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We are no longer accepting applications for Fall of 2009. If you are interested in joining the Fall 2010 team, please stop back at this web site in Fall 2009.
Applying to the GeoSystems Initiative means first applying to one of two departments at Penn State and then, after acceptance into the department, being considered for the Initiative itself.
Students graduate from the GeoSystems Initiative with a degree in their core discipline; petroleum engineers will graduate with a M.S. in Petroleum and Natural Gas Engineering,and geophysicists and geologists will graduate with a M.S. in Geosciences.
What this means in practice is that to become a member of the Petroleum GeoSystems Team, you will need to apply for graduate study within either the Department of Geosciences (Geology/Geophysics) or the Department of Energy and Mineral Engineering (Petroleum and Natural Gas Engineering). You must meet all the normal requirements for application to these programs. If you apply to the Petroleum GeoSystems Initiative you will also be considered for regular appointment in whichever program you have chosen to apply to (either Geosciences or Petroleum and Natural Gas Engineering). If you have a question as to which program is most appropriate for you, please refer to the 'Frequently Asked Questions' section below.
You can learn more about each of the departments at their individual web sites:
Petroleum and Natural Gas Engineering Program
All application materials are now available to download online. However, each of the two departments has it's own slightly different application process.
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Should I apply as an engineer or as a geoscientist?
We envision that undergraduates trained in geology and/or geophysics will
apply as a geoscientist and that students with undergraduate training
in engineering will apply as a petroleum engineer. However, if you have
a quantitative undergraduate degree and are interested in engineering
applications, you might consider applying as an engineer. In similar fashion,
if you have an undergraduate degree in engineering and are considering
graduate school in geosciences, we would consider that as well. Above
all, we are looking for bright people, with a passion for their field,
and the ability to work in a team-based environment.
If I apply to the GeoSystems Initiative will
I be excluded from consideration for a regular appointment within either
Geosciences or Petroleum Engineering?
No, you will also be considered for regular appointment in whichever program
you have chosen to apply to (either Geosciences or Engineering).
When should I apply?
The Graduate School at Penn State does not have a deadline for processing
applications. (Exception: International applicants must submit materials
at least four months before the beginning of the semester for which they
are applying.) Applications should be submitted as early as possible to
the individual departments. Geosciences Department application are due by December 15, 2007.
What support is there for this program?
If you are selected for the GeoSystems Initiative, you will receive a
two-year graduate assistantship or fellowship. In addition,
you can intern as an employee in the petroleum industry.
How many people will be accepted into the GeoSystems
Initiative?
We plan to accept
between 3 and 5 students into each new class.
GeoSystems Initiative, 305 Deike Building, University
Park, PA 16802
Phone: 814-863-7072, Fax: 814-863-7823, Email: geosystem@geosc.psu.edu