Pre-Arrival and course planning

Before arriving, start checking your @colostate.edu email account on a weekly basis. All departmental, Graduate School, and university communications will be sent to this address.

Plan to meet with your advisor virtually to discuss your first semester registration. Registration for fall semester opens in April. To register for courses, please refer to the instructions provided by the CSU Registrar’s officehttps://registrar.colostate.edu/how-do-i-register-for-courses/

Course Planning

Since we have many disciplines in our field of study, your curriculum planning will primarily reside with your advisor. We have no set curriculum for students in our program, your advisor will guide you to choose courses that fit with your research discipline. However, your overall course planning should follow the credit requirements. These requirements are listed below in the Program of study section and in the Geosciences Overview of Policies and Procedures(pg.5). These requirements will need to be followed for the successful submission of your GS6-Graduate School Program of Study and subsequent approval your GS25-Application for Graduation.

GEOL 601

Although we do not have a set curriculum, we do advise students to take our Professional Development for Geoscientist course (GEOL 601). This is a one-credit course specifically designed to make the transition to graduate school at CSU go smoothly. The course is available to all graduate students and is especially strongly recommended for all new M.S. students. Topics range from writing a successful thesis proposal to ethical issues in science. All graduate students supported on federal grants are required by federal policy to have CSU-approved training in science ethics (unless they can document equivalent training at a prior institution). This course is also approved for that purpose.

Welcome to in Fort Collins – Now what?

Your first weeks in Fort Collins will be very busy. Arrange a time to come to campus and meet with your advisor. Take time to familiarize yourself with the department. This is a good time to get organized for the semester:

• Get your CSU ID card
• Find your office
• Get keys if needed
• Become familiarized with campus and library
• Attend your orientations
• Meet other GEO graduate students.
• Come to GSO and other welcome events
• If you are working as a teaching assistant, meet with the faculty member teaching your course to gather a teaching plan and schedule

Residency

Residency status has a very strong influence on tuition costs. Tuition for all GTAs (graduate teaching assistants) and many GRAs (graduate research assistants) is currently covered by the University at the non-resident rate for the first year. However, assistantship support will be provided only at the resident rate in subsequent years. This means that if a non-resident student fails to acquire Colorado resident status by their second year, the student will likely be responsible for paying the (considerable) difference between the resident and nonresident  tuition rates. Unless they already hold a green card, international students receiving assistantships are exempt from this process.

The State of Colorado has a stringent set of requirements for changing residency status from non-resident to resident. These requirements are listed on the Student Financial Services website, please read the information, and watch the short video on residency:

https://financialaid.colostate.edu/residency/

Your first semester will seem overwhelming. You will not only be busy with coursework, but with your position as a teaching or research assistant, meeting fellow students, and becoming familiar with Fort Collins.

We recommend touching base with your advisor often throughout your first semester to discussion of research, coursework, fieldwork, grants, committee formation, etc.

… work in progress.

The Geosciences Graduate Student Organization (GSO) is a community of graduate students within our department.  If you have not already been contacted by the GSO, please visit their website for more information.

Geosciences Graduate Student Organization (GSO)

The first milestone in your study is the completion of the GS6 Program of Study. This is a document that outlines your planned coursework and assigns members to your graduate committee. This form is required by the Graduate School as a master document of your degree program.

Your GS6 should be started early in your second semester. Schedule a research and coursework planning meeting with your advisor. We advise students to complete this form during their second semester, it must be submitted no later than the middle of your third semester. Delay of the GS6 can cause a hold on your registration for future semesters and you will not be able to register for courses until it is complete.

Graduate Committee

The function of the committee is to guide you in the development of your curriculum, research and thesis or dissertation. It is their responsibility to judge whether your work throughout this process warrants the conferral of a graduate degree.

Your adviser will help you identify your committee members. Guidelines and requirements for committee assignments for both MS and PhD can be found starting on the Geosciences Overview of Policies and Procedures (pg. 3). Please read the guidelines before deciding on your committee members.

Select members who:

• Understand your content area.
• Have research interests compatible with yours.
• Complement each other in the knowledge you want to attain through your program of study.

If for any reason you wish to change your committee member, do so by submitting a GS9A- Petition for Committee Member Changes.

Graduate Coursework

Your program of study (GS6) requires a listing of the courses you have completed and those you plan to complete during your program. We recommend making an outline of your coursework before starting the GS6. The course credit requirements for both the MS and PhD degrees are listed below and in the Geosciences Overview of Policies and Procedures (pg. 5).

Throughout your course of study, and with the help of your adviser, you may choose to substitute courses in your program of study. Any changes to your coursework can be adjusted on your GS25-Application for Graduation form during your final semester of your program. The GS6 cannot be updated, you must wait for the GS25 to make any changes.

Application for graduation must be complete by the deadline of the semester you intend to graduate. Deadlines are located on the Grad School deadline dates website. If your timeline extends to the next semester, you can re-submit the form with the new term date. If you are summer graduate, but want to walk and have your name listed in the commencement announcement for spring, the GS25 will need to be submitted early in spring. Please see the spring deadlines for that date.

For information on commencement, please see the CSU Commencement website, and the Grad School Commencement website. In addition, each department will have a small commencement ceremony for their students. You can attend any, all, or none of these ceremonies as you wish. Please plan accordingly and obtain regalia as instructed.

When you are ready to leave the department, please notify the Graduate Coordinator and do the following:

1. Clean out your office space or desk.
2. Remove rock samples or arrange a storage solution with your advisor.
3. Return all keys to the department office.
4. Return all CSU equipment (e.g. laptops, etc) to your Advisor or department office.
5. Send a pdf copy of your Thesis/Dissertation to the graduate coordinator (final version approved by the Grad school).
6. PhD graduates also please complete NSF PhD Survey.

Master of Science

Pre-arrival

• Meet with advisor to plan your first semester courses
• Review the MS requirements
• Register for your courses

1^st Semester

• Learn the expectations of your graduate teaching assistantship or research assistantship
• Meet with your advisor to discuss 2^nd semester courses and identify potential committee members

2^nd Semester

• Work with your advisor to submit your GS6
• Submit residency documents (out-of-state students)
• Research summer funding opportunities

3^rd Semester

• Complete your coursework, meet with advisor to review coursework/credit hours earned to make sure they meet the graduation requirements.
• Complete research and create outline of thesis
• begin writing your thesis with guidance from your advisor

4^th Semester

• Plan your graduation timeline and submit your GS25 Application for Graduation
• Review commencement information in advance
• Schedule and complete your thesis defense
• Submit your GS24 (within 2 days of defense)
• Submit your GS30 and upload your thesis
• Attend commencement

Master’s students are expected to complete a thesis-based degree (“Plan A” in CSU terminology). This requires completion of coursework and a thesis presented in a thesis defense to your committee members.

Master’s students are expected to complete a thesis-based degree (“Plan A” in CSU terminology). This requires completion of coursework and a thesis presented in a thesis defense to your committee members.

Coursework

• A minimum of 30 credit hours, consisting of:
• Base Coursework:
  • Sixteen of the 30 credit hours must be at the graduate level (500-level or higher).
  • At least 15 of these 500-level or higher credits must be for regular*
• Additional Coursework:
  • Regular or non-regular courses beyond the 16-credit-hour Basic Coursework listed above.
  • With the permission of the advisor and committee, graduate students may apply 300- or 400-level course credits to their minimum 30 credit hour degree total. These courses are considered non-regular and are outside of the Base Coursework 15-credit-hour (500-level or higher) course requirement.
  • Thesis (GEOL 699) – maximum of 6 credits can apply to the total 30.
• Transfer Credits – max 9 credits total, only 500+ regular courses can be transferred. Three of these credits can be applied to the Base Coursework section.
• Graduate students may take courses at the 100- and 200-level, but such courses cannot be applied to the credits required to earn a graduate degree.

*Regular courses are those numbered between 500-581, 600-681; non–regular courses are those numbered between 582-599, 682-699. These include seminar courses (692), research (698), and thesis (699).

To assist you and your advisor in planning your courses, the department has developed the graphic below and a spreadsheet to track plan and track your progress.

Masters Research and Thesis

Early in your third semester, you should meet with you advisor to plan your research and thesis. The thesis will be a in depth paper written using your own or shared research. An outline and perhaps a first draft of your thesis should be completed during the third semester. Utilize your advisor and committee with help regarding the analysis of your data, structure of the thesis, and writing style.

Decide on your thesis defense and graduation timing. Check the Grad School deadlines, some of these come early in the semester. Submit a GS25-Application for Graduation. These are due in early February for spring graduation or early September for fall graduation. The GS25 is a plan to graduate, however, if circumstances happen in which you need to delay, you can revise this plan as needed.

Complete first draft of thesis and manuscripts. Thesis drafts must be completed ~6 weeks prior to your defense to allow time for revisions, and 2 weeks lead time to your committee for their review.

Your thesis will be examined in an oral presentation before your advisor, committee members, and other colleagues. Schedule the oral defense of your thesis with your committee and work with the department graduate coordinator to schedule a room and advertise the event. The deadline for the defense and the accompanying forms (GS24 and GS30) is mid-March for spring graduation and mid-October for fall graduation.

Immediately following the defense, you must submit a GS24-Report of Final Examination. The form, signed by your entire committee, arrive to the graduate school within two days of the completion of our defense.

Submitting the final thesis

After your oral defense is completed, you will have time to make any final edits to your thesis. Final approval of your thesis completed by:

• Submission of your GS30-Thesis and Dissertation Submission form
• Uploading your thesis to ProQuest/UMI though the CSU Libraries ETD Submission Website

Theses must follow specific formatting guidelines. The Graduate School offers guides, sample pages, and publishing resources on its Electronic Thesis and Dissertation (ETD) Resources website. The Graduate School will review your thesis for formatting; once all formatting is correct your thesis will be cleared for publishing

PhD Program (with transfer of master’s)

Pre-arrival

• Complete netID process and obtain a CSU email address
• Meet with advisor to plan you r first semester courses
• Review the PhD requirements
• Register for your courses
• Begin to establish Colorado residency (if necessary), documentation phase.

Week before classes start

• Attend GTA training through TILT (only for TAs)
• Attend other orientations
• Come to office for assigned desk and keys

1^st Semester (MS portion)

• Learn the expectations of your graduate teaching assistantship or research assistantship
• Meet with your advisor to discuss 2^nd semester courses and identify potential committee members

2^nd Semester

• Work with your advisor to submit your GS6
• Submit residency documents (out-of-state students)
• Research summer funding opportunities

3^rd Semester

• Complete your coursework, meet with advisor to review coursework/credit hours earned to make sure they meet the graduation requirements.
• Start research and create outline of dissertation
• Begin writing your dissertation with guidance from your advisor

4^th Semester

• Complete any additional coursework
• Work with advisor on research and dissertation planning
• Research summer funding opportunities

5^th Semester (PhD) portion

• Move to PhD candidate status
• Proposal meeting to present research to committee for approval
• Complete Preliminary Examination (oral)
• Continue dissertation work

6^th Semester

• Complete work on dissertation
• Plan your graduation timeline and submit your GS25 Application for Graduation
• Review commencement information in advance
• Schedule and complete your dissertation defense
• Submit your GS24 (within 2 days of defense)
• Submit your GS30 and upload your thesis
• PhD graduates please complete NSF PhD Survey.
• Attend commencement

Continuous Masers/PhD Program (no transfer of master’s)

 

Pre-arrival

• Complete netID process and obtain a CSU email address
• Meet with advisor to plan you r first semester courses
• Review the PhD requirements
• Register for your courses

• Begin to establish Colorado residency (if necessary), documentation phase.

Week before classes start

• Attend GTA training through TILT (only for TAs)
• Attend other orientations
• Come to office for assigned desk and keys

1^st Semester (MS portion)

• Learn the expectations of your graduate teaching assistantship or research assistantship
• Meet with your advisor to discuss 2^nd semester courses and identify potential committee members

2^nd Semester

• Work with your advisor to submit your GS6
• Submit residency documents (out-of-state students)
• Research summer funding opportunities

3^rd Semester

• Complete your coursework, meet with advisor to review coursework/credit hours earned to make sure they meet the graduation requirements.
• Complete research and create outline of thesis
• begin writing your thesis with guidance from your advisor

4^th Semester

• Plan your thesis graduation timeline and submit your GS25 Application for Graduation
• Review commencement information in advance if you plan on attending
• Submit GS7 Request for Change of Department and/or Degree Program to change from Master’s to PhD program.
  • PhD program will not begin until the GS30 is complete (within semester timeline).
• Schedule and complete your thesis defense
• Submit your GS24 (within 2 days of defense)
• Submit your GS30 and upload your thesis
• Attend commencement if desired

5^th Semester (PhD) portion

• Complete any additional coursework
• Work with advisor on research and dissertation planning

6^th Semester

• Continue coursework, research, and dissertation work

7^th Semester

• Move to PhD candidate status
• Proposal meeting to present research to committee for approval
• Complete Preliminary Examination (oral)
• Continue dissertation work

8^th Semester

• Complete work on dissertation
• Plan your graduation timeline and submit your GS25 Application for Graduation
• Review commencement information in advance
• Schedule and complete your dissertation defense
• Submit your GS24 (within 2 days of defense)
• Submit your GS30 and upload your thesis
• PhD graduates please complete NSF PhD Survey
• Attend commencement

PhD students are expected to complete a dissertation-based degree (“Plan A” in CSU terminology). This requires completion of coursework, proposal, oral exam, and a dissertation presented in a dissertation defense to your committee members. Below is listed details of requirements for both Phd with a previous MS degree (from a different institution) and PhD without a previous MS degree. If you are a CSU student who is doing a continuous MS/PhD program, please use the list without a previous MS degree. Please note, for these students, any coursework after the MS degree can be used to count towards your PhD, there is no limit to transfer credits from CSU to CSU.

Coursework

PhD with prior MS degree

• A Master’s Degree transfer (max 30 credit hours), plus a minimum of 42 credit hours beyond the M.S. Degree
• Base Coursework:
  • At least 21 of the 42 credit hours must be at the graduate level (500-level or higher).
  • At least 10 credits beyond the M.S. degree must be earned in regular* courses at the 500-level or above (i.e., courses numbered 500-581, 600-681, and 700-781).
• Additional Coursework:
  • Regular or non-regular courses beyond the 21-credit hour Basic Coursework listed above.
  • Breadth requirement, of 6 credits of upper-division (300- or 400-level) or graduate-level (500-level or higher) courses outside of the student’s discipline.
  • Courses may include dissertation, research, group study, independent study, supervised college teaching, and seminar credits, as well as credits earned in regular courses
  • Maximum of 10 transfer credits earned after the transferred MS degree, only 500+ regular courses can be transferred, and can only be applied to the additional coursework. A minimum of 32 credits must be earned at CSU after admission to a doctoral program.
  • Graduate students may take courses at the 100- and 200-level, but such courses cannot be applied to the credits required to earn a graduate degree.
• Student earns both Master’s and PhD degree during this program

*Regular courses are those numbered between 500-581, 600-681; non–regular courses are those numbered between 582-599, 682-699, 782-799. These include seminar courses (692), research (798), and dissertation (799).

Coursework

PhD without prior MS degree

• A minimum of 72 credit hours beyond the bachelor’s degree, consisting of:
• Base Coursework:
  • At least 37 of the 72 credit hours must be at the graduate level (500-level or higher).
  • At least 10 credits beyond the M.S. degree must be earned in regular* courses at the 500-level or above (i.e., courses numbered 500-581, 600-681, and 700-781).
• Additional Coursework:
  • Regular or non-regular courses beyond the 37-credit hour Basic Coursework listed above.
  • Breadth requirement – 6 credits of upper-division (300- or 400-level) or graduate-level (500-level or higher) courses outside of the student’s discipline.
  • Courses may include dissertation, research, group study, independent study, supervised college teaching, and seminar credits, as well as credits earned in regular courses
  • Maximum of 10 transfer credits of courses, only 500+ regular courses can be transferred, and can only be applied to the Additional Coursework. A minimum of 62 credits must be earned at CSU after admission to a doctoral program.
  • Graduate students may take courses at the 100- and 200-level, but such courses cannot be applied to the credits required to earn a graduate degree.
• No Master’s degree is earned during this program

*Regular courses are those numbered between 500-581, 600-681; non–regular courses are those numbered between 582-599, 682-699, 782-799. These include seminar courses (692), research (798), and dissertation (799).

To assist you and your advisor in planning your courses, the department has developed the graphic below and a spreadsheet to track plan and track your progress.

Research and Proposal – PhD

Research for your PhD should start as early as your second or third semester. In order to move to PhD candidate status, there are several steps that need to be taken.

Preliminary Exam

You will take a preliminary comprehensive or general examination once you have completed the majority of your doctoral coursework, typically in year ?? of your doctoral program.

Depending on your advisor, these exams may consist of a written paper and oral defense.

The purpose of the preliminary examination is to determine your readiness for the final phases of doctoral work—the dissertation proposal and final dissertation document.

In preparing for the preliminary examination, you are expected to:

• Integrate and synthesize knowledge gained through coursework and academic experiences
• Define and demonstrate knowledge of theoretical constructs, extant research, and research methods relevant to the domain of inquiry in which you will conduct your dissertation research
• Demonstrate depth and breadth of knowledge in your area of study

You will work with your adviser to determine when you are ready to begin the preliminary examination process. Working closely with your adviser through this process is important, as your adviser should guide you through the preparation stages prior to the examination.

Once your committee has voted to pass your written and oral preliminary examination, you are moved into doctoral candidate status.

Dissertation Proposal

Once you have reached candidate status, it is time to begin your dissertation proposal. You should think about the topic of your research and discuss it with your adviser as early in your program as possible.

Ideally, you will have explored research subject ideas when you were first admitted to the doctoral program. It is important that you thoroughly discuss potential research topics with your adviser.

Once you have completed your dissertation proposal and your adviser has confirmed it is ready for committee review, you will need to schedule a dissertation proposal defense with your graduate committee. To allow committee members adequate time to read and evaluate your proposal, you must provide each committee member with a copy of your proposal no later than two weeks prior to the meeting.

The dissertation is a formal written document in which you present original research and analysis of your data. Once you, with the help of your adviser, determine your dissertation is complete and ready to be presented, your dissertation oral defense can be scheduled. The defense is designed to show your ability to fully and coherently discuss the meaning of your findings.

Decide on your dissertation defense timing. Check the Grad School deadlines, some of these come early in the semester. Submit a GS25- Application for Graduation. These are due in early February for spring graduation or early September for fall graduation. The GS25 is a plan to graduate, however, if circumstances happen in which you need to delay, you can revise this plan as needed.

Dissertation drafts must be completed ~6 weeks prior to your defense to allow time for revisions and 2 weeks lead time to your committee for their review.

Schedule the oral defense of your dissertation with your committee and with the department graduate coordinator. The deadline for the defense and the accompanying forms (GS24 and GS30) is min-March for spring graduation and mid-October for fall graduation.

Immediately following the defense, you must submit a GS24-Report of Final Examination. The form, signed by your entire committee, arrive to the graduate school within two days of the completion of our defense.

Submitting the final dissertation

After your oral defense is completed, you will have time to make any final edits to your dissertation. Final approval of your dissertation completed by:

• Competing the Survey of Earned Doctorates Certificate
• Submission of your GS30-Thesis and Dissertation Submission form
• Uploading your dissertation to ProQuest/UMI though the CSU Libraries ETD Submission Website

Dissertations must follow specific formatting guidelines. The Graduate School offers guides, sample pages, and publishing resources on its Electronic Thesis and Dissertation (ETD) Resources website. The Graduate School will review your dissertation for formatting; once all formatting is correct your dissertation will be cleared for publishing