This is a comprehensive list of courses offered in the Department of Earth and Environmental Science that fulfill the requirements in the online Master of Science in Applied Geosciences curriculum. These courses are also available to students enrolled in applied geoscience certificates as well as individual course-takers.
Not all courses are offered every year. Check current course listings for which courses are offered each semester.
EESC 5200 Aqueous Geochemistry
Required degree course: Geochemistry
Offered in the fall term
This course is designed to provide graduate students with an understanding of the fundamentals of aqueous geochemistry. The chemistry of water, air, and soil will be studied from an environmental perspective. The nature, composition, structure, and properties of pollutants coupled with the major chemical mechanisms controlling the occurrence and mobility of chemicals in the environment will also be studied. Upon completion of this course, students should expect to have attained a broad understanding of and familiarity with aqueous geochemistry concepts applicable to the environmental field. Environmental issues that will be covered include acid deposition, toxic metal contamination, deforestation, and anthropogenic perturbed aspects of the earth’s hydrosphere.
EESC 5630 Hydrology
Required degree course: Hydrology
Offered in the fall term
Introduction to the basic principles of the hydrologic cycle and water budgets, precipitation and infiltration, evaporation and transpiration, stream flow, hydrograph analysis (floods), subsurface and groundwater flow, well hydraulics, water quality, and frequency analysis.
EESC 5704 Geologic Field Methods
Elective course
Offered in the summer term even years
This is an in-person class. One week in Philadelphia is required to complete the course. Field trips are required.
During six Saturday field trips, students will study field methods for the collection of geologic data. Use of the Brunton compass for basic surveying and collection of rock strata orientation will be stressed. Students will have an opportunity for field study of rocks and minerals, geomorphology, and geologic structures. This course is intended for MSAG students who do not have a degree in geology or need a field methods course for PG licensure.
EESC 5720 Role of the Environmental Professional in Managing Contaminated Site Liability
Elective course
Offered in the fall term
Evaluation of environmental contamination and liability is an important tool during acquisition of real estate property, and a standard work product in the environmental consulting field. This course will cover the purpose and history of the Superfund law, the various classifications of Superfund liable parties, and protections against Superfund liability, including innocent landowners, contiguous property owners, and bona fide prospective purchasers (BFPP). In the context of these CERCLA liability protections the course will focus on the performance of "All Appropriate Inquiry" for the presence of environmental contamination (e.g., Phase I environmental site assessment). Our study of "All Appropriate Inquiry" will include evaluation of historical maps and other resources, aerial photography, chain-of-title documentation, and governmental database information. A virtual site visit will be performed to gain experience and knowledge for the identification of recognized environmental conditions. Students will prepare environmental reports for select properties and will have an opportunity to hone technical writing skills.
EESC 6606 Fate and Transport of Pollutants
Elective course
Offered in the summer term
This course covers basic groundwater flow and solute transport modeling in one-,two-, and three-dimensions. After first reviewing the principles of modeling, the student will gain hands-on experience by conducting simulations on the computer. The modeling programs used in the course are MODFLOW (USGS), MT3D, and the US Army Corps of Engineers GMS (Groundwater Modeling System). Students enrolled in this course will be required to review pertinent groundwater hydrogeology material and perform associated assignments prior to the start of the course. This material comprises Parts 1 and 2 of the course and will be posted to a pre-course Module on the course Canvas website. The pre-course materials will open to students two weeks prior to the start of class.
EESC 6620 Environmental Groundwater Hydrology
Required degree course: Groundwater Hydrology
Offered in the spring term
This course is designed to introduce the major definitions and concepts regarding groundwater flow and contaminant transport. The theory and underlying concepts, including mathematical derivations of governing equations used to model groundwater flow and contaminant transport, will be discussed and applications to environmental problems addressed. Upon completion of this course, students should expect to have attained a broad understanding of and familiarity with groundwater flow and contaminant transport concepts, and to have acquired the skills necessary to pursue work in flow and transport modeling.
EESC 6664 Field Study of Soils
Elective course
Offered in the summer term on odd years
This is an in-person class. One week in Philadelphia is required to complete the course. Field trips are required.
Soil is a natural body that exists as part of the environment where inorganic, geologic materials combine with organic materials to produce an array of soils with large variations in observable properties. This course will begin with in-class primers on the field description of soil properties, soil classification, and land use classification, followed by several day-long local field trips to observe and study soils in situ.
EESC 6711 Contaminated Site Investigation, Remediation, and Long-Term Stewardship
Elective course
Offered in the spring term
The superfund law authorizes the president to respond to releases of hazardous substances into the environment in order to protect public health and the environment. This course will focus on topics related to such responses, including environmental investigation and risk assessment, environmental remediation techniques, and related topics.
EESC 6715 Water Resources for Geologists and Environmental Scientists
Elective course
Offered in the summer term
This class will provide an overview of water topics and issues and is intended to provide geologists and environmental scientists with a working understanding of current water resource issues and challenges ranging from stormwater and flooding to stream restoration, water reuse and ecological restoration. Starting with an understanding of hydrology, streams, and related ecosystems, the class will look at the various ways we use and depend on water, the ways in which water resources are degraded, and practices to restore and protect the resource. Topics to be covered include green infrastructure, water and wastewater sources and water reuse, stream health, stream channel restoration, riparian buffers, floodplains, best practices, and the concept of “one water.” We will also cover current regulations, changing water policies, sustainability, and the implications of climate change.
EESC 6720 Landslides
Elective course
Offered in the spring term on odd years
Landslides are important geomorphic agents in mountainous terrain, mobilizing sediment and playing a key role in controlling relief and elevation. The work of landslides is often characterized by their magnitude-frequency, which also has direct implications for people, property, and infrastructure in mountainous terrain, and for the approaches taken to minimize the risk from landslides. This course will introduce students to a conceptual understanding of landslides at a range of spatial scales, including the mechanics of the processes governing landslides from trigger to deposition. Methods of slope monitoring and the varied approaches to landslide risk mitigation and management will be explored, with a range of geotechnical and environmental applications. This course includes lab-based sessions to demonstrate simple techniques to understand fundamental landslide processes, and applications of GIS technology to explore slope monitoring and failure prediction.
EESC 6770 Geocomputations
Required degree course: Geocomputations
Offered in the fall term
Review and applications of selected methods from differential equations, advanced engineering mathematics, and geostatistics to problems encountered in geology, engineering geology, geophysics, and hydrology.
EESC 6810 Applied and Environmental Geophysics
Required degree course: Geophysics
Offered in the spring term
The application of geophysical investigation techniques to problems of the local and shallow subsurface structure of the earth. The application of geophysical measurements and interpretation for environmental site characterizations, locating buried structures, groundwater investigations, and identifying geotechnical hazards with emphasis on gravity methods, seismic refraction and reflection, electrical resistivity, electromagnetic methods, ground penetrating radar, and borehole nuclear logging.
EESC 6820 Geomechanics
Required degree course: Geomechanics
Offered in the spring term
This course focuses on the mechanical properties of earth materials and teaching analytical methods through the analysis of equilibrium force systems within the context of environmental and engineering geology. The course will explore how rocks deform in response to tensor stress, fluid pressure, and temperature, and how these deformations and fluid flows can alter the state of stress, leading to significant feedback effects. The understanding of these processes will assist in predicting the behavior of geological materials under various forces and environmental conditions, which is crucial for stable infrastructure and mitigating hazards such as landslides and sinkholes. Throughout the course, the fundamental principles of mechanics and their practical applications will be explored through problem definition and solving strategies working on real-life projects.
EESC 6840 Engineering Geology and Applied Structural Geology
Required degree course: Engineering Geology
Offered in the fall term
The combined branches of Engineering Geology and Structural Geology enable thorough site characterization to assure the safety, efficiency, and economy of engineering and environmental projects. Engineering geology applies the understanding of geologic context to engineering problems in construction, infrastructure development, and resource management. Applied structural geology requires a fundamental understanding of how rocks behave both in the deformation and failure of the earth’s crust and under current and changing conditions in the built environment. Geologists provide an essential service as human population expands into less hospitable areas and climate resilience adaptation is required, while building, protecting, remediating, and mitigating the environment, and sustainably extracting earth’s resources when needed. Engineering and Structural Geology interfaces closely with Civil Engineering to assist in site selections, desktop site investigations, subsurface site investigations, development of three-dimensional engineering, structural and stratigraphic models, and assistance with soil and rock lithological engineering and geochemical design parameters. This course will focus on the occurrence and distribution of Earth's rocks and soils, delving into their engineering and structural attributes. Emphasis will be placed on the engineering categorization, testing, and application of these materials. Additionally, the course will explore geohazards within structural geology, analyzing geotechnical engineering factors in rocks and soil, and other natural geological risks like floods and earthquakes. These topics will be contextualized within geological history, highlighting their significance in planning and design within the geological environment.
EESC 6850 Advanced Engineering Geology
Elective Course
Offered in the spring term on even years
Advanced Engineering Geology involves working through the difficult stages of the interfacing of engineering design and geologic conditions to assure the safety and efficiency of engineering projects and geohazards. This course is a follow-on to the Engineering Geology and Applied Structural Geology course and is closely associated with Geotechnical Engineering, including techniques and practices.
Throughout this course, geologic data, techniques, and principles will be applied to analyze naturally occurring rock and soil conditions, as well as surface and subsurface water conditions. The primary focus will be on identifying, interpreting, and addressing the geologic factors affecting the planning, design, construction, and operation of engineered structures, as well as the development of groundwater resources. The course will outline the skills necessary for functional design systems within these frameworks. There will be a strong emphasis on the utilization of engineering classification, testing, and application of earth materials. Furthermore, geohazards in structural geology and geotechnical engineering parameters in rocks and soil, along with other natural geological hazards such as floods and earthquakes, will be examined within the context of geological history. The course will explore their implications for the planning and utilization of the geological environment.
EESC 6998 Project Design
Required degree course
Offered in the fall term
This course is designed to prepare Master of Science in Applied Geosciences students to undertake their Project Design exercise. In this course, we discuss how to identify an appropriate research project, how to design a research plan, and how to prepare a detailed proposal. By the end of the course, each student is expected to have completed a Project Design proposal.
ENVS 5706 Modeling Geographic Objects
Elective course
Offered in the fall term
This course offers a broad and practical introduction to the acquisition, storage, retrieval, maintenance, use, and presentation of digital cartographic data with both image and drawing-based geographic information systems (GIS) for a variety of environmental science, planning, and management applications. Its major objectives are to provide the training necessary to make productive use of at least two well-known software packages, and to establish the conceptual foundation on which to build further skills and knowledge in late practice.
ENVS 5716 Modeling Geographic Space
Elective course
Offered in the spring term
This course explores the nature and use of digital geographic information systems (GIS) for the analysis and synthesis of spatial patterns and processes through cartographic modeling. Cartographic modeling is a general but well-defined methodology that can be used to address a wide variety of analytical mapping applications in a clear and consistent manner. It does so by decomposing both data and data-processing tasks into elemental components that can then be recomposed with relative ease and with great flexibility.
