Degree Requirements

These requirements are in addition to Stanford University's basic requirements (found in the 'Advanced Degrees' section of the Stanford Bulletin) for the M.S. and Ph.D. degrees.

Master of Science

The objective of the M.S. degree in Earth, Energy, and Environmental Sciences is to prepare the student either for a professional career or for doctoral studies.

All students in the M.S. degree program must fulfill the following requirements:

1. Complete a 45-unit program of study, of which a minimum of 30 units must be course work, with the remainder consisting of no more than 15 research units.
2. Course work units must be divided among two or more scientific and/or engineering disciplines and can include the three core courses required for the Ph.D. degree.
3. The program of study must be approved by the research advisor and the academic oversight committee.
4. All students are required to complete a M.S. thesis, approved by the student's thesis committee.

Doctor of Philosophy

In addition to the University's basic requirements for the doctorate, the Interdepartmental Program in Earth, Energy, and Environmental Sciences has the following requirements:

1. Prior to the formation of a thesis committee, the student works with research advisors and the academic oversight committee to design a course of study with depth in at least two areas of specialization and preparation in analytical methods and skills. Ph.D. students must take the three core courses: EEES 300, Earth Sciences Seminar; EEES 301, Earth Dynamics; and EEES 302, Challenges and Best Practices in Crossdisciplinary Research and Teaching. The research advisors and academic oversight committee have primary responsibility for the adequacy of the course of study.
2. Students must complete a minimum of 13 courses, including the three core courses and five courses from each of the two areas of specialization. At least half of the ten non-core classes must be at a 200 level or higher and all must be taken for a letter grade. Students obtaining their M.S. from within the program can apply all master's units toward Ph.D. requirements. Students with an M.S. degree or other specialized training from outside EEES may be able to waive some of the non-core course requirements, depending on the nature of the prior courses or training. The number and distribution of courses to be taken by these students is determined with input from the research advisors and the academic oversight committee.
3. During Spring Quarter of each year, students must undergo an annual review by their thesis committee to allow the committee to monitor the progress of the student and make recommendations, where necessary.
4. Prior to taking the oral qualifying examination at or before the end of their 6th academic quarter, the student must have completed 24 units of letter-graded course work, developed a written crossdisciplinary dissertation proposal suitable for submission to a funding organization, and selected a thesis committee.
5. To be admitted to candidacy for the Ph.D. degree, the student must pass an oral qualifying examination. At least two of the minimum four-member examining committee must be faculty within the School of Earth Sciences. During the exam, students present and defend their proposed thesis research work; the exam generally takes the form of a 20-30 minute presentation by the student, followed by a 1-2 hours of questioning.
6. The research advisors and two other faculty members comprise the dissertation reading committee. Upon completion of the thesis, the student must pass a University Oral Examination in defense of the dissertation.

In addition to the three core courses, students can select other courses from departments of the School of Earth Sciences and other University departments as appropriate. All courses must be approved by the student's thesis committee or by the academic oversight committee.

Additional information may be found in the Graduate Student Handbook.

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