Geology—MS, PhD

You always leave no stone unturned, and Michigan Tech’s Department of Geology can take you from Alaska to New Zealand and back to the lab in search of answers. Research areas range from volcanology to hydrology, seismology to mineralogy, or atmospheric science. Are you ready?

Our Accelerated Master's Program is available for current Michigan Tech students.

Program Overview

Research activities in the master's or doctorate program in geology span fundamental and precise laboratory studies of rocks and minerals to field studies in remote and rugged locations to high-performance computing of climate and natural hazards using remotely sensed data. Current studies include characterizing the hydrology of melting glaciers in Alaska, Svalbard, and Nepal, landslide and flood hazards in El Salvador, and transport and observation of atmospheric pollutants in remote locations like Greenland and the Azores.

  • Delivery Options

    • Accelerated: MS
    • On-Campus: MS

Geology Program Details

Choose a specific degree option or delivery type to learn more about the geology program at Michigan Tech. For international students, Geology is a designated STEM program.

On-Campus Programs

Additional Program Information

Want to learn more about geology at Michigan Tech? Visit the department for more information:

Contact

Graduate Director

Luke Bowman

Graduate Assistant

Brittany Buschell

 

Sample Areas of Interest

Select areas of interest to help customize your geology MS and PhD. Sample areas include:

  • Economic Geology/Petrology/Geochemistry
  • Geomorphology
  • Groundwater/Hydrology
  • Karst Hydrology and Geology

View full listing for this program

Application Process and Admissions Requirements

Applications are reviewed on an individual basis using a holistic approach. Fill out our free graduate application online to apply to any of our programs. Official transcripts and scores are not required for the initial application, although you will need to upload them later.

Accredited by HLC

Michigan Tech has been accredited by the Higher Learning Commission (HLC) since 1928. Our Graduate School offers over 125 certificates, master's, and PhD programs to provide our students and the world with what tomorrow needs.

Who You'll Work With

Our faculty study seismic source mechanisms of tectonic and volcanic earthquakes, or use satellite measurements to constrain global volcanic SO2 production and emissions from individual volcanoes. They research long-term evolution of Earth's magnetic field in relation to geodynamo mechanisms, quantification of CO2 from diffuse degassing at large, caldera-forming volcanoes, and structure and tectonics of the Midcontinent Rift System and more. 

Where You'll Work

Specialized labs include the Laboratory for Atmospheric Remote Sensing, the Subsurface Visualization Laboratory, and others including the Seismology and Petrophysics Laboratory, the Earthquake Seismology Laboratory, the Hydrogeology Laboratory, and the Earth Magnetism Laboratory. Michigan Tech sits in the Keweenaw Peninsula, a geologically-rich area, but your work can take you anywhere in the world.

Faculty Spotlight

John Gierke

John Gierke

Professor, Geological and Mining Engineering Sciences

"Understanding earth systems are vital to locate and develop natural resources and mitigate natural hazards."

Satellite, airborne, and ground- based technologies are rapidly evolving to enhance our abilities to characterize and understand earth landscapes and underlying geologic systems, water bodies, and the atmosphere. Strategies to mitigate for natural hazards, explore for and develop natural resources, and forecast human and natural impacts are also evolving as we grow our understanding of earth systems.

Program Faculty