Welcome. Students pursuing the Ph.D. degree often seek employment in academia, government organizations, or industry, but are also able to establish successful careers in environmental and geotechnical consulting, water and resource management, and energy exploration. Students are prepared for this wide range of careers through a flexible curriculum in which they work closely with their advisor to conduct theoretical, field, and/or laboratory research for a dissertation in their chosen topic.
Curricular Requirements
New Ph.D. students may be required by the Graduate Program Committee to complete one or more of the core courses in Geology (e.g., Mineralogy, Igneous-Metamorphic Petrology, Structural Geology, Stratigraphy and Sedimentology, and/or Field Geology or comparable field experience) if these classes are lacking in their background. These requirements must be taken for a letter grade. In addition, DGS Graduate Teaching Assistants (GTAs) must have a background in the course they are teaching. Deficiencies are determined by the Graduate Program Committee. To be a 100-level GTA, the minimum classes needed are The Dynamic Earth (GEO 101) or The Earth Through Time (GEO 102), Sedimentology/Stratigraphy (GEO 367), Mineralogy (GEO 210) and one more of the following seven classes: Geochemistry, Geophysics, Structural Geology, Volcanology, Hydrology, Igneous and Metamorphic Petrology, or Paleontology. These classes must be taken either for a letter grade or Pass/Fail but cannot be audited.
All students must meet with their Faculty Advisor or the Department Chair at least one week prior to registration each semester to discuss current coursework and courses to be taken the following semester. Students must enroll in the courses agreed upon with their Advisor. Most students in their first year register for nine credits per semester.
January 2025
College of Arts and Sciences
Clark Hall,
The University of Alabama,
TUSCALOOSA,
Alabama,
35487, United States
Applicants must hold the equivalent of a U.S. four-year bachelor鈥檚 degree from an accredited institution. English Language Requirements: TOEFL score 79; IELTS score 6.5; PTE score 59; Duolingo English Test score 105.
A Grade Point Average (GPA) greater than 3.0 on a 4.0 scale (international grades are converted by the Graduate School to a 4.0 system)
For fall admission, priority for new graduate students is generally given to applications received by January 15. To have the best chance for acceptance, applications should be submitted by January 15. Applications will be considered after this date but will be given lower priority. Self-funded, scholarship/fellowship, and international applications must be completed by March 15. Applicants will receive notification of their acceptance to the DGS program via email and must acknowledge their acceptance on or before April 15.
For spring admission, priority for new graduate students is generally given to applications received by July 15. Applicants will receive notification of their acceptance to the DGS program via email and must acknowledge their acceptance on or before October 1.
*There may be different IELTS requirements depending on your chosen course.
