General Outline For A Two-Year Graduate Program

FIRST YEAR

• Application and admission to graduate school
• Read UMD general bulletin and information sheet
  During first week 3. Meet with your advisor, meet the Director of Graduate Studies
  of 1st semester 4. Initial registration
• Course work, including Professional Issues
• Formulate a research project and begin background work necessary to write a thesis proposal; begin writing your thesis research proposal
• With help form your advisor put together a degree program; file a copy with the DGS for Department Faculty approval, at least 2 weeks before finals week. Make sure that your faculty advisor has signed the form

During 2nd semester

• If you have not already done so, finalize your thesis examination committee
  
• Make any necessary changes to your degree program; file a department approved degree program form with the Graduate School
• Become a certified candidate for M.S. degree at which time your committee becomes official
• Continuing course work
• Complete your thesis research proposal; submit to your advisor, and once approved, to your committee
• Defend your thesis research proposal in a closed oral exam

SECOND YEAR

• Provide a Thesis Progress Report to your committee
• More course work
• Thesis research (field and lab work; Plan A)
• Thesis writing; communicate with your advisor! (Plan A)
• Register thesis with Graduate School Office (Plan A)
• Certification of thesis by Thesis Examining Committee
• Present thesis research in a public oral presentation
• Meet with committee for final (closed) exam, immediately following public presentation
• File completed thesis with Graduate School and Department (Plan A)
• Graduation

Admission and Orientation

Admission, Degree Programs and Deficiencies

You have been admitted to the Graduate School of the University of Minnesota to undertake a Master of Science degree program. This degree may be taken under Plan A (14 credits (plus 1 for Professional Issues) in the major field plus 6 credits in related fields or as a designated minor, with a thesis), or Plan B (30 credits, including at least 14 credits in the major and 5 credits in related fields with projects). Almost all our students have taken Plan A.

Our graduate degree program is designed to be completed in two years even if students hold graduate assistantships. Such timing necessitates careful course planning from the onset and assumes you have no major academic deficiencies at the time of admission (discussed below).

Generally, Master’s degree candidates are expected to have the equivalent of our B.S. major in geology (see UMD Catalog). Minor undergraduate deficiencies in geology may be made up by taking a course for credit or as an auditor, or by studying the material yourself. This is determined by agreement with your advisor, taking your individual program into consideration.

Major undergraduate deficiencies in geology or deficiencies in the basic science requirements (college chemistry, physics and mathematics through calculus) must be made up by course work, and must be taken for credit. Students with a substantial number of deficiencies will generally require more than two years to complete the M.S. program.

Advisor Selection

Typically students come to UMD with plans to work with a particular faculty member as her/his advisor. If you do not have an advisor in mind, then the DGS serves as your advisor until you determine the direction of your graduate program, and you identify an appropriate advisor (hopefully during your first semester in residence).

Use your advisor! In addition to seeking his/her advice regarding planning of your program, you should meet with your advisor several times each semester to review your program and your progress. You, not your advisor, should initiate such conferences.

Academic Programs and Candidacy

Thesis Examination Committee (Plan A)

You should settle on a research problem during your first semester in residence (you must do so before the end of your first full year in residence). Once you have determined a research problem, you and your advisor should meet to select a thesis examination committee. The committee should consist of at least three (standard) members, including your advisor as chair. Your committee should compliment your thesis research; your committee is meant to be useful! One committee member comes from the related fields or minor area—this person should hold a faculty (or rarely, staff) position outside the Department; they must have graduate faculty status. At least one of your committee members must be a full-time (i.e. not adjunct) Department Faculty member. Your advisor (chair of your thesis committee) can, however, be an adjunct Department Faculty member.

It is up to you to ask a faculty member to serve as your advisor or on your thesis examination committee. You should notify the Director of Graduate Studies in writing as to the personnel requested for your committee.

Bench Marks

There are several benchmarks in work toward the MS degree.

Fall Semester #1: a) pick advisor, research problem, thesis exam committed; b) submit Degree Program Form for Department Faculty approval.

Spring Semester #1: a) Submit a written research proposal to your thesis examination committee two weeks before meeting with your committee and; b) successfully defend your proposal to your thesis examination. c) File your degree program with the graduate school for approval by the Dean of the Graduate School. (You can file your Degree Program Form sooner, but once filed you must petition for change). Once the form is accepted and approved by the graduate school, you officially become a degree candidate for the M.S. degree. Note that both your advisor and the DGS must sign the form before it is submitted to the graduate school.

Summer: This is a great time to really sink you teeth into your thesis research.

Fall Semester #2: a) Write a thesis update that outlines your problem and presents a brief overview of your proposed research, as well as an up-date of current progress;

Spring Semester #2: a) Submit your completed thesis to your advisor and your committee; b) after advisor and committee approval set a date to defend your thesis; c) present public defense of your thesis research; d) file necessary paper work to the graduate school so that you can officially graduate and receive your degree.

It is probably useful to begin writing your thesis proposal during Fall Semester #1 so that you can have a good start on it when various research grant deadline come up—generally in earliest January or February at the latest.

Degree Program Form / Formal Course Program (Degree Program Form)
The purpose of this form is to put together a logical, doable, focused program that moves you toward your goals, an M.S. Degree in Geological Science. All Degree Program Forms must be submitted to the DGS two weeks before the start of finals week during your first semester. Be sure to have your advisor sign the form prior to submitting it to the DGS. The Degree Program Forms are reviewed individually, but collectively, by the entire Department Graduate Faculty at the end of Fall Semester or the beginning of Spring Semester. Any change to your degree program, required for Department approval, is communicated to you by your faculty advisor. You are responsible to make any required changes.

Upon completion of at least half of the coursework required for your specific degree, you must submit the form (the content being previously approved by the Department Faculty), signed by your advisor, to the DGS. The DGS will then submit your Degree Program Form to Renae Faunce (gmcmte@umn.edu) for Graduate School review/approval. Upon receiving approval of your program, you officially become a candidate for the M.S. degree. In addition, your thesis examination committee is officially appointed.

Once approved, your academic program and thesis title may be amended, should the necessity arise. You may take any course not listed on your program, but you must take all courses listed. In the event that you need to change your committee members and/or the courses in your program, you must complete and return a petition to the UMD Graduate Office. You will not be allowed to defend your thesis research until this is approved. This can take 3 or 4 weeks; the Graduate School on the Twin Cities campus grants final approval.

Oral Defense of the Thesis Proposal

Students pursuing the Master of Science degree in the Department of Geological Sciences are required to write a formal proposal describing their thesis research, and to defend the proposal in an oral exam conducted by their thesis examination committee. The proposal should elucidate the scope, significance, and nature of the proposed research, describe in detail the research methodology, and provide an approximate timeline for completion. A target length for the proposal is ten pages, 1 inch margins, single-spaced 12-point font text, excluding figures, figure captions, and references. The student will meet with his/her committee to clarify details of the proposal structure. Copies of the proposal must be submitted to each committee member a minimum of two weeks prior to the scheduled oral examination. The exam, which is closed to the public, must be completed by the end of spring semester in the student’s first academic year. If a student starts during spring semester the exam must be taken during or before the following fall semester. Possible outcomes of the exam are pass, pass with reservation, and fail. Students failing the exam may be dropped from the graduate program.

Interview for Continuing Students

All continuing students should schedule a meeting with their advisor early in the fall to assess their specific program and progress.

The Thesis

As a candidate for the Plan A Master’s degree, you complete a thesis on some aspect of earth or planetary science. Students are responsible to coordinate research activities and summer employment, which can constitute a very real time constraint. We encourage students to seek outside funding sources for research support early in the academic year. As with other issues, talk to your advisor for ideas and possible direction.

Putting a thesis together is costly so be prepared and do not hesitate to consult frequently with your advisor regarding progress on your thesis work. You do not want to suddenly submit a ‘completed’ thesis to your advisor, because he/she might be not accept it. On-going communication is key.

In addition to the written document, your thesis must be presented orally to the Department as a seminar immediately before your formal defense (also known as the Master’s Oral exam). We also encourage you to present your thesis, or part of it, at a professional meeting.

Master's Oral Exam

Once your advisor and committee members have read your thesis and agree that it is ready for defense, you need to set up an oral exam with your advisor and your committee. It is your responsibility to find an appropriate meeting time. The exam consists of an oral presentation of your research work, which is open to the public, and a closed oral exam by committee members, which immediately follows the oral presentation.

These are the steps you need to take when you are ready to take your Master’s oral exam.

1. After your advisor has read the thesis, and with your advisor’s approval, give the thesis to your committee to read. This must be done at least 2 weeks before the day of your defense. Your committee must agree that the thesis is ready for defense.
2. The student needs to contact Amber Knapp at <gsmast@umn.edu> or (612) 625-4019 in the Twin Cities at least one week prior to the examination to ensure that the forms can be prepared and delivered to UMD by US mail before the examination date. The student and/or advisor is responsible for bringing the forms to the final examination.
3. Make sure that the appropriate room is reserved at the right time. Make sure it is large enough to accommodate the faculty and graduate students.
4. Make sure that you give one week advance notice of the exam to all geology faculty and students. Do this in the form of a flyer or e-mail.
5. After your oral exam, the reviewers’ report form and the signed examination report form should be given to Laura Chapin. She will make copies for our files and mail forms back to Amber Knapp in the Twin Cities.

Preparing the Master's Thesis/Project

You are expected to supply 5-unbound copies of your thesis: three for the graduate school, one for your advisor, and one for the department. Thesis preparation specifications are listed/provided on the graduate school website. Four copies of your thesis (Graduate School [3] and Department [1]) must be printed on at least 20-pound weight, 75-10% cotton rag content (watermark indicates the cotton content), 8 1/2 x 11 inch paper. These copies need to be able to withstand time and circulation, which can involve a lot of wear and tear. The copy for your advisor may be on standard white copy or printer paper. You must also supply the Department with an electronic copy of your final thesis on a CD (in pdf format)

The department will pay for the binding of the department’s and the advisor’s copies.

Apply to Graduate

Teaching Assistant Evaluations

When you T.A. a lab/class, you are required to have your students do course evaluations at the end of the semester. Ask the professor you are T.A.ing for to explain the procedure to you. Evaluations should be done during your second to last lab, or the second to last week of classes if your course does not have a lab.