Admission Requirements

(Requirements in addition to Graduate School admission requirements)

It is the policy of the Department to provide equal opportunities to all students regardless of race, creed, color, sex, or national origin. The Department requires applicants to demonstrate evidence of suitability for the program.

All applications for admission are reviewed by the Earth Sciences Graduate Committee. The Department admits applicants on a competitive basis as space in the program allows.

• Grade Point Average (GPA): The Department expects an overall GPA of at least 3.0. However, exceptions may be made if the other elements of the application are strong.
   
• Letters of Recommendation: Three letters of reference are required. Letters from college or university teachers who have worked with and/or taught applicants are preferred. These letters are evaluated on the basis of how well the applicant is suited in terms of intellect, preparation, maturity, and motivation to perform graduate work.
   
• Personal Essays: Applicants must write a personal essay which directly addresses reasons for the desire to conduct graduate work in Earth Sciences as well as the desire to participate in the M.S. program at UNC Charlotte. Applicants should comment on their expectations regarding the benefits of an M.S. in Earth Sciences and how the program at UNC Charlotte fits their career and/or professional goals and how they would benefit from and contribute to the M.S. in Earth Sciences at UNC Charlotte. Lastly, applicants should identify at least three (3) potential advisors with whom they would like to work, and why those advisors would be ideal. Applicants are encouraged to contact potential advisors prior to submitting their application. The essay is very important in determining the applicant’s commitment to graduate education and to a professional career in earth sciences or a related field. Careful preparation of the essay is time well spent.
   
• Scores on the Graduate Record Exam (GRE): In general the Department expects applicants to score above the 50^th percentile on each exam section with minimum scores of 300 on the combined verbal and quantitative portions (equivalent to a minimum combined score of 1000 if taken before 2011). Lower scores will not automatically exclude applicants if the remainder of the applicant’s file is strong.
   
• Transcripts of College Coursework: The transcripts are evaluated on the basis of performance across a range of earth and environmental sciences, physical sciences, and mathematics courses in order to determine the applicant’s preparation for graduate level coursework.
   
• Additional Requirements for International Applicants: Scores on the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) Exam: International applicants whose native language is not English must earn a total score of at least 83 (Internet-based) or 557 (paper-based) on the Test of English as a Foreign Language Exam.  This requirement does not apply to U.S. citizens or native English speakers.

Early Entry Program

Exceptional undergraduate students at UNC Charlotte may apply for the Early Entry Program and begin work toward the graduate degree before completion of the baccalaureate degree.  See the Undergraduate Catalog for details and requirements.  Also see the Degree Requirements and Academic Policies  section of the Graduate Catalog for more information about Early Entry Programs.

Additional Prerequisite Requirements

(Minimum requirements in addition to those enforced by the Graduate School)

All prospective graduate students must demonstrate competence in undergraduate subject matter in their area of study. While the department does not require that applicants have a degree in Earth Sciences, prospective graduate students should provide evidence that they are prepared to immediately take full advantage of graduate level coursework in geology, hydrology, atmospheric science, environmental science, remote sensing, or geospatial analysis.

Students applying to the program should, at a minimum, be familiar with the concepts and materials offered in courses such as: Introductory Physical Geography or Physical Geology, Introductory Chemistry, Introductory Physics, and calculus-based Mathematics. These courses or their equivalents are required for admission to the UNC Charlotte M.S. in Earth Sciences program.

All decisions concerning the equivalency of courses in an applicant’s transcript to those listed as minimum requirements for entry in the M.S. in Earth Sciences are the responsibility of the Graduate Committee and the Department Chair.

Degree Requirements

The program requires a minimum of 36 credit hours of graduate coursework.  The 36 credit hour minimum includes 2 credit hours of ESCI 6600 , at least 9 credit hours of ESCI 6900 , and at least 9 credit hours of 5000- or 6000-level course credits exclusive of ESCI 5800, ESCI 6800, GEOL 6800, and GEOG 6800.  The total degree hours must consist of at least 18 credit hours at the 6000 level, including ESCI 6600  and ESCI 6900 . NOTE: Additional credit hours of ESCI 6900  beyond the required 9 credit hours may be applied.

Degree Total = 36 Credit Hours

Grade Requirements

Students are expected to achieve grades of A or B in all coursework taken for graduate credit and must have at least an average of B (3.0) in order to graduate.  An accumulation of more than two grades of C results in suspension of the student’s enrollment in the graduate program.  A grade of U results in the immediate suspension of the student’s enrollment in the graduate program.  Readmission to the program requires approval of the Graduate Program Director, Department Chair, and Dean of the Graduate School.

Transfer Credit

Up to 6 graduate credit hours may be accepted as transfer credit.  Only courses with grades of A or B earned at an accredited university are eligible.  Transfer credits are not automatic and require the approval of the Graduate Program Director and the Graduate School.  The amount of transfer credit may not exceed the limit set by the Graduate School (6 credit hours).

Advising

A student’s advisor guides the student through the design and implementation of a program of study and research tailored to the student’s specific needs and career goals. The advisor generally is available to the student for advice on academic and other problems. An advisor is assigned by the Graduate Program Director to each student at the time of their admission into the program. Every effort is made to match students with advisors who have similar research interests. Students may change advisors by obtaining advanced permission from the faculty member (i.e., the new advisor) with whom they wish to work. No student will be allowed to register for courses without permission of his/her advisor.

Assistantships

Assistantships are much like a part-time job for the student. As we try to find work settings that fit the student’s academic interest, these assistantships can also offer valuable training opportunities and work experience.  The nature of a research assistantship depends entirely on the needs of the department or supervising faculty member.  Teaching assistantships are assigned on the basis of the student’s academic background.

Graduate assistantships are arranged for either one entire semester or for an entire academic year (2 semesters or 9 months). They are normally scheduled for 16 weeks per semester and the student is expected to work 20 hours per week.  The department makes every effort to provide funding to every full-time student in the program.

Plan of Study

All students are required to formulate a complete plan for their M.S. before completion of the 2^nd semester for full-time students, or before the completion of 18 credit hours for part-time students. This plan includes at a minimum the names of the student’s research committee members, a plan of study for all coursework that will be completed during the degree, and at least one proposal presentation for ESCI 6900 . The plan of study must be approved by all committee members as well as the Earth Sciences Graduate Program Director, and serves as a guide to coursework and research while at UNC Charlotte.

Committees

All final research projects are evaluated by a faculty committee known as the research committee. Research committees must have a minimum of three members composed of the graduate faculty of the department or associated departments. Additional members are acceptable and in many cases outside members, other departments, or internship coordinators from off-campus agencies are advisable.

Graduate Coursework

The M.S. in Earth Sciences graduate program generally follows a traditional numbering scheme with 5000 and 6000 level courses. The 5000-level numbers identify courses that cover accepted bodies of knowledge within the earth sciences with the emphasis placed on mastery and critical assessment of the theoretical and empirical foundations within the discipline. The 6000-level courses are divisible into three categories. (1) The first category is the Earth Systems topic courses, wherein graduate students review and analyze the dominant current working hypotheses that drive contemporary research within conceptual areas such as geodynamics, global biogeochemical cycles, climate change, severe weather dynamics, or urban ecology. (2) The second 6000-level category is the common core seminar course, wherein graduate students discuss holistic themes and discipline-specific issues in the Earth Sciences over the course of two separate Fall semesters. (3) The third 6000-level category is the directed research courses which provide the framework for graduate students to complete the research requirements within the program and also identifies the area of concentration of the directed research.