Geology Program Specialties

Geology Program Director: Peter Clark

The Geology Program's greatest strengths are in the areas of Petrology, Geomorphology, Hydrology and Paleoclimatology. Students who seek training in a combination of field and laboratory techniques applied a variety of scientific problems will find very few places with the number of opportunities or the variety of facilities that are available at Oregon State.

Geomorphology is the study of the processes that affect the earth’s surface. Our faculty are involved in research that ranges from how rivers interact with the landscape to how tectonic processes do. Faculty conducting research in this field include Meigs, Lancaster, Jones, Clark, and many others in other units across the university.

Hydrology and Hydrogeology are one of the fastest growing parts of our department. We have strong links to the Civil and Environmental Engineering, Crop and Soil Science, and Bioengineering Programs, collaborating with them on a number of new degrees in the study of water. Faculty who advise students in this field include Haggerty, Lancaster, Nolin, Wildenschild and Wolf.

Another area of strength in the department is in Paleoclimatology. This field combines research in the classical areas of geochemistry, geomorphology, and stratigraphy with elements of ocean and atmospheric sciences.  OSU has one of the largest groups of palecoclimate researchers on the west coast.  Faculty who conduct research in this field include E. Brook, P. Clark and S. Hostetler in Geosciences, and A. Mix, N. Pisias, A. Schmittner and J. Stoner in Marine Geology. We also work closely with the paleoclimate group at
the University of Oregon, led by P. Bartlein.

OSU has one of the greatest concentrations of faculty in the area of Petrology in the US. Their research covers the range from mantle melting to volcanic gases. Faculty who commonly supervise students in petrology include Bloomer, Dilles , Grunder, Kent , Nielsen, and in Marine Geology – Graham, Duncan, Fisk , Keller and Christie.

Our strong links to the Marine Geology Program in the College of Oceanic and Atmospheric Sciences provide us with a great deal of breadth in the geological sciences. Their programmatic strengths in sediment transport, coastal processes, ocean chemistry, and paired (with Geosciences) strengths in Paleoclimatology and Petrology make for one of the strongest combined Geoscience graduate programs in the country.

Equally important, faculty take an interest in their students as individuals with unique experiences, abilities, and aspirations. The quality of instruction is reflected in the students themselves, who normally publish their research and go on to successful careers whether in academia, government or industry.

Geology Program Graduate Degrees

Masters Degree

The candidate for the MS degree is required to complete approximately one year of full-time, graduate-level course work and a formal thesis written about the candidate's research. During the first year a research proposal must be completed. Thesis research and manuscript preparation can be completed in approximately 1-2 additional years. The major professor, thesis committee, the Director of the Geology Program and the departmental Graduate Committee monitor the candidate's progress. For detailed information about the program see the MS Geology Program Description.

Doctoral Degree

This degree is granted primarily for creative and scholarly achievements. It must satisfy the requirements of the Graduate School, as given in the Graduate Catalog and Schedule of Classes, and the Department of Geosciences Geology Program. Although there is no rigid credit requirement, the candidate must have the equivalent of at least three years of full-time graduate work beyond the BS/BA degree and a minimum of one full-time academic year devoted to the thesis. Students who will have had all their undergraduate and graduate education at OSU must obtain approval from the Graduate School for admission to the doctoral program. During the first year a research proposal must be completed. For more detailed information about the program see the PhD Geology Program Description.