Hitting your foot against a particle of rock is accompanied by gruesome pain. Most times, what comes to your mind at that very instant is to throw the little rock away as though it were totally useless.
Rocks have lived for generations and have even served as sources of shelter. To better understand this element, its composition, and also improve its use, certain professionals started studying it.
Today, we refer to these professionals as geology engineers and we want to show you how you can get your engineering geology degree in order to be a part of these professionals.
Kindly go through the table of contents below to see for yourself what and what it takes for you to become an engineering geologist.
Table of contents
What Is Engineering Geology?
According to Wikipedia, Engineering geology is the application of geology to engineering study for the purpose of assuring that the geological factors regarding the location, design, construction, operation and maintenance of engineering works are recognized and accounted for.
Engineering Geology is closely related to Environmental Geology. It is a multidisciplinary scientific field. Engineering Geology studies can be performed during:
One who studies engineering geology, trained, and has experience in recognizing the natural processes is called an engineering geologist.
More so, what is paramount for the engineering geologist is the protection of life and property from damage which is usually caused by the diverse geological conditions.
What Does An Engineering Geologist Do?
The following are some duties of the engineering geologist.
- Risk evaluations to the geological properties and environment
- Study of material properties
- Avalanche and slope stability, floods, soil erosion
- In-depth investigations
Why Study Engineering Geology?
Apparently, there are many reasons why you would want to give the thought of studying engineering geology a try.
First, of, a degree in Engineering Geology helps you maintain a stable and cost-effective plan for projects.
Actually, to reduce the cost of a particular project, there has to be geological information on the planning, design, and construction phase.
Furthermore, it is according to the dictates of engineering geology that the locations of dams, railways, roads, and foundations are constructed. This is to take possible preventive measures for these structures.
What Can I Do With An Engineering Geology Degree?
As much as knowledge about the earth’s composition and processes is acquired during the degree training, below are some jobs you can feature in as an engineering geologist.
- Engineering geologist
- Geochemist
- Geophysicist
- Geoscientist
- Geotechnical engineer
- Hydrogeologist
- Mudlogger
- Wellsite geologist
How Much Do Engineering Geologist Earn?
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, Geological, mining, and science engineering have an average salary of $84,300
In 2018, BLS also projected that jobs in this field will grow by 3%.
What Are The Best Schools To Study Engineering Geology Degree?
The following are the schools we see as best in 2022 using the following as yardsticks: admission process, cost of tuition, and nature of the program.
- University of Pennsylvania
- Cornell University
- Colorado School of Mines
- Illinois Institute of Technology
- Washington University in St Louis
University of Pennsylvania
The University of Pennsylvania is a private Ivy League research university in Philadelphia. It is also one of the nine colonial colleges chartered prior to the U.S. Declaration of Independence.
This graduate program focuses on proffering solutions to earth and man-made structures.
Also, graduates with this course specialization can either work for environmental engineering or geotechnical consulting firms. On the other hand, you can also decide to pursue extra studies at the doctoral level.
Admission Requirements
Your application to the Master of Science in Applied Geosciences program will be assessed according to the following standards:
Although, you are expected to have a background foundation in Geology and physical sciences which may include chemistry, maths, and physics.
- Undergraduate academic record at an accredited college or university
- Work experience
- Career objectives and reasons for choosing the Master of Science in Applied Geosciences program at Penn
- Letters of recommendation
- Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) scores, if applicable
Admission Process
For you to be one of those graduate students in Penn’s state engineering geology program, you should complete and submit your documents online.
However, it is important to note that your documents must be received on or before the due date indicated on the application portal.
Cost of Study
The amount you pay as tuition at the University of Pennysylvania is calculated per course unit.
Therefore, below is the breakdown of tuition fees for the various course units.
| Course Units | Tuition | General Fee | Program Fee | Clinical Fee | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | $5,978 | $430 | $150 | N/A | $6,558 |
| 2 | $11,956 | $860 | $150 | N/A | $12,966 |
| 3 | $17,934 | $1,726 | $150 | $315 | $20,125 |
| 4 | $23,912 | $1,726 | $150 | $315 | $26,103 |
Cornell University
This graduate program intends to empower the students and the professional engineering geoscientists with the background knowledge they need to solve earth system variables.
So many options in which one can specialize in this program are as follows: geohydrology, applied and environmental geophysics, ocean science and technology, and atmospheric science.
More so, intending students should have a solid foundation in mathematics, physical sciences, ad chemistry.
Admission Requirements
At the time of writing this article, the admission requirements have not been made known.
Admission Process
Application into this program is and can be submitted through the school’s graduate website which you can find below.
Cornell Graduate School website.
Cost of Study
The cost of tuition at Cornell University is $29,293.
Colorado School of Mines
The Colorado School of Mines is a university that is focused on science and engineering. The students are guided on the best way to tackle challenges relating to earth, energy, and the environment.
For those who are willing to study groundwater and mining engineering geology are advised to take a degree in engineering geology.
Admission Requirements
Apparently, there are four basic groupings to the graduate studies at Colorado School of Mines and they are regular, provisional, graduate non-degree, and foreign exchange.
However, here are the following requirements you should have in your possession.
- Transcripts
- 3 letters of recommendation
- GRE Score
- Language requirement
Admission Process
Both resident and non-resident students can apply for admission through the link here.
Cost of Study
The tuition for this engineering geology degree will always be made available prior to the beginning of an academic session.
Alternatively, it can also be found on the Bursar’s website.
Illinois Institute of Technology
Illinois Tech’s Master of Engineering in engineering geology program gives knowledge and training to prepare students to examine, map, and build structures, and to provide solutions to problems in geotechnical engineering and environmental geotechnics.
Admission Requirements
The following are the admission requirements for this engineering geology program.
- Letters of recommendation
- GRE test scores
- Transcripts
Admission Process
The submission of the application is done through the admission portal provided on the school’s site.
Cost of Study
One of the important things to put into consideration when applying for an engineering geology degree is actually the cost of tuition.
Also consider the long-term value. So, the tuition fee is $48,670 for both residential and non-residential students.
University of Portsmouth
The graduate engineering geology degree program at the University of Portsmouth provides the students with the advanced skills needed to understand the effect of earthly conditions on structures as dams, mines, quarries, etc.
This program helps you spot ground conditions and provide suitable solutions to the structures. Furthermore, at the time when you are able to graduate, it will take you places and you’ll be happy you took up this course of the program.
Admission Requirements
The admission requirements are as follows:
- A 2:2 honours degree in relevant Earth Science or Civil Engineering fields such as Geology, Earth Science Civil Engineering or a related discipline.
- English language proficiency at a minimum of IELTS band 6.5
Admission Process
Interested students who wish to apply for this graduate program at UP should submit their admission applications through the school’s admission portal.
Cost of Study
The cost of tuition for the engineering geology degree program is as follows but, note that they are subject to change.
UK/EU/Channel Islands
- Full time: £9,000
- Part-time: £4,500
International students
- Full time: £16,400
- Part-time: £8,200
Conclusion
As much as engineering geology degree studies about the earth’s processes and composition, the schools where you obtain these degree goes a long way in paving way for you.
Putting your interest at heart, we have carefully outlined some guidelines for you and we hope you make the most out of it.
Best wishes!
References
- https://www.prospects.ac.uk/careers-advice/what-can-i-do-with-my-degree/geology
- https://eps.wustl.edu/graduate
- http://www.geologypage.com/engineering-geology.html
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