Admission Requirements

The geology program offers  two graduate degrees:  Master of Science (MS) and Doctor of Philosophy (PhD). The MS degree has two tracks:  A more traditional Research Track and a non-thesis Professional Studies Track. Details of both programs can be found in on the Geology Masters tab in the  WVU Graduate Catalog. The PhD degree is primarily a research degree. Program requirements can be found on the Geology Doctoral tab in the WVU Graduate Catalog. 

Applicants to the MS degree are expected to hold a BA or BS degree in a STEM field; PhD applicants are required to hold an MS degree by the program start date. Applicants to both the MS and PhD are required to have a cumulative GPA of at least 3.0.

Applicants are strongly encouraged to contact potential advisers among the faculty prior to application. Acceptance into the graduate program is contingent on placement with a graduate faculty advisor willing and able to advise the prospective student.

Deadline for Fall Semester Admission:  January 15th

Deadline for Spring Semester Admission: October 1st

While the academic year begins with the Fall semester, we sometimes accept a few students to start in Spring. Please contact the department for more information if you are interested.

Application Procedures

To be considered for admission, applicants to the Masters or Doctorate of Geology must upload the following documentation within the graduate application (located at https://graduateadmissions.wvu.edu/how-to-apply):

● Resume

● Personal statement (including an indication of your preferred advisor)

● Writing sample (optional)

● Names and contact details of at least 2 letter of reference writers (3 preferred)

You will not be able to submit your application until the above documents are uploaded and your recommender(s) name and email are provided.

The Geology Graduate Program does not require GRE scores from applicants, and so submission of GRE scores is optional. Some faculty advisors still prefer to see GRE scores from students applying to work in their labs. Applicants should talk to their prospective faculty advisors to check whether the advisor recommends submitting GRE scores as part of the application.

International applicants who did not complete their bachelor's degree at a US, UK, Australian, Canadian, or New Zealand institution must submit an English proficiency test score. Acceptable scores are an academic IELTS overall band score of at least 6.5 OR A TOEFL iBT total score of at least 79.

Applicants are encouraged to submit their application with unofficial transcripts from all previously attended institutions. Submitting unofficial transcripts speeds up the application review process as most graduate programs make admission decisions using unofficial transcripts*.

If you are offered acceptance, you are required to submit official transcripts from all previously attended institutions to be fully admitted into your intended graduate program. You will not be able to register for classes until the official transcripts are received.

Once the application is submitted, letters of recommendation, test scores, and unofficial/official* transcripts are received, your application will be reviewed for an admission decision.

Graduate degree-seeking applicants must send their official transcript from the undergraduate institution that granted the bachelor’s degree. It is preferred that official transcripts be sent via an online, secure service such as eScrip-Safe, National Student Clearinghouse, or Parchment to graduateadmissions@mail.wvu.edu. Alternatively, sealed, untampered, physical official transcripts can be sent to:

WVU Office of Graduate Admissions and Recruitment 1 Waterfront Place 2nd Floor Morgantown, WV 26505

Please contact the Geology Graduate Program Director (GeologyGradCommittee@mail.wvu.edu) for more information about the application process.

*International applicants will not be reviewed with unofficial transcripts.