Biogeochemistry (BGC)

PROFESSOR CHRISTOPHER H. HOUSE, Program Coordinator
239 Deike Building
814-865-8802
chouse@geosc.psu.edu

Degree Conferred: Students electing this degree program through participating programs earn a degree with a dual title in the Ph.D., e.g., Ph.D. in (graduate program name) and Biogeochemistry.

The Biogeochemistry Dual-Title Degree Program will be administered by the Department of Geosciences for the participating graduate programs. A program committee with representatives from each participating department maintains program definition, identifies courses appropriate to the program, and recommends policy and procedures for the program's operation to the dean of the Graduate School and to the deans of the participating colleges.The dual-title degree program is offered through participating programs in the College of Earth and Mineral Sciences, College of Agricultural Sciences, College of Engineering, Eberly College of Science, and the Intercollege Graduate Degree Programs.The program enables students from several graduate programs to gain the perspectives, techniques, and methodologies of Biogeochemistry, while maintaining a close association with major program areas of study. For admission to pursue a dual-title degree under this program, a student must apply to (1) the Graduate School and (2) one of the participating major graduate programs; and then subsequently to (3) the Biogeochemistry program committee. Students may only apply to the dual-title program once they have been accepted into a major program. Once a student has been accepted to a major program, application to the dual-title degree program can occur immediately or at a later time, such as upon matriculation. The application to the dual-title degree program, however, should be completed before the candidacy examination in the major program is scheduled.

Admission Requirements

Graduate students with research and educational interests in biogeochemistry may apply to the Biogeochemistry Dual-Title Degree Program. Candidates must submit transcripts of their undergraduate and graduate coursework, a written personal statement indicating their interests in the interdisciplinary arena of Biogeochemistry and their career goals they hope to serve by attaining a Biogeochemistry dual-title, and a statement of support from their dissertation advisor, if assigned. A strong undergraduate preparation in the basic sciences is expected, with evidence of an interest in multiple disciplines.

Degree Requirements

To qualify for a dual-title degree, students must satisfy the requirements of the major graduate program in which they are enrolled, in addition to the minimum requirements of the Biogeochemistry program. Students are required to have two advisors from separate disciplines: one individual serving as a primary advisor in their major degree program (i.e., Soil Science, BMMB, Material Science & Engineering, Chemistry, Ecology, Environmental Engineering or Geosciences) and a secondary advisor in an area within a field covered by the dual-title program and a member of the Biogeochemistry faculty. The major program advisor normally will also be a member of the Biogeochemistry faculty. The two faculty advisors can represent different academic programs, but this is not required, as faculty from a scientifically diverse department could represent very different areas of expertise.

To fulfill the course requirements for the dual-title in Biogeochemistry, students must complete a total of 15 graduate credits chosen in consultation with the advisor from an approved list of courses in the areas of biochemistry and microbiology, environmental chemistry, environmental engineering, geochemistry, materials science and engineering, and soil science.

All students must pass a candidacy examination that includes an assessment of their potential in the field of biogeochemistry. In all cases, the result of a single candidacy exam for both entrance to the student's major Ph.D. program and this dual-title program will be reported to the graduate school. When possible, the candidacy exam will involve a single examination that includes biogeochemistry. However, in some cases, such as with the Chemistry Department, existing candidacy procedures preclude use for the Biogeochemistry dual-title program. In these instances that require a major program's existing candidacy procedure to be augmented by a biogeochemistry examination, the structure and timing of this exam will be determined jointly by the dual-title and major program. The student's doctoral committee should include faculty from the major program of study and also faculty with expertise within Biogeochemistry. The field of Biogeochemistry should be integrated into the comprehensive examination. A Ph.D. dissertation that contributes fundamentally to the field of Biogeochemistry is required. A public oral presentation of the dissertation is required, which may be part of the final defense within the major degree program.

Financial Aid

Graduate assistantships and other forms of student aid are described in the Student Aid section of the Graduate Bulletin. A limited number of Research Assistantships are also available through the Biogeochemistry Dual-Title Degree Program.

The University reserves the right to change the requirements and regulations listed here and to determine whether a student has satisfactorily met its requirements for admission or graduation, and to reject any applicant for any reason the University determines to be material to the applicant's qualifications to pursue higher education. Nothing in this material should be considered a guarantee that completion of a program and graduation from the University will result in employment.

This electronic Graduate Bulletin is a version of the official bulletin of The Pennsylvania State University. It is suggested that users refer to this electronic bulletin when seeking the latest information about the University's academic programs and courses. Printed versions of the Bulletin are also official copies of the programs, courses, and policies in effect at the time of printing.

Last Revised by the Department: Fall Semester 2008

Blue Sheet Item #: 36-06-185

Review Date: 4/15/08