MSc in Geological Sciences in Boulder United States | University of Colorado Boulder

Students pursuing a master's degree in geological sciences can choose between Plan I (thesis track) or Plan II (coursework track). The Department of Geological Sciences generally does not accept students into coursework-only master's programs. Both options require a minimum of 30 credit hours, including 2 mandatory credit hours from the Introduction to Geological Sciences Faculty course. Up to 6 credit hours (for either plan) may be taken at the 3000 or 4000 level with faculty advisor and graduate affairs associate chair approval. The remaining 24 credit hours must be at the 5000 level or higher. These 24 credits include between 4-6 hours of GEOL 6950 (Plan I Master's Thesis) or exactly 3 credit hours of GEOL 6960 (Plan II Master's Research), both supervised by the advisory committee. Neither plan allows more than 6 Independent Study credit hours toward the total requirement.