An approved program for each candidate may be designed in consultation with the advisor on the basis of each individual's objectives. The program shall include not less than 30 semester units earned beyond the bachelor's degree in 200-level and 100-level courses approved for graduate credit. This total includes 4 semester units of thesis research.  All candidates are required to submit a master's thesis.  All candidates must complete the equivalent of the requirements of the San José State University B.S. Geology.

The oral examination for the Master of Science degree is scheduled with the student's thesis advisor. The candidate must demonstrate competency in written English. An oral presentation of thesis research is to be made before an open meeting of the Geology Department. The thesis must be approved by the student's thesis committee and submitted in final form, as outlined in the Thesis Section of this catalog, to the Graduate Division of the university in accordance with the published deadlines.

Course Requirements	Units
Core At least 12 units from: GEOL 205, GEOL 213, GEOL 214, GEOL 220, GEOL 222, GEOL 231, GEOL 234, GEOL 238, GEOL 255	12-24
Electives Chosen with advisor's approval	0-12
Seminar GEOL 285	2-4
Master's Thesis GEOL 299	4
TOTAL	30

View the full guidelines for earning an M.S. degree in Geology at San José State University (PDF).