Geoscience (Accelerated MS)

Program Availability 

The Geoscience Accelerated Master’s program is available as a traditional, on-campus program offered on the Indiana State University campus in Terre Haute, Indiana. The program is open to eligible U.S. and international undergraduate students enrolled in bachelor’s degrees at Indiana State University. 

This program is well-suited for students enrolled in the Archaeology and Applied Anthropology BS program, the Environmental Geoscience BA program, the Geography and Sustainability BA/BS program, and the Geology BS program. However, the Geoscience Accelerated MS is also open to students pursuing majors outside of the Department of Earth and Environmental Systems.

Why Choose the Geoscience Accelerated Master’s Program at Indiana State?  

If your educational and career goals include earning a bachelor’s and master’s degree in  a geoscience-related field, the Geoscience Accelerated Master’s program is an ideal pathway that can save you time and money. 

Go Further Faster 

As a student completing a bachelor’s degree in the Department of Earth and Environmental Systems at Indiana State University, you may be eligible to participate in the Geoscience Accelerated Master’s (4+1) program. This degree option enables you to combine undergraduate and graduate courses and begin your master’s degree during your senior year of undergraduate study. This dual enrollment pathway enables you to complete your Master of Science (MS) in Geoscience one year after completing your bachelor’s degree. 

It is important to contact an academic advisor early in your studies to determine your eligibility, discuss program and GPA requirements, and plan your program of study. 

Learn from Our Excellent Faculty

The Department of Earth and Environmental Systems is proud to have full-time, tenured/tenure-track faculty with teaching and research experience covering a range of geoscience topics. Our faculty continually travel across the globe for fieldwork assignments. 

Areas of specialization include but are not limited to: environmental geology, biogeochemistry, oceanography, environmental justice, remote sensing, GIS, dendrochronology, archaeology, quaternary paleoecology, paleoclimatology, and limnology. 

You will also benefit from small class sizes that enable you to work closely with your professors, including a research advisor.

Gain Hands-On Laboratory Experience 

Indiana State University’s Geoscience Accelerated MS program emphasizes hands-on learning in the field and the lab, with a focus on earth and environmental systems, geography and sustainability, GIS and remote sensing, paleoecology, and quaternary environments. You will participate in exciting experiential coursework and fieldwork experiences under the guidance of faculty mentors. 

The Department of Earth and Environmental Systems has seven highly equipped on-campus and field site laboratories, including: 

• Atmosphere and Ocean Systems Laboratory 
• Biogeochemistry Laboratory
• Geospatial and Virtual Archaeology Laboratory and Studio
• Dendrochronology Laboratory
• Paleoecology and Micro-Archaeology Laboratory
• Paleolimnology Laboratory
• Visualization Classroom

What You'll Learn in the Geoscience Accelerated Master’s Program

The Geoscience Accelerated Master’s program provides a solid, interdisciplinary background in the study of earth systems and processes. With a focus on modern-day geoscience research and the geologic past, the program prepares you for a wide range of career options in fields including geology, geography, and archaeology. The 4+1 accelerated program combines undergraduate and graduate courses to complete the master’s degree in five years.

You will choose either the thesis or non-thesis degree option. The master’s thesis is arranged by a thesis committee. This option requires 18 credits of directed electives related to your career interests. Similarly, the non-thesis option requires individual research in geography and sustainability, a research seminar in geology, and 21 credits of directed electives related to your career interests. 

Throughout the accelerated program, an advisor will work with you to ensure a seamless pathway from your bachelor’s degree through the completion of your master’s degree. 

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Career Possibilities for Geoscience Accelerated Master’s Graduates 

Geoscientists work with minerals, soil, agriculture, energy resources, fossils, oceans and freshwater, the atmosphere, the environment, weather, and natural hazards. Graduates of Indiana State University’s Geoscience Accelerated Master’s program gain a strong background in Earth systems and processes for careers in geology, geography, and archaeology. The degree also prepares students for continued graduate studies at the doctoral level. 

Many of our alumni have secured university-level academic positions as well as high-salaried, decision-making positions with government agencies, including the British Geological Survey; CIA; Environmental Protection Agency; Indiana Department of Environmental Management; Indiana Department of Natural Resources; Indiana Geological Survey; NASA; the U.S. Department of Agriculture; the U.S. Geological Survey; and many environmental and geological firms, such as ERDAS, Inc. and ESRI, Inc. 

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, employment of geoscientists is projected to grow 5% from 2022 to 2032, faster than the average of all occupations. The median annual wage was $92,580 in May 2023. 

Employment has increased in other geoscience-related fields: 

• Anthropologists and archaeologists: 4% with the median annual wage at $63,800
• Atmospheric scientists: 4% with the median annual wage at $92,860 
• Environmental scientists and specialists: 6% with the median annual wage at $78,980
• Hydrologists: 1% with the median annual wage at $88,770 

Accreditation

Indiana State University is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission.