Geosciences, Ph.D.

Geosciences Doctoral Program

Requirements for the Doctor of Philosophy require completion of a minimum of 72 hours of graduate credit. A minimum of 36 hours of taught graduate coursework is required, of which a minimum of 12 hours must be completed in the Department of Geosciences. Additional coursework may be recommended at the discretion of a students Dissertation Committee. At least 12 hours of dissertation credit and 12 hours of research credit must also be completed. The first-year Ph.D. student will be expected to prepare and defend research pre-proposals. The intent of this work is to determine whether the individual is capable of doctoral-level research. In the second year, the student will formalize the dissertation topic and committee. Under normal circumstances the committee will consist of three to five members, including the faculty advisor. The Comprehensive Examination will be completed before the end of the fourth long semester in residence. At least 6 credit hours of tool subject credit is required. Tool subjects are courses where students acquire a particular skill-set. These include foreign language, computer science, analytical techniques, microscopy, or statistics. Tool courses are determined by the graduate advisor and the students dissertation committee. The tool subject requirement can be met by taking two courses for a total minimum of at least 6 semester credit hours, except for foreign language as outlined in the section of this catalog.

Graduation requirements include a minimum cumulative Texas Tech University GPA of 2.0 for all courses, including repeated courses, attempted in the degree program in which students seek graduation. To obtain a degree granted by the university, at least 25 percent of the total semester credit hours must be earned through instruction offered by Texas Tech University. Students in their semester of graduation must be enrolled in a minimum of one credit-bearing semester hour.

• Applicant attended four (4) consecutive long semesters of credit-bearing/non-development/non-ESL courses at an accredited post-secondary school in the U.S.
• Attended two (2) consecutive years of high school in the United States.
• Attended two (2) consecutive years of high school with U.S. accreditation or within an English proficiency exempt country
• Applicants from the below English Proficiency exempt countries (must provide proof with passport)

• Unofficial copies of transcripts, and test scores are required for application evaluation purposes. If admitted, you will be required to submit official transcripts, diplomas/degree certificates, and test scores. Please do not send official transcripts until you have received a notice of acceptance from Texas Tech Graduate School.
• Provide Program Materials: In addition to transcripts and test scores, most Texas Tech graduate programs require supplemental materials for admission review. These materials may include (but are not limited to) items such as a statement of purpose, recommendations, writing samples, creative portfolio, etc. Supplemental materials are reviewed by the department only, not the Office of Graduate Admission. Please refer to the homepage of your intended graduate department as well as the instructions on the "Program Materials" quadrant on our online application to verify which supplemental materials are needed. You may also find the required material here.
• While you will be able to add to certain segments on the application (e.g. test scores) post submission, you will not be able to make revisions once the application has been submitted.
• Submitting incorrect information on your application or failing to include important details can delay the admissions process.