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Overview of the ESGS Ph.D. Program
Scheduled for initiation in the Spring 2005 semester, the innovative new Ph.D. program in Earth Systems and Geoinformation Sciences (ESGS) continues the well-established interdisciplinary education mission in SCS. The ESGS degree is based on the integration of the two scientific disciplines in Geosystems (i.e., Geosciences and Geography) with the two slightly more technology-oriented scientific disciplines in Geoinformation Sciences (i.e., remote sensing and GIS). As in practically all fields of modern science, advancement in the Earth systems sciences are facilitated by the development of new and improved technology tools. When remote sensing and GIS are used to enhance our understanding of the Earth, they are regarded as tools. However, the continued development of the "tools" themselves is also a subject of intense scientific activity.
Graduates from the ESGS doctoral program will be qualified to serve as lead scientists in a wide range of activities involving geosciences, geography, geographic information systems, and remote sensing. The continual expansion of the NASA Earth observation satellite constellation, the development and expansion of the geospatial data infrastructure at USGS and other federal agencies, and the need to analyze these Earth-oriented data to achieve environmental and economic objectives will ensure a constant need for qualified scientists in these fields in the foreseeable future. Graduates will receive broad based training in the geosciences and geography as well as concentrated courses in computation and geoinformation sciences.
The ESGS doctoral program represents a gateway to an academic career for some students, and for others it will facilitate career advancement in their current fields of employment, either in the public sector or private industry. Graduates will be equipped to participate in interdisciplinary research, which is the norm in today's research arena. In addition, students will also receive training in teaching, thereby qualifying them to join academic units in more traditional disciplinary and instruction-oriented settings or in multidisciplinary programs.
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The ESGS Ph.D. program is intended for graduates who hold B.S. or B.A. degrees in atmospheric science, climatology, meteorology, Earth science, geology, environmental science, remote sensing/Earth observing, hydrology, oceanography, geography, or related fields, with a minimum GPA of 3.00. Applicants should have knowledge of calculus and working proficiency with a computer programming language. Knowledge of mathematics through ordinary differential equations is preferred. Interested applicants should contact the Academic Coordinator or the ESGS Chair for more specific advice.
Applicants should present acceptable GRE-GEN scores, and international students also need to submit acceptable TOEFL scores. Three letters of recommendation and a Goals Statement should accompany the graduate application. Students with insufficient background and/or unacceptable GPA may be accepted provisionally, and required to successfully complete selected courses tailored to their individual needs and background. The ETS code for GMU is 5827.
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The Ph.D. program in Earth Systems and Geoinformation Sciences is directed by Dr. David Wong dwong2@gmu.edu. General questions and requests for additional information should be directed to him.
The ESGS Ph.D. curriculum is organized into the four concentrations listed below:
| Geosciences (GSC)
| Geography (GEOG)
| Remote Sensing/Earth Observing (RS)
| Geographic Information Systems Science (GIS)
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All students in the program are required to take 48 credit hours of course work and 24 credit hours of dissertation research. Students entering the doctoral program with previous graduate work may be able to transfer up to 24 credit hours of related coursework. For students entering the doctoral program with a previous master's degree, the 48 hours of course work may be reduced by a maximum of 30 credits. Students may select one of the four concentrations listed above, or they may opt to develop a curriculum that combines elements from two or more concentrations, under the guidance of a faculty advisor and subject to program director.
All students are required to select courses from a set of three core areas (computational, geosciences-geography, and geoinformation). Additional coursework includes courses in an area of concentration, a single credit of seminar/colloquium, and electives relevant to the student's focus. In recognition of the diverse interests of students in this scientific area, students are given considerable flexibility in constructing their specific curriculum under the guidance of a faculty advisor. To provide the desired level of flexibility and to encourage interdisciplinary education and research, the following seven program elements are required (additional details are provided below):
| 6 credit hours
of Computational Core Courses
| 9 credit hours of Geosciences-Geography Core Courses
| 6 credit hours of Geoinformation Sciences Core Courses
| 6 credit hours of Concentration Courses
| 3 credit hours of Seminar/Colloquium (1 credit, taken three times)
| 18 cedit hours of
Electives
| 24 credit hours
of dissertation research
| |
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The courses in each respective category are:
1) COMPUTATIONAL CORE: Two computational courses selected from the following list
CSI 600 Quantitative Foundations for Computational Sciences
CSI 700 Numerical Methods
CSI 701 Foundations of Computational Science
CSI 702 High-Performance Computing
CSI 703 Scientific and Statistical Visualization
CSI 710 Scientific Databases
2) GEOSCIENCES-GEOGRAPHY CORE: Five areas of study have been identified as central to the investigation of the Earth systems: Atmosphere, Hydrosphere, Lithosphere, Biosphere, and Anthrosphere. To ensure adequate breadth, students are required to take at least one course in three of the five areas:
CSI 655 Introduction to Physics and Chemistry of the Atmosphere or GEOG 670 Applied Climatology
EOS 656/EVPP 652/GEOG 570 The Hydrosphere or EOS 725 Advanced Hydrosphere
GEOL 601/EOS 657/GEOG 671 The Lithosphere
EOS 721/EVPP 741 Biogeography
EOS 704 Spatial Analysis and Modeling of Population
3) GEOINFORMATION SCIENCES CORE: Two courses in Geoinformation Sciences, one from each of the sub-categories of GIS and Remote Sensing as indicated below
GIS
GEOG 553 Geographic Information Science
GEOG 563 Advanced GIS
GEOG 653 Geographic Information Analysis
EOS 771 Algorithms and Modeling in GIS
Remote Sensing
GEOG 579 Remote Sensing
GEOG 580 Digital Remote Sensing
EOS 753 Observations of the Earth and its Climate
EOS 756 Physical Principles of Remote Sensing
EOS 758 Digital Processing of Remote Sensing Imagery
4) CONCENTRATION COURSES: Two courses selected from those listed below for the desired concentration. Those students choosing not to select a specific concentration will be assisted by their faculty advisor in developing a curriculum plan by combining courses from more than one of the following areas. Their curriculum plan must be approved by the Program Director.
Geosciences (GSC)
CSI 655 Introduction to Physics and Chemistry of the Atmosphere
GEOG 670 Applied Climatology
EOS 656/EVPP 652/GEOG 570 The Hydrosphere
GEOL 601/EOS 657/GEOG 671 The Lithosphere
EOS 721/EVPP 741 Biogeography
EOS 725 Advanced Hydrosphere
EVPP 663 Coastal Geomorphology
CSI 755 Introduction to Atmospheric Dynamics
EVPP 550 Waterscape Ecology and Management
EVPP 546 Estuarine and Coastal Ecology
Geography (GEOG)
GEOG 503 Problems in Environmental Management
GEOG 505 Transportation Geography
GEOG 540 Medical Geography
GEOG 531 Land Use Modeling Techniques and Applications
GEOG 585/EOS 759 Quantitative Methods
GEOG 575/EOS 759 Reconstructing Past Environment/Geoarchaeology
GEOG 674 Environmental Impact Analysis
GEOG 680 Seminar in Thought in Methodology
GEOG 785 Geographic Field Work
EOS 721/EVPP 741 Biogeography
PUBP 810 Theory and Methods in Regional Policy I
PUBP 811 Theory and Methods in Regional Policy II
EVPP 503 Field Mapping Techniques
EVPP 741 Environment and Society
Geographic Information Systems (GIS)
GEOG 553 Introduction to GIS
GEOG 563 Advanced GIS
GEOG 590 GIS and Natural Resources
GEOG 653 Geographic Information Analysis
GEOG 664 Spatial Data Structures
GEOG 661 Map Projections and Coordinate Systems
EOS 771 Algorithms and Modeling in GIS
EOS 772 Distributed GIS
EOS 773 GIS Interoperability
Remote Sensing (RS)
GEOG 656 Terrain Mapping
GEOG 562 Photogrammetry
GEOG 579 Remote Sensing
EOS 740 Hyperspectral Imaging Systems
EOS 753 Observations of the Earth and its Climate
EOS 754 Earth Observing/Remote Sensing Data and Data Systems
EOS 756 Physical Principles of Remote Sensing
EOS 757 Techniques and Algorithms in Earth Observing and Remote Sensing
EOS 758 Digital Processing of Remote Sensing Imagery
5) SEMINAR/COLLOQUIUM COURSES: All students are required to take the 1 credit seminar/colloquium course
EOS 900 Colloquium in Earth Systems and Geoinformation Sciences
three times before they proceed to candidacy. This course will provide students with exposure to current research in the interdisciplinary areas.
6) ELECTIVE COURSES: Students are required to take 18 hours of elective course work. The electives can be chosen from the core and concentration courses listed above as well as additional courses approved by their advisor. Some of the recommended elective courses are listed below:
CLIM 711 Introduction to Atmospheric Dynamics
CLIM 713 Atmospheric-Ocean Interaction
CLIM 715 Numerical Methods for Climate Modeling
CS 631 Object-Oriented Design Patterns
CS 652 Computer Graphics
EOS 700 Communication Skills for Scientists
EOS 722 Regional and Global Issues in the Earth Sciences
EOS 759 Radiative Transfer
EOS 760 Remote Sensing Applications
EOS 791 Advanced Spatial Statistics
EOS 840 Hyperspectral Imaging Applications
EOS 854 Introduction to Atmospheric Boundary Layer
EOS 855 Introduction to Mesoscale Atmospheric Modeling
EVPP 503 Field Mapping Techniques
EVPP 550 Waterscape Ecology and Management
EVPP 546 Estuarine and Coastal Ecology
EVPP 577 Biogeochemistry: A Global Perspective
EVPP 741 Environment and Society
GEOG 581 World Food and Population
GEOG 631 Spatial Agent-based Models of Human-environment Interaction
GEOG 670 Applied Climatology
INFS 614 Database Management
INFS 650 Object Oriented Applications for Information Systems
PUBP 601 Theory and Practice of Regional Economic Development
PUBP 602 Regional and Economic Development and Technology
PUBP 715 Introduction to Transportation Systems