Geology & Geophysics (Graduate Program)

For information regarding the UNDERGRADUATE PROGRAM, click here.  

Program Overview

The Department of Geology & Geophysics offers a diverse graduate program in the earth sciences. Areas of specialization include biostratigraphy, environmental geology, geochemistry, geomicrobiology, geophysics, hydrogeology, mineralogy, paleontology, petrology, sedimentology, stratigraphy, and tectonics. The department includes approximately 18 faculty members, 30 PhD candidates, 39 master’s candidates, and 145 undergraduate majors. Graduate study in geology and geophysics at LSU provides a balanced combination of coursework and independent research. Research projects focus on important geologic problems throughout the U.S. and in countries on every continent. Graduates have been successful in obtaining employment in academia, government, and industry.

Administration

Admission

Applications and supporting materials for all graduate study must be submitted through the online application site for the LSU Graduate School. Official transcripts, official test scores, and other materials that come from third-party sources must be mailed to: Graduate Student Services, 114 West David Boyd Hall, Baton Rouge, LA 70803. These paper documents are stored electronically and departments have access to all materials submitted by and/or on behalf of a student applying to graduate study.

Applications for admission are received and evaluated by the department Graduate Student Services committee. Applicants must adhere to the application deadlines established by the Graduate School.

Students seeking admission must submit satisfactory credentials from previous study, acceptable GRE scores, and three letters of recommendations. International students whose native language is not English must also submit an acceptable TOEFL, IELTS, or PTE score. Address all inquiries to the graduate coordinator in the Department of Geology & Geophysics. Applicants are encouraged to contact individual faculty members in their field of interest prior to application.

Admission is competitive based on prior study including prior research, GPA, GRE scores, letters of recommendation, the match between the student’s research interest and faculty research interests, and availability of funding and facilities.

Financial Assistance

Financial assistance is available to some students. Support may be available through the student’s home department or other units in the form of research or teaching assistantships. A student should contact his or her home department for more information on available assistantship positions. To ensure consideration for financial aid, all application materials should be submitted in accordance with deadlines established by the LSU Graduate School.

The department offers graduate students several forms of financial aid including, but not limited to, Board of Regents Graduate Fellowships; fellowships from industry, alumni organizations, and geological societies; and teaching and research assistantships. Teaching assistantship stipends for the nine-month academic year are approximately $15,000 for MS students and $16,500 for PhD students. Students are responsible for paying applicable fees. To be considered for financial aid, please check the appropriate box on the application form.

Graduate Faculty

(check current listings by department by clicking this link)

Huiming Bao (M) • Stable isotope geochemistry
Philip J. Bart (M) • Seismic stratigraphy, sedimentology
Sophie Warny Bart (M) • Palynology, biostratigraphy
Sam Bentley (M) • Sedimentology
Gary R. Byerly (M) • Petrology and geochemistry, planetary and Archean geology
Peter D. Clift (M) • Sedimentary & environmental geology
Peter Doran (M) • Aquatic, climate, Quaternary and astrobiological sciences
Barbara Dutrow (M) • Mineralogy, metamorphic petrology, fluid-rock interaction, computational modeling
Brooks B. Ellwood (M) • Geophysics, stratigraphy, paleoclimate, geoarchaelogy
Ray E. Ferrell (EM)
Jeffrey S. Hanor (EM)
George F. Hart (EM)
Darrell J. Henry (M) • Metamorphic petrology, crystal chemistry, tectonometamorphism
Achim Herrmann (6A) • Paleoclimate and paleoenvironment reconstructions
Juan M. Lorenzo (3A) • Marine, reflection seismology
Karen M. Luttrell (6A) • Geophysics, Crustal Deformation, Tectonic Hazards
Clyde H. Moore (EM)
Jeffrey A. Nunn (EM) • Geodynamics, subsurface fluid flow, tectonics
Judith A. Schiebout (3A) • Vertebrate Paleontology
Barun K. Sen Gupta (EM)
Louis J. Thibodeaux (M) • Environmental Chemodynamics
Suniti Kumara Karu Walimuni Devage (6A) • Remote sensing, Mars
Jianwei Wang (6A) • Computational earth materials and geochemistry
Alexander Webb (M) • Structural geology, tectonics
Carol Wicks (M) • Karst hydrogeology, geochemistry of natural waters

Programs

• Geology, Ph.D.

• Geology, M.S.