PhD Geology at Iowa State University

Programme overview

There are many challenges facing society today. Geoscientists who understand Earth processes, resources, atmosphere, and environments can help address these challenges and are in high demand. Changing climate, dwindling energy resources, natural hazards, and deteriorating environmental quality are among the most challenging of societal problems. Geoscientists, who study Earth processes and resources to understand and help address these and related issues, are in high demand.

Faculty: Graduate College | Study mode: full-time | Intake: Fall term - June 15, Spring term - Nov 15, Summer term - March 15. | Location: Ames, IA, United States

What you will study

Areas of specialization/research: Mineralogy; Petrology; Structural Geology; Sedimentary Geology; Geoscience Education; Paleooceanography; Paleoclimatology; Geobiology; Human-Computer Interaction; GIS; Sclerochronology; Seismology; Economic Geology; Stable Isotope Geochemistry; Hydrology; Geomorphology; Glaciology; Paleontology; Physical Geography; Remote Sensing; Geospatial Modeling; Sustainability; Geophysics; Biogeochemistry.

Official programme page

Application information

Entry requirements

Graduate College requirements: 4 year Bachelor’s degree (or equivalent) Academic Records/Transcripts Minimum 3.0 GPA (Program may alter requirement.) Proof of English Proficiency. Programme-specific requirements: Three essays (may be uploaded with online application) Concurrent applicants follow directions on web page Resume Duolingo is temporally being accepted instead of TOEFL/IELTS Program Requires GRE: No Program Requires GMAT: No

Tuition is charged per credit, so the total depends on the modules you register for each year. Current fees are listed in the official fee schedule.

Entry terms for first-year applicants include Fall 2026, Spring 2027 and Summer 2027. International undergraduate applications are reviewed on a rolling basis and may be submitted up to one year before the intended start date; applying at least six to eight weeks in advance is strongly recommended.

Graduate application fee: $60 for domestic applicants and $100 for international applicants (nonrefundable), a separate fee for each program applied to; some programs postpone fee collection until after review. Deadlines are set by each graduate program.

Apply through the official page: https://apps.admissions.iastate.edu/apply/online/

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