Geology, Ph.D.

(PGEOL)

The departmental-level academic course plan for each student is developed in consultation with, and approved by, the student’s graduate advisory committee. The committee will include the student’s major advisor and at least three additional members of the graduate faculty in the department or allied areas so that requirements of the LSU Graduate School for graduate committees are satisfied. Major advisor must be selected by end of first semester in degree program. Dissertation committee must be selected by end of second semester in degree program.

The degree requires a dissertation project. Sixty hours of credit at the graduate level must be earned including a minimum of nine hours of credit for the thesis research project.

A doctoral student must identify a major area with the department from one of the below subdisciplines by the end of the first semester. The other three subdisciplines become potential secondary concentrations.

1. Earth Surface Processes, Sedimentation, Hydrogeology
2. Geochemistry, Mineralogy, Petrology
3. Geophysics, Structural Geology, Tectonics
4. Paleontology, Stratigraphy, Earth History

PhD Course Requirements:

1. Successful completion of at least 60 semester hours in courses numbered 4000 or above.
2. The doctoral student must take a minimum of 25 hours of lecture coursework and seminars beyond the B.S. degree distributed as follows:
   
   1. Major: four courses in the subdiscipline identified as the major (12 hours). At least two of these courses must be at the 7000-level. Up to one of these classes may be taken outside of the department, if approved by the graduate advisor and the student’s major professor and dissertation committee.
   2. Secondary Area: three courses distributed between two of the other departmental subdisciplines (nine hours). At least one of these courses must be at the 7000-level. Up to two of these courses may be taken outside the department, if approved by the graduate advisor and the student’s major professor and dissertation committee.
   3. Seminar: two 7000-level seminar courses (four hours).
3. The doctoral student must take at least nine hours of GEOL 9000 Dissertation Research (1-12 per sem.) .
4. The remaining 26 semesters hours can be any combination of coursework and 9000-level graduate credits that meet with the approval of the major professor and dissertation committee.
5. Up to 24 hours of M.S. or graduate transfer credit in lecture coursework can be counted toward the PhD course requirements. Transfer of credits from other academic institutions must be approved by the graduate advisor and the student’s dissertation committee and using the “Program of Study for the Doctoral Degree” form.
   

Other PhD requirements include:

1. Comprehensive Research Proposal Exam: tests the student’s ability to conduct original, independent research and is administered by the student’s graduate advisory committee during the third semester in degree program. The exam consists of oral defense of a written thesis proposal or equivalent research proposal.
2. The general examination is the culmination of a student’s program in coursework, consisting of two parts: a written exam followed by an oral exam. The student will be expected to demonstrate expert competence over broad segments of her/his major field and a high degree of familiarity with the content of and current progress in related fields. The examination must be taken during or immediately following the semester in which all coursework is completed. The exam is administered by graduate advisory committee plus two additional graduate faculty members appointed by the graduate advisor and the dean of the Graduate School.
3. A public defense of the dissertation is required once the dissertation committee has approved a final draft. Public notice and distribution of draft copies of document to committee members and graduate coordinator must be made at least two weeks prior to public defense.