Mar 28, 2024  
2019-2020 SDSM&T Academic Catalog 
    
2019-2020 SDSM&T Academic Catalog [ARCHIVED CATALOG]

Atmospheric and Environmental Sciences, MS


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Contact Information

Dr. William J. Capehart, Program Director
Atmospheric and Environmental Sciences
Mineral Industries 201
(605) 394-1994
E-mail: William.Capehart@sdsmt.edu

MS in Atmospheric and Environmental Sciences

The MS in Atmospheric Sciences offers two specializations, one in Environmental Science and one in Meteorology. Both specializations are available in a thesis option or a non-thesis option.

SD Mines undergraduate students admitted to the Accelerated MS may apply up to 9 credits of approved 400/500/600 level AES coursework toward both the BS and the MS degrees.

Degree requirements for the Environmental Science specialization (thesis option)


Distribution of credits


Core requirements: 5 credits
Research or project requirements: 6-9 credits
Elective requirements: 17-21 credits
Total credits: 32

A minimum of 16 credits of the 32 required must be taken at the 600 level or above.

Core requirements


Research or project requirements


The completion of a master’s thesis, approved by the student’s graduate advisory committee and the Dean of Graduate Education, is required for this degree.

  • Credits: Credit to be arranged. **
  • ** At least 6 credits of AES 798 are required. No more than 9 credits of AES 798 may be counted toward the degree.

Elective requirements


  • Core courses and electives combined must include a minimum of fifteen (15) credit hours of coursework in Atmospheric and Environmental Sciences (AES prefix) at the 500 level or above
  • Six to nine (6-9) credits of courses in Atmospheric and Environmental Sciences or another program

All electives must be approved by the student’s thesis committee.

Examinations


A thesis defense and final oral examination are required for this degree.

Additional requirements


In addition to these degree-specific requirements, the student must also meet the requirements and policies applied to all graduate degrees  by the Council of Graduate Education.

Degree requirements for the Environmental Science specialization (non-thesis option)


Distribution of credits


Core requirements: 11 credits
Research or project requirements: 0-3 credits
Elective requirements: 18-21 credits
Total credits: 32

A minimum of 16 credits of the 32 required must be taken at the 600 level or above.

Core requirements


The core courses must be taken at the 500 level or above.

Research or project requirements


A project is optional for this degree.

Elective requirements


  • At least 18 additional credit hours of coursework

All electives must be approved by the student’s academic advisor.

Examinations


No final degree examination is required for the non-thesis option. Individual courses may hold final examinations as part of the course.

Additional requirements


In addition to these degree-specific requirements, the student must also meet the requirements and policies applied to all graduate degrees  by the Council of Graduate Education.

Degree requirements for the Meteorology specialization (thesis option)


Distribution of credits


Core requirements: 8-20 credits
Research or project requirements: 6-9 credits
Elective requirements: 3-18 credits
Total credits: 32

A minimum of 16 credits of the 32 required must be taken at the 600 level or above.

Core requirements


Research or project requirements


The completion of a master’s thesis, approved by the student’s graduate advisory committee and the Dean of Graduate Education, is required for this degree.

  • Credits: Credit to be arranged. **
  • ** At least 6 credits of AES 798 are required. No more than 9 credits of AES 798 may be counted toward the degree.

Elective requirements


  • Three to eighteen (3-18) credits of other electives

All electives must be approved by the student’s advisory committee.

Examinations


A thesis defense and final oral examination are required for this degree.

Additional requirements


In addition to these degree-specific requirements, the student must also meet the requirements and policies applied to all graduate degrees  by the Council of Graduate Education.

Degree requirements for the Meteorology specialization (non-thesis option)


Distribution of credits


Core requirements: 20 credits
Research or project requirements: 0-3 credits
Elective requirements: 9-12 credits
Total credits: 32

A minimum of 16 credits of the 32 required must be taken at the 600 level or above.

Core requirements


For the Meteorology Specialization, the following courses are required at the graduate (500) level:

Research or project requirements


A project is optional for this degree.

Elective requirements


  • Six to nine (6-9) credits of other electives

All electives must be approved by the student’s academic advisor.

Examinations


No final degree examination is required for the non-thesis option. Individual courses may hold final examinations as part of the course.

Additional requirements


In addition to these degree-specific requirements, the student must also meet the requirements and policies applied to all graduate degrees  by the Council of Graduate Education.

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