment. Book order forms will be posted for registered students approximately six weeks before classes begin. Some instructors may require additional materials to be purchased such as rock kits and lab manuals. See the Textbooks section of this website for more information.

Taped lectures in the form of DVD's will be mailed to all students two weeks before the beginning of classes. Information regarding the access of online courses will also be included. All other materials such as exercise assignments, study guides, and exams will be delivered via the Internet using myCourses. MyCourses is a software program designed specifically for online learning.

NOTE: It is required of all students enrolling the Teachers in Geosciences program to have Internet access and email capability.

Instructors

In our quest to provide the best educational experience through distance learning, we have employed top quality instructors for our classes. All classes have instructors who are recognized experts in their field of study. Each instructor will be available for questions and discussion throughout each course. These instructors are real-life practitioners with advanced degrees who are executives in their area of specialization.