The School of the Earth, Ocean & Environment offers the Ph.D. and the M.S. in geological sciences or marine science; the Master of Earth and Environmental Resources Management (MEERM) degree; and dual MEERM and Juris Doctor degrees in collaboration with the USC School of Law. The latter is a streamlined program for students seeking both the master’s and law degree.
Admission
Admission to the program of graduate study in geological sciences is obtained by application to The Graduate School. Requirements are satisfactory scores on the GRE (normally a minimum total verbal and quantitative GRE score of 1000), with a minimum quantitative score of 550. GRE scores expire after 5 years. However, for admission to the PhD program, students will not be required to retake the GRE if: 1) they have taken the exam and received a minimum total verbal and quantitative score of 1000, with a minimum quantitative score of 550, and 2) they have a Master of Science Degree from an accredited U.S. institution with an undergraduate GPA of 3.00 or higher, and 3) recommendations from qualified referees. Applicants whose native language is not English are also required to submit a satisfactory score on the TOEFL or the IELTS Intl. Academic Course Type 2 exam. The minimum acceptable score on the TOEFL is 80 (internet-based). The minimum acceptable overall band score on the IELTS Intl. Academic Course Type 2 exam is 6.5. The Department of Geological Sciences does not have a specific set of required undergraduate courses but bases its admission mainly on demonstrated ability to do academic work and interest in the field of earth and ocean sciences. Questions concerning admission should be submitted to the director of graduate studies in geological sciences.