For detailed policies, procedures, and program requirements, please refer to the Geoscience Graduate Student Handbook by clicking the button below. All graduate students are expected to review and refer to this handbook regularly.
Graduate School Resources
While the Student Handbook is a valuable department resource, the Graduate School Student Links below are your essential guide for navigating university-wide policies, deadlines, and degree requirements. These are critical tools you should check regularly to stay on track throughout your program.
Graduate Student Involvement:
As a graduate student, getting involved in the department is a great way to gain training, support, and build connections with faculty and peers. Explore opportunities like our departmental seminar series—with guest speakers, student lunches, and networking—or join student-led clubs such as GeoClub or Graduate Women in Science. Use the Student Involvement or Seminar & Events Calendar buttons to learn more and get involved.
Department Mentoring Program
The Department conducts a mentoring program that connects graduate student volunteer mentors with undergraduate students seeking professional guidance and support. The purpose of the mentoring program is to build community between graduate and undergraduate students, provide career and graduate school preparation assistance to undergraduate students, and provide graduate students with opportunities to develop as professionals and mentors, too. Participants for the mentoring program (mentors and mentees) are recruited at the start of each academic year (fall semester). The commitment to mentor is minimal; mentors are expected to interact with their mentees at least once a month. If you are interested in participating in the program, please contact Angela Sharpe, [email protected], the Department’s Academic Success Coordinator.
Geosciences Graduate Student Organization (GSO)
The Geosciences Graduate Student Organization (GeoGSO) was formed in 2021 to represent graduate students within the Department of Geosciences and to provide an outlet to connect with fellow students, department members, and the wider university community. Some of the notable accomplishments of the GeoGSO include:
- Working with faculty and staff to host departmental events including a recurring coffee hour and annual community meeting.
- Improving resources and peer-mentoring for incoming graduate students.
- Establishing the Graduate Application Assistance Program (GAAP).
- Facilitating graduate student participation in the faculty hiring process.
- Establishing a regular G.E.O.D.E. training series that encourages inclusion efforts and education within the department.
The GeoGSO meets monthly, and all graduate students are encouraged to attend! For more information, please reach out to the current (2026/2027) GeoGSO president Itai Bojdka-Yates ([email protected]) and vice president Logan Seymour ([email protected]).
Graduate Application Assistance Program
GAAP is a free mentorship program, created and operated by current CSU Geoscience graduate students. By participating in this program, you can get advice on a wide range of topics including how to connect with professors before applying, write a personal statement, or how to ask for letters of recommendation. Additionally, volunteer mentors can offer guidance on the technicalities of the application process.
Anyone who intends to apply to the CSU Department of Geosciences is welcome to sign up for mentorship and we encourage applicants from under-represented and non-traditional academic backgrounds to use this resource.
Mentorship will be provided on a first-come, first-served basis from October 1, 2026, to December 15, 2026. We encourage you to indicate your interest in mentorship early as we have limited mentors. We look forward to assisting you with the application process!
In addition to these, two national organizations, gradresource.org and NAGPS, support graduate students through and after their academic career. Their information is available through their websites.