Credit Hour Requirements


Course work during graduate study should provide students with skills and knowledge for their research, broaden their geologic background, and prepare the student for their future career. Students are encouraged to take advantage of the available opportunities to strengthen their background as much as possible. Below are general department guidelines. However, each student’s background and objectives will differ; thus one of the responsibilities of each student's Supervisory Committee is to provide specific guidance to each student and, if necessary, to petition the Graduate Committee for exceptions to the following guidelines.

M.S.

33 Semester hours: at least 24 credit hours of organized 5000 and 6000 level (graduate) GLY courses (excluding research, teaching, special projects), 3 credits of Seminar (6931), plus six credit hours of Master’s Research (6971).  A minor requires 6 credit-hours from the minor department.  Three hours of credit towards the minor can be counted toward the 24 credits in geology.  In addition, a member of the minor department must serve on the M.S. committee.  Three credit hours toward a certificate program can also be counted toward the 24 GLY credits.  During a student’s final semester (that in which they plan to submit their thesis), they must be enrolled in 3 hours of 6971 (or 2 hours during the summer semester).  Students must defend their thesis before their committee, and before final submission and graduation.

M.S.T.

33 Semester hours: at least 24 hours in organized graduate-level geology courses (5000 and 6000 level) including 2 in seminar (6931), and 6 hours of Internship in College Teaching (6943).  The remaining 9 hours must be in approved electives (including at least one course in each of the following:  Social Foundations of Education, Psychological Foundations of Education, and Community College curriculum are required).  Master’s Research (6971) cannot be used toward the degree.  Passage of a final oral examination is required of all candidates.

Ph.D.

90 Semester hours:  at least 45 hours of GLY 5000 and 6000 level courses, including 3-5 hours in seminar (6931).  These must be in formal, organized graduate level classes and excludes research, teaching, individual work, and special projects.  The remaining credit hours (45) may be research hours (7979, 7980), additional geology classes, classes in a declared minor field and graduate or upper-level undergraduate course work in another department (with approval from the student’s advisory committee).  Typically up to 30 semester credits of graduate course work may be transferred from another institution following approval from the student’s supervisory committee (see below).  All Ph.D. students who received a M.S. degree from another institution are expected to enroll in at least four or five formal courses in geology at the University of Florida for a minimum of 15 credit hours.  

During a student’s final semester (that in which they plan to submit their thesis), they must be enrolled in 3 hours of 7980 (or 2 hours during the summer semester). Students must defend their dissertation before their committee and before final submission and graduation.  Dissertation committees will determine whether a foreign language or a minor is required on a case-by-case basis.

Credit Transfers:

Students who have successfully previous graduate work can transfer credits relevant to their intended degree to UF. Guidelines and procedures for credit transfer can be found in the graduate catalog: http://gradschool.rgp.ufl.edu/current-files/current-catalog.pdf.
A form can be obtained from the Program Assistant or at: http://gradschool.rgp.ufl.edu/pdf-files/graduate-credit-transfer-form.pdf.
Credit transfer should be approved by the supervisory committee during the student’s first Supervisory Committee Meeting.