Graduate Program

The department offers two graduate thesis programs: a Master’s and a Ph.D., each of which is customized to the individual student’s interests, strengths and academic background. Our focus is on providing the intellectual and physical environment that will enable students to generate original groundbreaking research, the ability to present concepts to a wide audience, and publish in high profile professional journals.

We also offer a Professional Science Masters in Energy Geoscience, designed for students seeking the expertise to pursue professional careers in energy (including the energy transition) and energy-related data science. Students take courses in geoscience, business and management, and gain direct work experience through a professional internship.

Houston is both the center of the international energy industry, a burgeoning environmental industry, and also home to NASA’s Johnson Space Center and the Lunar and Planetary Institute, giving the city an unusually vibrant earth science community. Local energy, environmental and space science professionals serve as adjunct faculty in our department, greatly expanding the intellectual breadth of expertise and providing local professional opportunities for research.

We support several visiting scientist programs with extended research visits by prominent earth scientists from institutions around the world, further enriching our students intellectual life.

What to expect after an M.S. or Ph.D.

Our graduates go on to a variety of careers, from academia to the energy industry and beyond.

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