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Graduate Programs in Earth, Planetary and Space Sciences

The Department of Earth, Planetary, and Space Sciences offers four graduate programs leading to the MS and PhD degrees.


The Geochemistry program offers study in biogeochemistry, cosmochemistry, crystal chemistry, experimental petrology, isotopic studies of stable and radioactive elements, marine geochemistry, meteorite research, planetology, and lunar geochemistry.

Graduate Studies in Geochemistry

The Geology program offers study in geomorphology, micropaleontology, mineralogy, organic geochemistry, paleobiology, petrology, paleontology, remote sensing, sedimentology, stratigraphy, structural geology, and tectonophysics.

Graduate Studies in Geology

The Geophysics & Space Physics program offers study in Earth's interior (seismology, gravity, thermal regime, geomagnetism, tectonics), geophysical fluid dynamics (turbulence, rotating systems, stability, hydromagnetism), nonlinear dynamics, planetology (orbital dynamics, planetary interiors, surfaces and atmospheres, solar-system origin), and space physics (magnetosphere, radiation belts, solar wind, magnetic fields, cosmic rays).

Graduate Studies in Geophysics and Space Physics

The Planetary Science program addresses the formation and evolution of planetary bodies, their physical and chemical properties, their dynamical interactions, their geology, their climate, and their habitability. Components of interest include the interiors, surfaces, atmospheres, and magnetospheres of planetary bodies. Processes of interest include accretion, differentiation, heat production and transport including radioactivity, conduction, convection, and radiative transfer, dynamos, impact cratering, volcanism, tectonism, erosion, atmospheric dynamics and climates, tidal interactions, interactions between planetary layers, interactions with the host star. The field complements and overlaps with some aspects of Astronomy, Meteoritics, Geochemistry, Geology, Geophysics, Mineral Physics, and Plasma Physics, and employs a range of research approaches including theory, numerical modeling, experimental and observational studies using Earth and space-based telescopes and planetary spacecraft missions.

Graduate Studies in Planetary Science