Fast Track Geology, BS and Environmental Science, MS
Program Description
The university allows the opportunity for high-achieving students to count a select number of graduate credits toward their undergraduate degree and thereby obtain a graduate degree at an accelerated pace. Students interested in the Fast Track from Geology to Environmental Science must meet the following application criteria:
- Currently seeking a BS in Geology at A&M-Corpus Christi.
- Minimum of a 3.0 GPA in the last 60 SCH (and a 3.0 GPA in all science and math courses) at the time of Fast Track application.
- Classified as a Senior with successful completion of at least 90 SCH, including
Course List Code Title Hours CHEM 1411 General Chemistry I 4 CHEM 1412 General Chemistry II 4 GEOL 1403 Physical Geology 4 GEOL 1404 Historical Geology 4 MATH 2413 Calculus I 4 PHYS 1401 General Physics I 4 or PHYS 2425 University Physics I PHYS 1402 General Physics II 4 or PHYS 2426 University Physics II GEOL 3411 Mineralogy 4
Students accepted into the Fast Track program will be given permission to enroll in up to six hours of prescribed graduate courses during their last semester of undergraduate studies. The hours for these graduate courses will “double-count” toward both the undergraduate and graduate programs. The BS and MS degrees will be awarded sequentially (i.e., upon completion of each degree) and not simultaneously. Students will be allowed to continue enrollment in the graduate program upon successful completion of the undergraduate degree.
Admissions Requirements
Applicants must provide the following at the time of application:
- A completed application form. Application fees are waived for Fast Track applicants.
- Official transcripts of all college and university coursework.
- An essay of at least 300 words describing their educational and career interests, goals, and challenges.
- Three letters of evaluation from persons knowledgeable about their potential for success in graduate studies.
- Identify a faculty member willing to serve as their graduate advisor. Applicants will not be admitted to the program without a graduate advisor.
- Official GRE scores by the time the student is reclassified to MS.
No criterion is weighted more heavily than any other criterion. Applications received or completed after the deadline for admission during one semester may be considered for admission in the following semester at the applicant’s request. Applicants will be notified of the outcome of their application by email.
Academic Preparation
Students accepted to the degree program with insufficient background in science, computer science, mathematics, or communication skills will be required to take undergraduate or graduate prerequisite courses prescribed by their advisory committees. These courses may or may not apply towards the total required for the master’s degree.
Fast Track Curriculum in the Senior Year
BS, Geology students accepted in the Fast Track will have up to six hours of undergraduate elective credit replaced with six hours of graduate credit during the final semester of the senior year. A Fast Track student, in consultation with the faculty adviser, will be able to substitute six hours of undergraduate courses from BIOL, CHEM, COSC, ESCI, GEOL, GISC, MATH, PHYS, or other disciplines as approved.
In place of the six hours of undergraduate courses, the student will take two of the following graduate courses instead:
- ESCI 6302 Federal Environmental Laws and Regulations (3 sch) or ESCI 6360 Coastal Management and Ocean Law (3 sch) or BLAW 5330 Environmental Law and Policy (3 sch)
- GEOL 5490 Advanced Topics (4 sch)
- ESCI 6130 Oil Spill Management Lab (1 sch) & ESCI 6230 Oil Spill Management Theory (2 sch)
- ESCI 6170 Hazardous Waste Treatment Technologies Lab (1 sch) & ESCI 6270 Hazardous Waste Treatment Technologies Theory (2 sch)
- ESCI 5596 Directed Independent Study (1-5 sch)
- GEOL 5596 Directed independent Study (1-5 sch)
- An approved graduate elective.
See the Graduate Catalog for a complete description of the degree requirements for the MS in Environmental Science.
Courses
One-semester introductory Earth science course for students majoring in a non-science subject area. Covers basic geologic material and concepts, such as minerals, rocks, the rock cycle, and plate tectonics theory. Origin, composition, and evolution of our planet, as well as the importance of geology in everyday life, including geologic resources, global change, earthquakes, and volcanism are examined. This course is not recommended for students majoring in Geology or Environmental Sciences. Course counts toward the natural science component of the Core Curriculum Program.
Introduction to the origin, classification, and composition of Earth materials. Study of internal and surface processes which shape and modify Earth. Laboratory studies of minerals and rocks, as well as topographic maps, geologic maps and geologic cross-sections.
Introduction to the origin and evolution of Earth and other planets. Changes in the form and distribution of Earth's continents and oceans, and succession of plants and animals through geologic time. Laboratory studies of fossils, geological maps, and the interpretation of ancient environments of rock formation.
Introductory level seminar featuring diverse topics and speakers. Focus on careers in the geosciences as well as on how to successfully plan a college career. In-house as well as external speakers. May not be repeated for credit but attendance in subsequent semesters is encouraged.
Introductory level seminar featuring diverse topics and speakers. Focus on current geologic research. In-house as well as external speakers. May not be repeated for credit but attendance in subsequent semesters is highly encouraged. Credit/no credit
This course describes the different types of caves and karst rocks, the water rock interactions in carbonate rock systems, and it explains cave formation via hydrological and geochemical processes. It also deals with how speleothem proxies such as oxygen and carbon stable isotope, trace elements, carbonate petrography are used to decipher past changes in climate.
May be repeated for credit if topics are significantly different. Subject material variable. Faculty approval required.
Introduction to the basic techniques of geological fieldwork. Note taking in the field, proper use of geological field equipment, measurement and description of rock sections by several methods and degrees of detail, plus small area mapping of several types of terrain with topographic maps. Reports, sections, and maps will be produced from the field notes. Field trips required.
Introduction to the regional geology of the United States using selected U.S. National Parks representing a wide variety of geologic settings as examples. Application of major geologic principles and basic geologic concepts such as plate tectonics, rock cycle, stratigraphy, and geologic time.
Study of the physical and chemical properties of minerals. Introduction to the crystallography of minerals, optical mineralogy, and the use of the polarized light microscope. Laboratory study of mineral identification in hand specimens and thin sections.
Genesis and occurrence of igneous and metamorphic rocks. Mineralogical composition and thermodynamics of geologic systems. Determination of rock types in hand specimens and thin sections.
Morphology, classification, and paleoecology of fossil invertebrates. Applications to marine geology including paleoceanography, stratigraphy, economic geology. Field trip to Texas invertebrate fossil beds.
Prerequisite: GEOL 1404.
Study of landscapes and landforms at the surface of the Earth, and the processes and mechanisms by which they are developed.
Prerequisite: GEOL 1403.
Study of the relationships of humans to Earth's physical environment. Geologic aspects of waste disposal, resources, conservation, land reclamation, geologic hazards, and land-use planning.
Prerequisite: GEOL 1403.
May be repeated for credit if topics are significantly different. Subject materials variable.
Restricted to geology majors attending field camp. Students required to meet with geology program coordinator prior to registration for this course.
Reconstruction of Earth's climate system through time using natural archives and proxy evidence. Focus is mostly towards the Quaternary, though longer time spans will be considered, too. Mixed format with lectures, hand-on activities involving paleoclimate data sets, and seminar-style readings and discussions.
Introduction to the geology of the marine environment. Review of plate tectonic processes relevant to the evolution of continental margins and plate boundaries; geophysics and ocean morphology; geology of ocean crust; controls on the types, origin, and distribution of marine sediments; marine geochemistry; nearshore geological processes and the continental shelf; introduction to paleoceanography; global paleoceanographic evolution; critical events in ocean history. Special focus on the Gulf of Mexico.
Introduction to methods for restoring contaminated soil and groundwater by examining the factors and processes influencing the efficacy of remediation systems. An emphasis will be placed on the scientific principles upon which soil and groundwater remediation is based.
Designed to prepare students for summer field camp. Basic techniques of geologic mapping in the field, data analysis and interpretation, and report writing.
Composition and origin of sediments and sedimentary rocks. Description and classification of rocks in hand specimen. Principles of stratigraphy, including stratigraphic units and correlation. Facies models for major depositional systems. Field trips.
Study of geologic and tectonic parameters of mineral and metals formation. Ore geology and geochemistry. Mining, processing, fabrication, and marketing of natural resources. Field trip to mining operations.
Introductory study of the Earth processes using principles of chemical equilibrium, thermodynamics, isotope geochemistry and organic geochemistry. Applications of low-temperature geochemistry to geologic problems.
PHYS 1401 Geometric and quantitative description of deformation of the Earth's crust, mechanics of brittle and crystal-plastic deformation processes of Earth materials, introduction to continuum mechanics of geologic systems, crustal deformation from micro-scale to global tectonics. Laboratory introduces principles of three-dimensional data representation and analysis, geologic map interpretation, cross-section techniques, and problems in stress and strain analysis.
Introduction to quantitative techniques to assess physical properties and processes of the Earth. Topics include earthquake seismology, refraction and reflection seismology, gravimetry, magnetism, electrical methods, and radioactivity of Earth materials. Application of geophysical methods to the study of the Earth, in oil and gas exploration, and in economic and environmental geology.
Introduction to the acquisition, processing, and interpretation of 2D and 3D seismic data. Lectures and field exercises are covered. Topics include conceptual and historical foundations of modern reflection seismology; an overview of seismic wave phenomena in acoustic, elastic, and porous media; acquisition principles for land and marine seismic surveys; methods used to create 2D and 3D seismic images from field data; concepts of dip moveout, prestack migration, and depth migration; concepts and limitations of 3D seismic interpretation for structure, stratigraphy, and rock property estimation; and the interpretation role of attributes, impedance estimation, and AVO.
Prerequisite: GEOL 4422.
Geophysical techniques for exploring the shallow subsurface for environmental and engineering purposes. Topics include seismic, resistivity, ground penetrating radar, electromagnetic, gravity, and magnetic methods. This course includes both lectures and labs (field exercises) components.
One to four semester hours of credit may be earned by working in an internship position in industry, with local government, a private firm, or an independent geologist.
Basic concepts of petroleum geology and techniques used in the exploration and production of hydrocarbon systems. Lectures and lab exercises will cover principles of stratigraphy, sedimentology, hydrocarbon generation, hydrocarbon-trapping mechanisms, reservoir characterization, seismic interpretation, well-log interpretation, and geologic risk analysis.
Introduction to the fundamentals of groundwater and surface water flow; well hydraulics and evaluation of groundwater as a resource; chemical properties of groundwater and groundwater contamination; groundwater and the environment; and groundwater modeling. This course also examines some of the techniques associated with field hydrogeology and laboratory methods in hydrogeology.
May be repeated for credit if topics are significantly different. Subject materials variable.
DIRECTED INDEPENDENT STUDY Requires a formal proposal of study to be completed in advance of registration and to be approved by the supervising faculty, the chairperson, and the Dean of the College.
This course describes the different types of caves and karst rocks, the water rock interactions in carbonate rock systems, and it explains cave formation via hydrogeological and geochemical processes. It offers field work experience such as sample collection, determining field parameters, karst and cave surveys, measuring spring discharges in the Yucatán Peninsula of Mexico and laboratory experience on the Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi campus.
Field course involving practical application of geologic principles to field problems. Locations visited and material covered depends on hosting institution. Generally should include: mapping and outcrop data collection; measurement of stratigraphic sections; mapping and preparation of geologic cross-sections; preparation of geologic reports.
An examination of concepts and theories in geology and their linkages to other disciplines such as environmental science, computer science, geographic information science, and education. Seminar themes may vary from year to year. May be repeated for credit but credit may be applied only once towards degree.
Investigations of the origin, character, and processes of coastal geoenvironments with an emphasis on tracking historical and projecting future changes. Involves examination of the interactions of geological and biological processes and impacts of human activities on coastal depositional systems. Includes applications of remote sensing, ground studies, and GIS for mapping geoenvironments and analyzing change. Readings in current literature, day field trips, and a project.
Advanced study of methods for restoring contaminated soil and groundwater by examining the factors and processes influencing the efficacy of remediation systems. An emphasis will be placed on the scientific principles upon which soil and groundwater remediation is based.
This graduate-level course is for coastal and marine system science and environmental science majors and professional petroleum geologists who would like a better understanding of advanced geophysical techniques and principles available to geoscientist working subsurface problems. The course will consist of an examination of current topics, techniques, and software. New techniques and topics will be presented by geology staff and visiting experts working in those fields.
Principles of the geochemistry of groundwater including chemical thermodynamics. Characterization of the chemistry of natural and contaminated groundwater. Chemical measurements, analyses, and calculations. Includes readings in current literature and research on a selected topic.
Prerequisite: GEOL 4444.
Principles of analytical and numerical modeling in hydrogeology. Use of available software for aquifer test solutions, aquifer simulation modeling, and mass transport. Completion of modeling projects. Includes readings in current literature.
Prerequisite: GEOL 4444.
Principles of numerical modeling of mass transport in groundwater systems. Use of software and computer systems for numerical simulations. Laboratory time devoted to completion of modeling projects. Includes readings in current literature.
Prerequisite: GEOL 4444.
Subject varies. Advanced topics including current literature research. May be repeated for credit when topics are sufficiently different.
Study in areas of current interest.
Advanced study of methods for restoring contaminated soil and groundwater by examining the factors and processes influencing the efficacy of remediation systems. An emphasis will be placed on the scientific principles upon which soil and groundwater remediation is based. Cross listed with ESCI 6321.
Advanced study of the Earth processes using principles of chemical equilibrium, thermodynamics, isotope geochemistry and organic geochemistry. Applications of low-temperature geochemistry to geologic problems.
Advanced techniques to assess physical properties and processes of the Earth. Topics include earthquake seismology, refraction and reflection seismology, gravimetry, magnetism, electrical methods, and radioactivity of Earth materials. Application of geophysical methods to the study of the Earth, in oil and gas exploration, and in economic and environmental geology.
Advanced methods for the acquisition, processing, and interpretation of 2D and 3D seismic data. Lectures and field exercises are covered. Topics include conceptual and historical foundations of modern reflection seismology; an overview of seismic wave phenomena in acoustic, elastic, and porous media; acquisition principles for land and marine seismic surveys; methods used to create 2D and 3D seismic images from field data; concepts of dip moveout, prestack migration, and depth migration; concepts and limitations of 3D seismic interpretation for structure, stratigraphy, and rock property estimation; and the interpretation role of attributes, impedance estimation, and AVO.
Prerequisite: GEOL 4422.
Advanced geophysical techniques for exploring the shallow subsurface for environmental and engineering purposes. Topics include seismic, resistivity, ground penetrating radar, electromagnetic, gravity, and magnetic methods. This course includes both lectures and labs (field exercises) components.
Advanced concepts of petroleum geology and techniques used in the exploration and production of hydrocarbon systems. Lectures will cover principles of stratigraphy, sedimentology, hydrocarbon generation, hydrocarbon-trapping mechanisms, reservoir characterization, seismic interpretation, well-log interpretation, and geologic risk analysis.
Prerequisite: GEOL 4411.
Advanced study of hydrogeology concepts necessary to understand and question the hydrologic cycle, and specifically, surface water flow; groundwater flow; groundwater-surface water interaction; groundwater sources, occurrence, movement, contamination, and resources; and environmental topics of interest related to water resources.