Ph.D. in Applied Geology

The Graduate Coordinator is the advisor of record until an appropriate advisor has been approved by the Graduate Studies Committee, and the dissertation proposal has been completed and filed.

Information on this page is summarized from the Earth Sciences Graduate Student Handbook. Printed copies are available upon request from the Department of Earth Sciences office, 221 McGilvrey Hall. 

Also see the Guide to Graduate Education at Kent State University for a summary of the policies and procedures for graduate education.

Requirements for Graduation

See University Catalog for details

Important Dates

There are several deadlines that must be met in order to graduate in a timely fashion. If the student applies for graduation in one term and is delayed in finishing the work, it is necessary to file a re-application in the Office of Graduate Affairs, in the term in which graduation is anticipated. 

Students who have completed coursework and are no longer funded by the department, and are finishing their research, must register for 15 credits of Diss II one term a year (fall, spring, or summer), and must be registered in the semester they graduate. Please consult the Graduate Catalog for your enrollment term or the Department office for more information.

Forms

• PhD Proposed Program of Research (Department form)
• PhD Proposed Courses of Study (Department form)
• Report of Candidacy Examination (Graduate Studies form)
• Notification of Approved Dissertation Topic and Prospectus (PDF) (College of Arts & Sciences form)
• Annual Spring Review and Plan (Department form)
• Request a Graduate Faculty Representative for the Dissertation Defense Committee (Online College of Arts and Sciences Form to be used by the Dissertation Advisor)
• Style Guide (College of Arts & Sciences forms)
• Prepare the signature page: Signature Page instructions and examples
• Guidelines for Dissertation Final Examination (Graduate Studies instructions)
• Libraries and Media Services guidelines for electronic preparation of your thesis or dissertation
• Dissertation Preparation Approval Form (Graduate Studies form)
• Report of Dissertation Final Examination (College of Arts & Sciences form)
• All students must apply for graduation. The process is entirely online and accessible through FlashLine.
• Graduate Student Check-out Form (Department form)
• Also see the Guide to Graduate Education at Kent State University for a summary of the policies and procedures for graduate education.
• Time Limits for Graduate Degrees - Application for extension of time limits

Frequently Asked Questions

What specific coursework must be taken to satisfy the Ph.D. requirements?

Students must take at least 3 courses in their minor area. Beyond this, the only specific requirement that must be completed prior to graduation is 30 hours of Dissertation I (80199) and 60 hours past the M.S. or 90 hours past the B.S. degree. Specific coursework necessary to prepare the candidate for the dissertation work will be selected on a case-by-case basis in consultation with the faculty advisor and the members of the examination committee. Keep in mind that in addition to the formal courses offered in the department you have the following options available to help you develop the skills you need:

1. You can take courses at the University of Akron, Cleveland State University, and Youngstown State University through the Memorandum of Understanding, without transfer. This widens your choice of coursework substantially. The approval form must be completed well before you register for your desired course. Discuss this with the Graduate Coordinator and/or your Advisor.
2. You can take coursework in allied fields; such as GIS or Remote Sensing courses in Geography; the Wetlands, Limnology, and Ecology courses in Biological Sciences; the Environmental Chemistry courses in Chemistry; computer programming courses in Math & Computer Science; or relevant courses in Physics. See the Registrar's website for available courses by semester. Note: Please consult primary advisor before enrolling in cross-discipline coursework. 

How will the composition of my committee change as I progress toward my degree?

The candidacy examination committee consists of three members of the earth sciences graduate faculty: the advisor, the minor advisor, and one general earth sciences examiner. All members of the committee must have the appropriate graduate faculty rank as described in the departmental handbook. The dissertation committee, which evaluates the student's dissertation proposal, consists of the candidacy examination committee, plus an outside member who may be from another department on campus or another institution if approved by the Graduate College. All members of the committee must have the appropriate graduate faculty rank as described in the College of Arts and Sciences Rules Regarding the Final Examination.

Upon completion of the dissertation proposal defense, the dissertation final examination committee is formed which consists of the dissertation committee and a graduate representative appointed by the Office of Graduate Affairs of the College of Arts and Sciences. The graduate representative may also serve as the moderator for the defense, or another individual may be appointed. The guidelines regarding the graduate representative and/or moderator are found in the College of Arts and Sciences Rules regarding the Graduate Faculty Representative and Dissertation Defense Moderator.

Requests for an outside committee member from another institution should be made in writing by the advisor to the graduate coordinator and accompanied by a current version of the CV for the prospective outside member. Such requests must be approved by the Associate Dean of the Graduate College.

Can I transfer geological coursework from another institution?

Yes, you can transfer up to 12 hours of graduate credit, graded B or higher, from an accredited institution, as long as the work was done within 10 years of the completion date of your Ph.D. in Geology.

Where can I go to get the Dissertation style guide and the necessary forms I will need as I progress through the program?

The KSU College of Arts & Sciences Style Guide and Instructions for Formatting Theses and Dissertations is available in the main Earth Sciences office. You can also access these materials from this website, or at the appropriate page in the Arts and Sciences website. Libraries and Media Services also provides guidelines for preparing your thesis or dissertation to help you complete the process.

How much time do I have to complete my degree?

See the University policy for degree completion. Application for extension of time limits.

Information about PhD Minors

Ph.D. Minors

Information About Enrollment

The Department of Earth Sciences requires all Department and University funded students to be enrolled full-time (8 or more graduate credits) during the academic year. Students who are not funded by the department are recommended to be enrolled full-time to ensure that they make continued progress toward their degree and to save on tuition and fees by shortening their time to degree.

Each student writing a thesis is required to register continuously for Thesis I (6xx99) for a total of 6 credit hours. No more than 6 credit hours of Thesis I credit may be counted toward completion of degree requirements. Students who have completed course work (including 6 hours of Thesis I) and are no longer funded by the department, and are finishing their research, must register for 2 credits of Thesis II (60299) one term a year (fall, spring, or summer), and must be registered in the semester they graduate. Students not registered for at least one of three sequential terms will be dis-enrolled from the program.

 For additional enrollment requirements consult the University Graduate Catalog.