Advising
Important Information for Undergraduate Students
In order to increase the likelihood of academic success and timely graduation, the following apply to all Geosciences majors:
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Meet with your Geosciences advisor (Dr. Irina Novozhilova, DSB 120) and your Geosciences faculty mentor prior to your assigned registration time for each upcoming semester! This especially applies to new majors. If you need a Geosciences faculty mentor or do not know who your Geosciences faculty mentor is, see Karen Wolfe in DSB 241.
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Check the Forms and Schedules Page for updated Upper Division Forms, a Schedule of Classes by Semester, Course Prerequisites, etc.
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When planning your courses, make sure you complete the required prerequisites before the semesters in which you plan to take the courses. Prerequisites for specific courses can be found by looking at the List of Geoscience Course Prerequisites document.
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After completing 60 semester hours of all college-level course work, file the appropriate Upper Division Form and Intent to Graduation Form with the dean's office. Any geosciences major who has completed more than 60 semester hours and not filed an Upper Division Form will have a hold placed on his/her registration account. (Note: This rule also applies to transfer students.)
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If planning to apply to graduate school, take the Graduate Record Exam (GRE) during Fall Semester of your senior year and have all letters of recommendation materials (both paper and electronic) to your faculty references prior to the end of Fall Semester exams. Due to the ongoing pandemic, MTSU is not currently requiring the GRE for admission.
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If applying for jobs or internships, inform your faculty references of the companies to which you are applying. Make sure that you include the correct faculty contact information.
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All students should frequently check their MTSU email address accounts for messages from Geosciences faculty and staff, or from other MTSU departments. The Department of Geosciences does not have access to non-MTSU student email addresses. FERPA and MTSU policies state that faculty may only communicate with students regarding academic matters using the MTSU designated student accounts.
Faculty Spotlight
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Dr. Mark Abolins teaches a course about earthquakes and folded and fractured rocks (Geol 4080/5080 Structural Geology), a Field Methods in Geology course (Geol 3050), and an on-line course about caves (Geol 3040 Geoscience of Caves). His research foci include (a) the development of caves within folded and fractured rocks, (b) the geology of continental interiors, and (c) the accuracy of geologic maps. In the computer sphere, he uses geographic information system (GIS) software and Midland Valley MOVE structural geology software in teaching and research. He has incorporated state-of-the-art local and global LiDAR (light detection and ranging) elevation datasets into his work.