Academic Advising and Plan of Study

  1. Introduction

 

My discipline is Earth System Science witch seeks to understand the Earth as an integrated system, including its past, present and future behavior, from the environments where life evolves on the surface to the interactions between the crust and its fluid envelopes (atmosphere and hydrosphere), with interests extending to the Earth’s interior. My program addresses the growing demand for trained professionals in the Earth sciences.

The degree emphasizes a research-oriented, global systems approach to studying the Earth and its systems- atmosphere, hydrosphere, and lithosphere, including their interrelationships and interactions with the biosphere.

From my personal perspective, excepting the aspects of earth system, I prefer the research project related to the geologic and geographic topics. Because my undergraduate major is geology and I also master the tools and knowledge in GIS.

 

  1. Plan of Study Table

 

Course Title and Number Number of Credits Semester
CLIM 690 Scientific Basis of Climate Change (course only offered in the Spring semester) 3 Spring 2015
GEOL 513 – Hydrogeology (pre-requisite for lab-science courses in geology, calculus, chemistry ) 3 Spring 2015
GGS 533-001 – Geography of the North Africa and Middle East 3 Spring 2015
GGS 553-001 – Geographic Information Systems(pre-requisite for GGS 550) 3 Spring 2015
GGS 670 – Introduction to Atmosphere and Weather (course only offered in the Fall semester) 3 Fall 2016
GGS 900 – Colloquium Earth Systems Sciences (course only offered in the Fall semester) 1 Fall 2016
GGS 680-DL1 – Earth Image Processing(course only offered in the Fall semester) 3 Fall 2016
GEOL 601 – The Lithosphere(pre-requisite for graduate standing) 3 Fall 2016
GEOL 536 – Paleontology Seminar 1 Spring 2016
GGS 650-001 – Introduction to GIS Algorithms and Programming 3 Spring 2016
GEOL 799 – Master’s Thesis in Earth Systems Science Credits: 1-6(this is the culminating experience) (1-6)random Spring 2016

 

 

  1. Program’s requirement

 

credits requirement:

Candidates must successfully complete 30 credits outlined below, being mindful that 10 of these credits must be GGS courses and 10 of these credits must be GEOL/CLIM courses (“Culminating Experience” credits do not count towards this requirement). To be specific:

Earth Science Core (9 credits)

Techniques (6 credits)

Colloquium (2 credits)

Electives (10 credits)

Culminating Experience (3 credits)

Choose the culminating experience of either a thesis (totaling 3 credits) or a project (totaling 3 credits)

 

Grades requirement:

  • Minimum Overall GPA: 3.30
  • B or better in all courses, at least one A
  • No grades of NC, W, or IN permitted
  • Letter of recommendation from ESS Faculty 
Advisor

 

For graduation, I am supposed to finish a project or a thesis. There is no intern requirement.

My Academic Advisors are Emma Cutrufello, Jones James, Robert Graham.

The Academic Advisor in my discipline is Ruixing Yang

I am supposed to meet my academic advisors when I am confused about the discipline requirements and courses. Also to make a good study plan suiting for me and fitting my level, I need the suggestions from the advisors. Finally, if I want to have a minor field or even change my major, I should ask for the permission of my advisors.

I believe I will meet my advisor at least 3 times per semester.