The Department of Geology and Geophysics is committed to a welcoming educational environment for all students, faculty, staff, and visitors. We welcome applicants with a four-year baccalaureate degree, usually in geology, geophysics, physics, chemistry, mathematics, or engineering. A Master of Science is not required to apply as a Ph.D. student. Students with an M.S. should apply for the Ph.D.-64 hour program while B.S. or B.A. degree holders should apply for the Ph.D.-96 hour program. Ideally, applicants should have completed mathematics through integral calculus and differential equations or statistics, one year of college-level chemistry and one year of calculus-based physics.
For additional information about our Graduate Degrees, see https://artsci.tamu.edu/geology-geophysics/academics/graduate/index.html.
Admission requires that a completed application is submitted by the stated deadline for the fall or spring semester. The following information, and that provided on the application process page, will help you gather and prepare documents necessary to complete the application properly.
M.S. and PH.D. Required Application Materials:
- Completed GraduateCAS application
- Undergraduate and graduate (if applicable) unofficial transcripts
- TOEFL or IELTS scores (international applicants only)
- CV or resume
- Three letters of recommendation
- Personal statement
Transcripts: The university prefers that you upload unofficial transcripts for your application. Official transcripts will be requested once you are admitted to a graduate program.
Grade Point Average (GPA): There is no minimum GPA to be considered as an applicant, but most incoming students have GPAs well above 3.00 (4-point scale).
Graduate Record Examination (GRE): At this time, we do not require applicants to report GRE scores, and we will not consider GRE scores in our holistic application-review process.
TOEFL or IELTS: International applicants whose native language is not English must take a standardized test (TOEFL or IELTS) to demonstrate English Language Proficiency (ELP). International applicants should check the web page https://admissions.tamu.edu/apply/international/international-graduate for a complete list of university admissions requirements. Different types of tests are offered for the TOEFL. The following are the corresponding minimum overall test scores required for admission to the university: 80 for the TOEFL iBT taken prior to January 21, 2026, 4.5 for the TOEFL iBT taken on or after January 21, 2026, and 8.5 for the TOEFL Essentials. Texas A&M University does not accept the MyBest TOEFL score. For IELTS Academic, a test score of 6.0 overall band or better is required. Tests should be taken less than 2 years prior to submitting the application. For further details see https://grad.tamu.edu/academics/academic-success-resources/elp.
Note that in order to serve as a Graduate Assistant in Teaching (GAT), international applicants whose native language is not English must meet English proficiency standards greater than that for admission, using a standardized test TOEFL Speaking or IELTS Speaking score. For further details see the English Language Proficiency information page.
CV or Resume: This provides the opportunity to succinctly summarize your academic history and achievements, awards, research experience and products, service activities, employment history, etc.
Letters of Recommendation: Three letters of recommendation are required, and these are an important part of your application. Choose recommenders who can adequately and fairly assess your potential, as a student and researcher. Accordingly, letters should come from academic referees rather than previous employers. However, in cases where your workplace professional activities are directly related to your planned M.S. or Ph.D. course of study, a letter from a supervisor is welcomed.
Personal Statement: The personal statement gives you an opportunity to communicate directly to faculty members and the admissions committee. Read the prompt before writing your statement. Refer to the University Writing Center's Personal Statements page for guidance on writing a strong personal statement.