Geology and Geological Engineering

Graduate Program at Colorado School of Mines

Problem solver. Explorer with an attention to detail. Effective communicator. Someone who isn’t afraid to dig deeper. Sound like you? We thought so. Pursuing a graduate degree in Geology and Geological Engineering at Mines prepares you for that next step in your career to become a leading expert in the study and safe management of the Earth and its resources. With an interactive learning environment rooted in exceptional research relevant to current societal issues, your opportunities are limitless.

upward growth

6% job growth
expected 2018-28

money

~$100,000 average
starting salary

award

#8 in Geology (U.S. News and World Report)

Requirements and Costs

Graduate Certificates

  • Bachelor’s Degree: Required
  • GRE: Not Required
  • Letters of Recommendation: Not Required
  • Resume or Curriculum Vitae (CV): Required
  • Statement of Purpose: Not Required. Suggested if GPA is less than 3.0/4.0
  • Transcript(s): Required. Must be submitted for all schools attended (unofficial transcripts accepted for admissions review and must show successful completion of any required prerequisite course(s).

Master’s Non-Thesis

  • Bachelor’s Degree: Required
  • GRE: Not Required
  • Letters of Recommendation: Required – two letters. Letters of recommendation are not required for current Mines students. 
  • Resume or Curriculum Vitae (CV): Required
  • Statement of Purpose: Required
  • Transcript(s): Required. Must be submitted for all schools attended (unofficial transcripts accepted for admissions review and must show successful completion of any required prerequisite course(s).
  • For international applicants or applicants whose native language is not English, please review the ENGLISH PROFICIENCY requirement.

Professional Master’s Non-Thesis

  • Bachelor’s Degree: Required
  • GRE: Not Required
  • Letters of Recommendation: Required – two letters. Letters of recommendation are not required for current Mines students. 
  • Resume or Curriculum Vitae (CV): Required
  • Statement of Purpose: Required
  • Transcript(s): Required. Must be submitted for all schools attended (unofficial transcripts accepted for admissions review and must show successful completion of any required prerequisite course(s).
  • For international applicants or applicants whose native language is not English, please review the ENGLISH PROFICIENCY requirement.

Master’s Thesis

  • Bachelor’s Degree: Required
  • GRE: Not Required
  • Letters of Recommendation: Required – three letters.
  • Resume or Curriculum Vitae (CV): Required
  • Statement of Purpose: Required
  • Transcript(s): Required. Must be submitted for all schools attended (unofficial transcripts accepted for admissions review and must show successful completion of any required prerequisite course(s).
  • For international applicants or applicants whose native language is not English, please review the ENGLISH PROFICIENCY requirement.

Doctorate

  • Bachelor’s Degree: Required
  • GRE: Not Required
  • Letters of Recommendation: Required – three letters.
  • Resume or Curriculum Vitae (CV): Required
  • Statement of Purpose: Required
  • Transcript(s): Required. Must be submitted for all schools attended (unofficial transcripts accepted for admissions review and must show successful completion of any required prerequisite course(s).
  • For international applicants or applicants whose native language is not English, please review the ENGLISH PROFICIENCY requirement.
  • It is highly recommended that candidates have the following courses prior to applying:  
    • General Geology
    • Field camp or equivalent (six weeks)
    • Structural Geology
    • Mineralogy
    • Petrology
    • Stratigraphy
    • Chemistry (3 semesters, including at least 1 semester of physical or organic)
    • Mathematics (2 semesters of calculus)
    • An additional science course (other than geology) or advanced mathematics
    • Physics (2 semesters)

For additional information about these admissions requirements, please refer to the Admissions Requirements page

View Annual Cost of Attendance

*Allowance for fees based on mandatory fees charged to all students. Does not include fees for orientation, library, yearbook, refrigerator rental, voice messaging, etc.

At less than 4.5 credit hours, you may be ineligible for financial aid.

Career Outcomes and Possibilities

  • Geotechnical engineer
  • Mine engineer
  • Geological engineer
  • Geologist
  • Hydrogeologist
  • Geophysicist
  • Apache
  • bp
  • BPX
  • Chevron
  • EOG
  • ExxonMobil
  • Hess
  • INPEX
  • Oxy
  • Schlumberger
  • Shell
  • Sinopec
  • SMS
  • U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
  • U.S. Geological Survey
  • Utrecht University
  • Whiting
  • XTO Energy

… and numerous other places around the world!

 

  • Job solicitations from industry partners are consistently emailed to GGE and shared with students on a daily basis.
  • Opportunities for careers and internships are physically posted in Berthoud Hall on job bulletin boards.
  • Career Services

    Request for additional information

    Fill out this form to receive more information about this exciting program. 

     

    Loading...

    Degree Options

    Graduate Certificates

    • Economic Geology
    • Exploration Methods

    Master’s Non-Thesis

    • Geological Engineering

    Professional Master’s Non-Thesis

    • Mineral Exploration

    Master’s Thesis

    • Geology
    • Geological Engineering 

    PhD

    • Geology
    • Geological Engineering