Geological Sciences

Master's Degree Program with an EMPHASIS IN ENGINEERING GEOLOGY

Master's Degree Program
The Geological Sciences Department at California State University, Los Angeles offers a wide variety of specialized upper division and graduate courses in applied and theoretical engineering geology covering topics such as slope stability, geomorphology, photo interpretation, paleoseismology, hydrogeology, and Quaternary geology. Course materials are selected to be valuable both to students already working in the engineering geology field and to students with little or no engineering geology experience. Graduate and upper division courses are scheduled for late afternoon and early evening in order to accommodate working students. Dr. Kim Bishop, who teaches most of the engineering geology courses is licensed in the state of California as a Registered Geologist, Certified Engineering Geologist, and Registered Civil Engineer. He also worked in engineering geology consulting for nine years prior to joining the CSULA faculty. Master's Degree candidates may select either a Thesis or Comprehensive Examination. The philosophy of the Department has been to encourage independent research, hence, the Comprehensive Examination Option also includes a research project. Both options include an oral defense of the Thesis or Research Project to the student's three member Faculty Committee. A total of 45 quarter units are required to complete either option. Students who enter the program without a Bachelors Degree in geological sciences or other appropriate science or engineering training are required to complete a makeup program. This program prepares you for success in the graduate program and as a professional engineering geologist.

Current and Recent Engineering Geology Master's Degree Topics:
Owens Valley fault scarp study Rock avalanche study near Benton and Lone Pine, California Compaction characteristics of diatomaceous soil Consolidation characteristics of diatomaceous soil Rock avalanche study, Avawatz basin, eastern California Hydrocompaction characteristics of dry compacted fill Poverty Hills rock avalanche, Owens Valley, California Little Lake and Cottonwood landslides, Owens Valley California Scanning Electron Microscope analysis of compacted diatomaceous soil Scarp analysis in the Afton area of the Mojave Desert Geomorphology of San Antonio Canyon, San Gabriel Mountains Rock avalanches of the Crystal Lake area, San Gabriel Mountains Landslides at Black Mountain, southern California Groundwater seepage problem analysis, Malaga Cove
Faculty Areas of Expertise
Engineering Geology
Kim M. Bishop, Ph.D., USC, 1994, Registered Geologist, Certified Engineering Geologist, Registered Civil Engineer: Engineering Geology; landslides, soils engineering, structural geology, tectonics. Barry J. Hibbs, Ph.D., University of Texas, Austin, 1993: Hydrogeology; numerical flow/solute transport modeling, contaminant hydrogeology, wetlands hydrogeology, environmental geophysics, contaminant hydrogeology.

Faculty in Related Areas
Richard W. Hurst, Ph.D., UCLA, 1975: Hydrogeochemistry; stable and radiogenic isotopes, environmental forensics, organic and inorganic geochemistry, contaminant transport.

Engineering Geology Courses
Upper Division/Graduate Courses
GEOL433 Quaternary Geology GEOL435 Coastal Processes and Environments GEOL473 Clay Mineralogy GEOL481 Engineering Geology GEOL482 Engineering Geology Laboratory GEOL483 Photogeology GEOL484 Hydrogeology GEOL485 Groundwater Mgmt. & Models GEOL486 Environmental & Engineering Geophysics
Graduate Courses
GEOL560 Hydrogeology GEOL561 Vadose Zone Hydrogeology GEOL562 Contaminant Hydrogeology GEOL563 Water Quality Seminar GEOL570 Special Topics GEOL581 Seminar: Engineering Geology GEOL584 Paleoseismology GEOL585 Landslides, Avalanches, and Debris Flows GEOL597 Graduate Research GEOL598 Graduate Directed Study GEOL599 Thesis
*Examples of recent topics: Engineering Geology of Dams; Engineering Geology of Landfills; Soil Stratigraphy

Facilities & Equipment Laboratories
	Soils Analysis Laboratory
	Wet Chemistry Laboratory
	Sedimentological Flume Laboratory
	Computer Laboratories

Concerned about license requirements to practice professional geology?
Anyone who offers to practice or practices geology or geophysics for the public in California must be licensed as a geologist or geophysicist. Click here to learn more.

Financial Assistance
The Department of Geological Sciences offers support to help defray the costs of tuition, or graduate thesis research expenses. At present, graduate students are eligible to apply for scholarships listed below (intent or restrictions are shown in parentheses). Additional financial support may be available through the Office of Financial Assistance, Student Affairs Building, Room 124. To be eligible for any scholarship, an application must be filed with the Office of Scholarships and Financial Assistance in the Student Affairs Building Room 124.
Bean-Weber Scholarship (Hydrogeology) Chance-Dana Award (Outstanding Students) Robert Stone Scholarship (Thesis Expenses) Martin Stout Scholarship (Outstanding Promise)

TOP| |HOME|