President Stephen L. Weber - San Diego State University ...

verbal section and 520 in the quantitative section.
4. Have a minimum grade point average of 3.0 in any
courses taken as a postbaccalaureate student at San Diego
State University.
5. Applicants transferring to San Diego State University must
have two letters of reference submitted by individuals
familiar with their professional background. Letters should
be sent to the graduate adviser, Department of Geological
Sciences.
All student applications are evaluated competitively and no
fixed numerical standards automatically qualify or disqualify a
student for graduate study in the Department of Geological
Sciences. Students will be admitted on the basis of merit in relation
to space and faculty availability.
NOTE: Some students with bachelor’s degrees in geological
sciences may be admitted with postbaccalaureate standing for
one semester only during which time they must take senior-level
classes and earn at least a 3.0 grade point average and complete
any missing qualifications for graduate study (e.g. GRE scores).
Advancement to Candidacy
All students must satisfy the general requirements for
advancement to candidacy as stated in Part Two of this bulletin.
Specific Requirements for the Master of
Science Degree
(Major Code: 19141)
In addition to meeting the requirements for classified graduate
standing, the student must satisfy the basic requirements for the
master’s degree as described in Part Two of this bulletin. The student’s
graduate program must include 24 units of approved 600and
700-numbered courses in Geological Sciences to include
797 (3 units Cr/NC/SP), and 799A, Thesis (3 units Cr/NC/SP),
and six units of upper division or graduate electives approved by
the departmental adviser. With approval of the graduate adviser,
students specializing in geophysics or hydrogeology may include
18 units of approved 600-700 numbered courses and 12 units of
upper division graduate electives, with no more than 6 units of
upper division electives taken from courses in the Department of
Geological Sciences. Geological Sciences 306 and 508 or their
equivalent as approved by the graduate adviser, are required as
prerequisite to the program if they were not a part of the student’s
undergraduate work. The student is required to pass a final
oral examination on the thesis.
Section II.
Cooperative Master/Doctoral Program
The cooperating faculties of the Department of Geological
Sciences at San Diego State University and the Centro de Investigación
Científica y de Educación Superior de Ensenada
(CICESE) offer a program leading to the degrees of Master of
Science in Geological Sciences (SDSU) and the Doctor of Science
in Earth Sciences (CICESE). SDSU has one of the ten largest
master’s programs in geological sciences in the United States
and CICESE is an international research and teaching institution
federally chartered by Mexico and located in Ensenada, Baja California,
Mexico.
Geological Sciences
Graduates of the program will be uniquely qualified to seek
industrial, education, or research positions in a binational setting,
such as the petroleum industry, geotechnical industries, environmental
companies, and faculty appointments at colleges and universities.
All students admitted to the cooperative program must
achieve proficiency in English and Spanish before taking courses
at the respective institutions.
Admission to Cooperative Program
Applicants for admission to the cooperative program in earth
sciences offered by SDSU and CICESE must meet the general
requirements for admission to both universities with classified
graduate standing as outlined in the respective current bulletins.
There are no inflexible course requirements for entrance to graduate
study in this program, but a strong background in geological
sciences or a related field is essential. It is expected that all students
will have a broad knowledge of the geological sciences and
must demonstrate proficiency in computers, statistics, mathematics,
chemistry, physics, and biological sciences, appropriate
to their area of specialization. Admission to the program requires
acceptance by the graduate deans as recommended by the participating
departments at SDSU and CICESE. Applications from
outstanding students in majors other than earth sciences are
encouraged, but such students should expect to take additional
courses to remove deficiencies in their backgrounds. Applications
received prior to March 1 will be considered on a competitive
basis. Applications received after March 1 will be evaluated
as space permits.
Application. Students seeking admission to the cooperative
graduate program in earth sciences may write directly to the
Department of Geological Sciences, San Diego State University,
San Diego, CA 92182-1020 requesting applications materials.
A complete application must include the following:
The appropriate application form.
Transcripts of all academic work.
Quantitative, verbal, and analytical graduate record examination
(GRE) scores, or comparable information from the student’s
country of origin.
Three letters of recommendation.
A short essay describing the applicant’s purpose in seeking
the doctoral degree (written in English).
An undergraduate grade point average of 3.25 or higher for
the last 60 units taken or a graduate grade point average of 3.50.
For non-native English speakers, a TOEFL score of 550 or
higher is required.
An interview is recommended.
Specific Requirements
Residency Requirements. After formal admission to the
cooperative graduate program in earth sciences, the student may
take courses or work under the supervision of faculty at each of
the two schools utilizing on-site residency, van shuttles, and distance
learning technology. Typically the first year will be at
SDSU and the second at CICESE. All students must spend at
least one academic year in residence at each of the two campuses.
The definition of residence must be in accord with the regulations
of the Graduate Divisions of SDSU and CICESE.
Advisory Committee. Upon admission to the program, the
cooperative graduate program coordinators of the two institutions
will establish an advisory committee for each student. The
committee will consist of four faculty members, normally two but
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