Geology - Master's
Why Pursue a Master's Degree in Geology?
Geology is the study of the Earth as a physical system and as the foundation for all life on the planet. A graduate degree in Geology provides students with coursework and experience beyond the undergraduate degree to help them prepare for a professional career. The M.S. degree in Geology at Southern Miss allows students to focus on a range of topics while gaining experience with faculty members and conducting their own thesis research.
What Will I Learn?
Students in the M.S. program in Geology can take graduate courses in environmental geology, structural geology, petroleum geology, paleontology, and marine geology. Students who graduate with an M.S. in Geology are well prepared for a wide range of professions. Many of our alumni have gone on to pursue successful careers in the oil and gas industry, mining, resource management, and environmental analysis.
Geology faculty members at Southern Miss are active in a wide range of research areas, including surface and sub-surface Earth dynamics, tectonic processes, the history of life and its evolution, mineral resources, and environmental assessment. Graduate students have the opportunity to work closely with their faculty advisors and mentors on research projects. Additional research opportunities exist in the allied programs such as Geography, Ecology and Environmental Science.
The Dr. Richard L. Bowen Memorial Geology Annual Scholarship awards one scholarship each year to a Geology graduate student.
The Tellus Endowed Geology Scholarship awards one scholarship each year to a full-time Geology graduate student focusing on petroleum geology.
A Broad Graduate Foundation in Geology
Southern Miss Geology offers students a wide variety of courses and field experiences that will prepare them well in their post-graduate careers. Most courses contain lab and field components that reinforce their classroom learning. Geology faculty members represent all of the major sub-fields within the discipline and geology students can choose from a broad range of courses according to their interests.
Professional Licensure Disclosure
The B.S. and M.S. degrees in Geology, housed in the School of Biological, Environmental, and Earth Sciences at the University of Southern Mississippi are designed to prepare a student to sit for licensure in Mississippi. However, licensure is dependent upon fulfillment of additional post-graduation requirements. In compliance with the U.S. Department of Education regulations on professional licensure, the School of Biological, Environmental, and Earth Sciences is required to make the following disclosure with respect to professional licensure outside the state of Mississippi. The School cannot confirm whether a particular program meets requirements for professional licensure outside of the State of Mississippi. Please contact the applicable licensure board(s) in any state you may want to pursue licensure prior to beginning the academic program in order to determine whether the program meets licensure requirements. It is the student’s responsibility to confirm program eligibility for licensure in any state outside Mississippi. For more information about professional licensure in Geology, please contact: Dr. Frank Heitmuller (Franklin.HeitmullerFREEMississippi).
Availability
| Degree Plan | Availability |
|---|---|
| Geology MS | Hattiesburg |
- Petroleum Geology
- Environmental Geology
- Hydrology and Water Management
- Academic Research
- Engineering Geology
- Michael Rasmussen (M.S. Geology 2015)
Environmental Geologist; Haley and Aldrich; Cincinnati, Ohio
- Daniel Winkler (M.S. Geology 2017)
Naval Oceanographic Operations; Stennis Space Center, Mississippi
- Theresa Woehnker (M.S. Geology 2018)
Staff Geologist; Spectrum Environmental Services; Birmingham, Alabama