Geology

Located in the Rocky Mountain West, the University of Idaho is an optimal place to earn a Master of Science (M.S.) or Doctorate (Ph.D.) in Geology. The terrain of the region is extremely diverse, giving you plenty of opportunities to conduct research and analyze processes that are most relevant to pressing geological challenges, such as erosion, climate change and the sustainable use of land.

In addition, our medium-sized program is home to internationally recognized faculty who are praised for their teaching and research expertise. With a faculty of this high caliber, you can be confident knowing you’ll receive personalized attention along with access to ample research opportunities and the sophisticated technology used to study geological processes.

Depending on your research interest area, you will be assigned a faculty member to act as your adviser. This faculty member will help formulate a study plan designed specifically to meet your goals and to guide you through the thesis process. As a graduate student, you’ll receive training in both theory and modern field observation strategies. These hands-on research efforts, along with your traditional course work, will teach you about a wide range of geology topics, such as petrology, structural geology, engineering geology, geohydrology, geochemistry, tectonics and much more.

Group projects and research opportunities with faculty, local businesses and government agencies will give you experience you can apply immediately on the job.

Prepare for Success

Many top environmental and geologic consulting firms, particularly those focused on applied research, look for employees with a master's or doctorate degree.

Our program is also an excellent choice if your goal is to teach at the high school or community college level, or if you’re interested in applied research positions in state and federal agencies. Of course a master's is also a great springboard toward a Ph.D. degree in geology, giving you the extra course work or research experience needed to make a significant impact in your chosen career.

Your First Year

Here is a sample list of classes for our graduate geology students. Many of these courses also include field trips and lab requirements:

• Advanced Field Methods in Geosciences (Geol 516)
• Geomicrobiology (Geol 518)
• Advanced Topics in Sedimentary Rocks (Geol WS520)
• Advanced Topics in Stratigraphy (Geol 523)
• Sedimentary Petrography (Geol 527)
• Clastic Depositional Systems (Geol 528)
• Carbonate Depositional Systems (Geol 529)
• Geologic Development of North America (Geol 532)

What You Can Do

With an advanced degree in geological sciences, you can build a career as a :

• Professor and researcher at a university (Ph.D. required)
• Teacher at the secondary or community college level
  
• Geologist
• Environmental scientist
• Geotechnical engineer
• Atmospheric scientist
• Museum curator
• Climate change scientist
• Engineering geologist
• Mineralogist
• Seismologist
• Soils engineer

Opportunities

The need for geologists continues to increase as we look for more effective ways to monitor our environment and study how our actions impact our ecosystems and energy and water supplies. Geologists, specifically those with advanced degrees, are also needed to help plan and construct buildings and transportation corridors. Here is a list of some of the employers of geologists:

• U.S. Geological Survey (USGS)
• Department of Natural Resources
• Oil and mining companies
• NASA
• U.S. Forest Service
• U.S Army Corps of Engineers
• Environmental consulting companies
• Construction and development firms

Current Research

In addition to being excellent educators, our faculty is also extremely active in research pursuits. Our faculty members design their research projects specifically around the involvement of students. Here’s a sample of some our most significant research efforts:

• Clarkia Tertiary Research Center
• Computational Hydrology
• Geomicrobiology
• Glacial and Arctic Sciences Institute
• Health Effects of Mineral Dusts
• Hydrogeology Program (Idaho Falls)
• Hydrogeology Program (Moscow)
• Juneau Icefield Research Program
• Optical Mineralogy
• Planetary and Terrestrial Geomechanics

Activities

The Department of Geological Sciences seminar series brings you lectures and workshops from top geologists in the field.

Hands-On Experience

Laboratory work and study in the field will prepare you to tackle real-world challenges you’ll face on the job. Here are examples of some research projects our graduate students are working on:

• Implementation of a Groundwater Monitoring Program and Aquifer Testing in the Wanapum Aquifer System.
• Development of a Numerical Groundwater Flow Model for the M3 Eagle Development Area near Eagle, Idaho.
• The study of fracture networks exposed in steep basalt canyons at Box Canyon, near the Idaho National Laboratory (INL). The team is looking to develop new techniques for storing carbon dioxide in the deep subsurface to reduce carbon emissions and reverse global climate change.
• Aquifer Characterization in the Palouse Basin.

Facilities

The University of Idaho has extensive research facilities and tools, such as rock cutting and crushing equipment, petrographic microscopes and photomicrograph facilities, and more. In addition, quite often, our faculty has established relationships with professors at neighboring universities, which gives you access to even more high-tech equipment. Other equipment and facilities include:

• Computing facilities
• Geovisualization Facility
• Geochemical and mineralogical facilities, including state-of-the-art, ICP AES and HPLC chemical laboratory
• Geophotography and remote sensing laboratory
• Geophysical equipment

Faculty Involvement

With about 100 undergraduate and graduate geology students, our department will allow you to have direct interaction with our 13 active faculty and support personnel who are nationally recognized for their excellence in research and teaching.

Susan Childers, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor
Research Interests: Geomicrobiology
» childers@uidaho.edu

Jerry Fairley, Ph.D.
Associate Professor
Research Interests: Hydrogeology
» jfairley@uidaho.edu

Dennis J. Geist, Ph.D.
Professor
I specialize in the study of volcanoes and volcanic rocks, especially in the Galapagos Islands and the inland northwest of the United States.
» dgeist@uidaho.edu

Mickey Gunter, Ph.D.
Department Chair & Professor
Research interests: Health effects of mineral dusts, Computer programs for distribution, Optical mineralogy, Zeolites, Juneau Icefield Program
» mgunter@uidaho.edu

Peter E. Isaacson, Ph.D.
Professor
Research Interests: Paleontology, Stratigraphy
» isaacson@uidaho.edu

Gary Johnson, Ph.D.
Professor
Research Interests: Hydrogeology
» johnson@if.uidaho.edu

Simon A. Katterhorn, Ph.D.
Associate Professor
My interests lie predominantly in the characterization of fracture and fault systems in three dimensions and the mechanics of fault failure as applied to earthquake behavior and fault evolution. My work necessitates detailed characterizations of the state of stress in actively deforming environments, facilitating the prediction of fault behavior and associated deformation, such as folding and fracture development.
» simkat@uidaho.edu

James Osiensky, Ph.D.
Professor
Resent research: Non Point Source Ground Water Contamination, Electrical Geophysical Applications in Hydrogeology, Ground Water Basin Analysis, Agricultural Landfill Investigation, Natural Gradient Ground Water Tracer Tests, Big Gulch Ground Water Model
» osiensky@uidaho.edu

Judith Totman Parrish, Ph.D.
Professor
My research has been on pre-Quaternary climates, and I have focused on three general themes: paleo-upwelling in the oceans and its effect on sedimentary rocks and fossils; the climate of the supercontinent Pangea; and high-latitude climate in the Cretaceous.
» jparrish@uidaho.edu

Kenneth F. Sprenke, Ph.D.
Professor
Research Interests: Geophysics, Environmental, Planetary Science
» ksprenke@uidaho.edu

Scott A. Wood, Ph.D.
Dean of College of Science & Professor
Research Interests: Theoretical and experimental studies of the thermodynamics, kinetics and molecular mechanisms of aqueous processes and water-rock interaction, especially at elevated temperatures and pressures. Particular emphasis on metals and their speciation and transport. Solubility, calorimetric, spectroscopic, electrochemical, phase equilibrium and other experimental studies. Field-based studies of ore deposits, geothermal systems and the environment. Applications to ore deposits, hydrometallurgy, exploration geochemistry, radioactive waste disposal and other environmental problems
» swood@uidaho.edu