The Department of Geology and Geophysics expects its graduate students to be self-motivated, conscientious, and professional, and to develop a broad interest in the Earth Sciences by reading current geological journals and attending departmental seminars and professional meetings.

Choice of Advisor: It is a condition for acceptance into the graduate programs that a faculty member agrees to accept a student as advisee. Students may change advisors at any time by obtaining the consent of the new advisor and notifying the old advisor and the Director of Graduate Studies. The Graduate Studies Committee will examine individual cases in the event that an advisor chooses to terminate an advisor-advisee relationship.

Course Program: You and your advisor are responsible for your course program. This program should be arranged in such a way that course work is completed as soon as possible.

Research Work: It is the your responsibility to formulate and focus your own research project(s). This should occur by discussion and mutual agreement with your advisor(s). You should become involved in research as soon as possible after entering the graduate program.

Satisfactory Progress: The term "satisfactory progress" includes, but is not limited to:

Before initial registration, you must meet with your advisor to determine which courses you will take. You will also discuss this plan when you and your advisor meet with the Graduate Studies Committee just before the start of Fall Semester 2003. For further details, please refer to section C below.

Graduate students with financial aid must be registered full-time, typically a minimum of 6 credits each semester. You will lose your benefits if you do not register. In addition, any student whose initial registration is completed after the deadline (for Fall 2003, after Sept 3) will pay a late fee.

After Fall 2003, the University will no longer supply printed copies of the semester Class Schedule. All course information will only be available on-line: http://onestop.umn.edu/registrar/registration/courses.html.

The two main ways in which you can register are via the web or in person.

In each of these meetings, the Graduate Studies Committee will give advice and directions as needed, to complement advice from your advisor, but it is ultimately your responsibility to fulfill all requirements as specified by the Graduate School and Department.

All students must have one year each of college calculus, physics, and chemistry. Those without this background must devise a plan, in consultation with their advisor and the Graduate Studies Committee, to make up these courses.

A field course of other advanced field experience is also required for incoming students. Students who have participated in extended "field" programs involving aspects other than classical geology, such as hydrogeology field practices, oceanographic cruises, or geophysical surveys, may ask the Graduate Studies Committee to consider these in place of the geology field course.

When making your initial course plan, consult course catalogs for the 2003-2004 year, the Graduate Catalogue to determine likely course offerings in 2004-2005, and sections II and III of this booklet for specific information related to the MS and Ph.D. programs respectively.
 

Once the Graduate School approves this program, any changes involve a formal petition through the Graduate School. At the same time, examining committees are also approved: for MS students, this is the final examining committee; for Ph.D. students this is the preliminary oral examining committee (details on committee selection in sections II and III respectively).

MS students should file the degree program after completing 10 credits and no later than the second semester of registration.

Ph.D. students should file the degree program in the first semester of the second year of study, the semester before the Preliminary Written Exam is taken. Ph.D. students entering the program with a Masters should file the degree program by the end of the first semester of study.
 

Change of Status/Readmission Application Form can be obtained at http://www.grad.umn.edu/Current_Students/forms/cos.pdf
 
 

An all-University Student Academic Grievance Policy exists to resolve "complaints brought by students regarding the University's provision of education and academic services affecting their role as students." Copies of the policy and information about its implementation are available from the Grievance Office, 658 Heller Hall, Twin Cities Campus (612-624-1030).
 

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At least one member of the committee must be a Senior Member of the graduate faculty in the Geology and Geophysics department. All tenured or tenure track faculty in the Twin Cities department are Senior Members.

If you wish to have someone from outside the University on your committee, you need to coordinate this with the Director of Graduate Studies. Well in advance of the examination, the DGS must send a copy of the proposed committee member's resume and a cover letter justifying the request to the Graduate School.
 

The exam itself consists of a public presentation (30-45 minutes) by the student, followed questions and answers. The remaining question and answer period is closed, attended by only the student and examining committee.

It is the responsibility of the student to assure that all appropriate forms are filed in the Graduate School and all requirements have been met, to schedule the exam when the university is in session (not during summer, winter or spring breaks), and to announce the defense to the department.
 

Students may have taken some or all of these required courses before entering the University of Minnesota graduate program and these courses may be eligible for transfer and suitable toward fulfillment of this requirement. The appropriateness of equivalencies will be discussed at the first meeting with the Graduate Studies Committee.

In cases where these courses have not yet been taken, students can make-up these deficiencies while here at Minnesota. These courses may or may not count on the official Degree Program, depending upon the level taken (i.e. courses may be taken at the 2xxx or 3xxx level to meet the above requirement but courses on the Degree Program form must be at 4xxx level and up).

Some courses may meet both the math and analytical requirements (e.g., Geostatistics taught through Civil Engineering).
 
 

For the doctoral degree, a minimum of 12 credits must be completed in the minor field or supporting program. The minor field must be declared before the student passes the preliminary oral examination. For more details, please see page 20 of the 2003-2005 Graduate School Catalog.
 

Ph.D. candidates must enroll for a minimum of 24 thesis credits while writing the doctoral thesis. Students may not register for these credits until the semester after they have passed their preliminary oral examination. These credits are not graded therefore cannot be used to meet course credit requirements (Geo 8888).

Advanced Ph.D. students have an option of registering for a one-credit full-time equivalent (Geo 8444). This option is used only when an approved degree program is on file, all coursework is completed, and all pre-thesis and thesis credit requirements have been met yet you need to register to be considered full-time (mainly for financial purposes). This allows you to remain at full time status and register for only one credit, resulting in a significant cost savings in tuition to whoever pays the tuition. For each term you wish to register for these credits, you must submit to the department an Application for Full-Time Status Registration Form which has been signed by your advisor and the DGS (obtainable from the Graduate School web site: http://www.grad.umn.edu/Current_Students/forms/fte.pdf).
 
 

The written examination should not explain in detail the methods, preliminary data, and/or expected outcome of the studentís research; these aspects of the research should be included as part of the proposal written immediately prior to the oral examination.

Timeline

Incoming students in possession of an MS degree must submit the written examination during Spring Semester of their first year of doctoral studies. Others take the examination in their second Spring Semester. Any request to deviate from this must be presented in the form of a petition to the Director of Graduate Studies no later than the end of Fall Semester of the first year of study.

Before the end of the Fall Semester preceding the written examination, each student will submit names of four faculty examiners to the DGS for approval. Students must meet with their committee at least two months before the planned submission date of the examination, and no later than the last week in January.

Students may submit their completed written examination at any time, but no later than 5 p.m. of the last Monday in March. Students must submit the written document (5 copies) to Sharon Kressler, who will then distribute the examination to the committee members along with the appropriate grading forms. The reading committee should meet as soon as possible after submission of the written examination, preferably within 2 weeks of the examination submission.

Guidelines

The examining committee consists of four faculty members from the Graduate Faculty of the Department of Geology and Geophysics (Twin Cities) or the Department of Geological Sciences (Duluth). (At least one member must be a Senior Member of the Graduate Faculty. All tenured or tenure track faculty in the Twin Cities department are Senior Members.) Two of the four faculty examiners will serve as examiners in the primary subdiscipline. The other two faculty will serve as examiners in two different disciplines of the geosciences considered outside the candidateís Ph.D. thesis research. The student and advisor(s) are responsible for assembling a committee and requesting approval of the proposed committee by the Director of Graduate Studies. It is the student's responsibility to arrange the committee meeting once the DGS has approved said committee.

At the initial meeting with the student, committee members will advise the student on general topics or questions to be addressed in the written examination. These topics will involve the studentís primary field of research and other fields of Earth Sciences that relate directly or indirectly to the primary field. At this meeting, the student is responsible for explaining his/her general field(s) of interest in an informal way to the committee; the meeting should not be used for a formal presentation by or questioning of the student.

The written document should be presented as a coherent paper rather than isolated sections of text that address various aspects of the topic independently of each other. The topics discussed should be used to place the research in a disciplinary and interdisciplinary context.

There are no strict limits on length or format (font, font size, margins) of the written examination, but the expected length is in the range of 10-15 pages of typed, double-spaced text. A written examination that is shorter than 10 pages of text will likely be unacceptable. In addition to the text, the document should have a list of references cited and may include figures/tables. Supplementary material can be in any format, including multi-media.

The submitted work must be an original document created by the student without substantive assistance from others. Input from the advisor and committee members may involve guiding the direction of the topics to be addressed and answering general questions. Students can not submit preliminary drafts prior to the final submission.

Evaluation

Committee members will meet to evaluate the quality of the document and the degree to which the student demonstrates his/her breadth of knowledge of the subjects addressed in the examination. The committee will decide whether the student has passed or failed the examination. If the committee consists of faculty at both the Twin Cities and Duluth campuses, the meeting may take place via conference call or teleconference at the discretion of the committee members.

If the student has done an adequate job in some respects but needs to fix deficiencies in knowledge or other skills tested by the written examination, the committee will specify in writing what steps the student must take to remove these "reservations" and pass the exam. These steps may include taking a class, doing assigned readings, and/or rewriting part of the examination. A specific time must be indicated at which these steps must be completed.

If the written examination does not adequately demonstrate that the student has sufficient knowledge and abilities to pursue a Ph.D. degree, the committee may decide on two options: (1) the student cannot pursue a Ph.D. degree; the option of switching to an MS program can be evaluated in discussion with the student, advisor, and the DGS; (2) the student may retake the exam once, in the semester that follows the first attempt.

It is the responsibility of the advisor to arrange the evaluation meeting and transmit the results to the student and the Department, and the responsibility of the student to ensure that the preliminary written examination report form, signed by the studentís advisor and the Director of Graduate Studies, is received by the Graduate School, 316 Johnston Hall, before scheduling the preliminary oral examination.
 
 

The preliminary oral examining committee includes a minimum of four members: three (including the student's advisor) from the major field and one from the minor field or supporting program. Member names are selected at the time the student submits his/her Degree Program Form. Committee members cannot represent more than one field simultaneously (e.g. geology and geophysics).

At least one member of the committee must be a Senior Member of the graduate faculty in the Geology and Geophysics department. All tenured or tenure track faculty in the Twin Cities department are Senior Members.

If you wish to have someone from outside the University on your committee, you need to coordinate this with the Director of Graduate Studies. Well in advance of the examination, the DGS must send a copy of the proposed committee member's resume and a cover letter justifying the request to the Graduate School.

Timeline

The preliminary oral examination is expected to be taken before the start of the Fall Semester of the third year (i.e. late Spring semester of the 2^nd year) following the Written Preliminary Examination.

The Proposal

The proposal will outline the background, methodology, any preliminary results, and anticipated implications of the proposed research. The Department insists that one fundamental trait of the proposal must be originality in ideas and authorship. The format of the proposal should conform to the standard suggested by most funding agencies; for example, NSFís 15-page maximum, single-spaced text, a one-page abstract, figures, and a reference list (a hard-copy example is available from Sharon). In addition, the student will attach to the front of the proposal a one-page resume, an up-to-date Ph.D. Degree Program, and any papers or abstracts published, accepted, or submitted for publication.

The Exam

The student will present his/her research proposal orally for a maximum of 20 minutes, with questions to follow. Although questions may range rather widely, a significant part of the examination will focus on discussion of the studentís research proposal. This is a closed examination attended only by the student and the examining committee.

Evaluation

The grading scale is

If the exam is passed with reservations, the student is informed immediately, but the committee is permitted one week in which to convey its reservations to the student in writing, informing the student of the steps that must be taken to remove them. A copy of this letter must be sent to the Graduate School and should accompany the signed oral examination report form. When the student has satisfied the committeeís reservations, a second letter informing the student and the Graduate School that the reservations have been removed is required. The final oral examination may not be scheduled until the Graduate School has received a copy of the letter indicating that the reservations have been removed. (This letter must also be on file in the Graduate School should the student wish to apply for a Doctoral Dissertation Fellowship).
 

Thesis Reviewers and Examining Committee

All members of the final oral examining committee read the thesis, although only those designated as thesis reviewers sign the report form certifying that the thesis is ready for defense.

Designated thesis reviewers consist of the advisor, representing the major field, and at least two other members of the final oral examining committee, including one representative from the major field and one representative from the minor or supporting program. Reviewers cannot represent more than one field simultaneously.

The final oral examining committee must consist of at least four members: three (including the student's advisor) from the major field and one from the minor field or supporting program. The chair of the committee cannot be the student's advisor, but must be a Senior Member of the graduate faculty from either the major or minor field. All tenured or tenure track faculty in the Twin Cities department are Senior Members.

If you wish to have someone from outside the University on your committee, you need to coordinate this with the Director of Graduate Studies. Well in advance of the examination, the DGS must send a copy of the proposed committee member's resume and a cover letter justifying the request to the Graduate School.
 
 

At the time the student submits a draft of the thesis to the thesis reviewers, copies must also be provided to all other members of the final oral exam committee. The thesis abstract must be included with the thesis when it is distributed to the committee. The examining committee must have at least two weeks to review the thesis. The reviewers must be unanimous in certifying that the thesis is ready for defense, whether as presented or with minor revisions. If this is the case, and all other requirements have been met, the student submits the completed and signed Thesis Reviewers form to the Graduate School which in turn authorizes the final oral examination. In any instance where revisions are required, the committee must inform the student in writing of the revisions required, and all questions concerning such revisions must be resolved before the final copies of the thesis are submitted and the degree is conferred. It is the advisorís responsibility to ensure that revisions required by the reviewers are satisfactorily made.
 

Once scheduled, the student must assure that the defense is advertised in the department. The exam itself consists of a public presentation (30-45 minutes) by the student, followed by questions and answers. The general audience is dismissed and the remaining question and answer period is closed, attended by only the student and examining committee.
 

Students based in Duluth may experience confusion in certain areas (e.g., registration, financial aid). Many thanks to Isla Castañeda and Kristin Riker-Coleman for their help in straightening out some of these procedures. Isla has composed a "Survival Guide for Twin Cities Students on the Duluth Campus" for both Geology and Geophysics and Water Resources students. Please use this resource in conjunction with these guidelines for all Ph.D. students.
 

• Larry Edwards, Director of Graduate Studies, edwar001@umn.edu, 612-626-0207
• Sharon Kressler, Student Support Services Assistant, kress004@umn.edu, 612-625-5068
• Joan Vindedahl, Accounts Supervisor, vinde001@umn.edu, 612-624-2012

• Vicki Hansen, TC/Duluth DGS Liaison, vhansen@d.umn.edu, 218-726-8385

UCard
Students in Duluth can obtain their UCard at 140 Darland Administration Building. Along with access to the libraries and recreation centers, your card allows you to ride any bus in Duluth for free.

Email
Because you are admitted through the Twin Cities Graduate School but will register in Duluth, you will likely be issued two email addresses. Although it does not matter which email you use, it would be wise to have one forwarded to the other. But be sure to activate both. The TC email address allows you access to the TC library system. To initiate your email account: http://www.umn.edu/validate. To forward your email: http://www1.umn.edu/adcs/help/fees.html and click on (in the left hand column) Forwarding and Autoreply.

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For Ph.D. candidates, departmental support will normally be limited to four years, including any support provided while working for an MS degree. For students entering with an MS degree from another institution, the limit is three years.

Ph.D. candidates entering with a Graduate School Fellowship or GAANN Fellowship can expect support by the Department for three years beyond the year of the fellowship.

Support may be extended beyond these limits, but when this is done, it may be at reduced rates. In the case where candidates are supported by research assistantships, the faculty member holding the research grant may, at his/her discretion, extend support beyond these limits.
 

Students who have not received written offers of support may be hired on a semester-to-semester basis as necessary to carry out the teaching and research functions of the Department.
 

After the first year, if you are not assigned to a research assistant position, you will need to notify the Graduate Studies Committee of your need to TA (Dr. Pfannkuch in 2003-2004). At that time you can request to TA a specific course, but be aware that the greatest need lies with the introductory course.

There are additional policies for International Students. Please refer to section VI of the booklet.

Research Assistantships
Research assistants are paid from the advisorís research grants, and the duties of an RA are determined by mutual agreement with the advisor. In general, the duties coincide with degree research activities. When this is not the case, the RA is expected to spend no more time on his/her duties than does a TA appointed at the same percent time. Prompt, cooperative, and quality job performance is expected. Typically, these positions are half time (20 hours per week) and include full tuition benefits and a health care package.

Fellowship Opportunities
There are numerous fellowship opportunities available through the Graduate School (http://www.grad.umn.edu/fellowships/index.html) and the Department (http://www.geo.umn.edu/dept/programs/Grad-sch.html). As these are subject to change, it is best to check the respective web sites for updates. Several students have also obtained funding from sources outside the University community (e.g. NSF, NASA).
 

Tuition and Fees
In addition to a salary, the financial support package includes full tuition benefits. Students must reach the minimum qualification for eligibility and receive a tuition benefit equal to twice the percentage of time worked. For example, a 50% time appointment includes a 100 percent tuition benefit, which applies only to tuition costs. The maximum benefit is 100 percent and applies to a maximum of 14 credits each academic term. The minimum number of credits to be considered a full-time student is typically 6 credits but may vary from year to year, so please refer to the Graduate School Catalog for any updates.

The tuition benefit does not cover course or student services fees. Students are responsible for paying these fees.

Health Insurance
University-subsidized health insurance is available to most Graduate School students who hold an appointment as a TA, RA or Fellow. For these students, the University pays 50-100 percent of the insurance premium during the academic year (fall through spring), the percentage depending on the level of appointment. To receive this coverage, eligible students must apply for it by the end of the second week of classes. To apply, and for more information, contact the Graduate Assistant Insurance Office, N-323 Boynton Health Service, 612-625-6936.

Graduate Assistant Employment Office
For questions pertaining to your employment as a TA or RA, the Graduate Assistant Employment Office is located at the Donhowe Building; phone is 612-624-7070; web site: http://www.umn.edu/ohr/gao.
 

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Upon arrival, all international students must go to International Student and Scholar Services (ISSS, 190 Humphrey Center) so they may review immigration documents and schedule a time for the mandatory International Student Orientation Program (ISOP).

ALL international students will be charged an ISSS Administrative Cost Fee of $50 per semester, $25 for the summer. This will show on the fee statement and the student is responsible for paying this fee.

Language Requirements

The Department of Geology and Geophysics, in consultation with the Center for Teaching and Learning Services, and in compliance with the requirements of the University of Minnesota, has determined that the following shall be the departmental policy for non-native-English-speaking students entering the graduate program and expecting to be supported financially by the Department at any time during their academic career.

All non-native-English-speaking Teaching Assistants (TAs) must demonstrate proficiency in spoken English appropriate to the demands of their teaching assistantship. This proficiency will be assessed by 1) the SPEAK test (Spoken Proficiency in English Assessment Kit); 2) the TSE (Test of Spoken English); or 3) an English Language Proficiency rating earned through coursework with the Center for Teaching and Learning Services.

IT: TALK

(Institute of Technology Teaching and Language Kickoff)

This intensive summer course is designed for newly arriving Institute of Technology graduate students. The goals of the course are to aid students in their adjustment to life in the US, and to acquaint them with the language and teaching skills necessary for a TA position. An English Language Proficiency Rating will be determined at the conclusion of the course. Those students obtaining a "1" will be cleared for all TA duties and those obtaining a lower score will be recommended for further coursework and/or limited TA duties appropriate to their rating. The IT Deanís Office pays for all expenses relating to the teaching of this course, and in addition provides a modest stipend (typically $300) to assist these newly entering graduate students with living expenses incurred due to their arrival several weeks prior to the start of the academic year.

SPEAK Test

Levels of proficiency are rated on a 1 to 5 scale. The chart below illustrates the various TA duties appropriate to each level.

This requirement of passing the English training program stems from an interest in ensuring that all graduate students in the Department have the language skills necessary to benefit from departmental seminars and satisfactorily communicate during the various written and oral exams taken to fulfill Graduate School and departmental requirements. In addition, it is expected that graduate students should be proficient not only in writing about their academic work but also in presenting their research orally at national and international meetings.
 

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• Larry Edwards, Director of Graduate Studies

       The DGS is responsible for approval of degree programs and all Graduate School forms, and administration of examinations.
 
• Donna Whitney, 116 Pillsbury Hall, 626-7582, dwhitney@umn.edu
• Olaf Pfannkuch, 2D Pillsbury Hall, 624-1620, h2olafpf@umn.edu

• David Kohlstedt, 22 Pillsbury Hall, 626-1544, dlkohl@umn.edu

You will be assigned a mailbox in room 108 Pillsbury Hall, where you will receive any mail or intercampus notices. If you will be TAing a course, please be sure to tell people that the mailboxes are in room 108.
 

Fax Machine
There is a fax machine in room 104 Pillsbury Hall. Use of this machine is free of charge, however we ask that you keep personal faxes to a minimum. Should you do any long distance or overseas calling, you will need either a UPAC (University Personal Access Code) number if it is business and can be charged to an account (your advisor will provide you with this) or your own calling card if it is personal.

Supplies
The supplies in room 108 are available for teaching use only. Personal supplies can be purchased at the bookstore in Coffman Union.
 

In order to use the lab, you must obtain the key code from either System Administrator, (geology@umn.edu, x6-6541) or the front office (Rm. 104), and sign an Acceptable Use Policy to insure that you are aware of what is acceptable and unacceptable use of the 206 lab. You also need to be aware of the rules governing all use of computer facilities related to the University. In addition, you must see Karen for in order to print to the printers in the lab, use a PC, or use the copy machine.
 

Anyone planning to use the saws, thin section machine, or rock crushing equipment must attend a training session, even if you have previous experience with this type of equipment. In 2003-2004, training will be conducted by Dr. Annia Fayon at the beginning of the semester.

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