Expectations for Seismology Graduate Students

Expectations for Seismology Graduate Students Supervised by John Anderson, James Brune, and John Louie

This is an informal document, prepared by John Anderson, James Brune, and John Louie, which is intended to give our graduate students a description of our general expectations. This is also an evolving document, with revisions being made any time one comes to mind, so check with John Anderson to be sure your copy is up to date. Also, if you discover anything in here that seems out of date, please bring it to our attention, so that we can fix it.

Every student is different. None of us have exactly the same expectations. You should talk with your advisor, to find out how his expectations for you differ from what is written here.

This page is available to WWW readers such as Mosaic at the URL http://www.seismo.unr.edu/ftp/pub/louie/class/seisgrad-expect.html.

1 University and Geology Department Requirements

You are responsible to know, and to conform with, all relevant regulations as defined by the University of Nevada, the Graduate School, and the Geology Department. References are:

the latest edition of the General Catalog, University of Nevada,
the Handbook for Graduate Students prepared by the Graduate School (available from the Graduate School offices, on the second floor of Getchell Library),
and the Department of Geological Sciences Guidelines for M. S. and Ph.D. Programs (available from Ingrid Ramos, in the Geology Department office on the 4th floor of the Laxalt Mineral Engineering (LME) building).

There is no systematic effort in this document to include the information from those sources. The current edition of the University of Nevada, Reno Class Schedule describes relevant deadlines in addition to class offerings. (You should talk to the Professors about class offerings, since the Class Schedule is often printed before all graduate classes to be taught have been fixed. Also check the schedule of geophysical courses to be taught in future semesters.)

Also, please note that the expectations described in this document are secondary to University and Geology Department regulations. These comments may, in some cases, help you understand how we interpret and apply the regulations.

2 Background Reading

As a graduate student, you are expected to learn with much greater independence than you may have in the past. You need to become acquainted with facts and ideas from the entire range of solid earth geophysics and some fields of geology and to recognize the ways these subjects are interrelated. The following is a list of recommended background reading that a well-rounded geophysicist ought to be familiar with. Some of these books have been adopted for classes you will take, but others are not. You should become familiar with all of them. Familiarity with all will be expected at the time of your Ph.D Comprehensive Examination. For your Ph.D. Qualifier Examination, or M.S. Comprehensive Examination, you will be expected to be familiar with those with an asterisk, and material you have encountered in classes to date. There is considerable overlap among these books, so don't think that you need to go through every one of them in excruciating detail.

Some of these books are out of print, but all are in the library:

   2.1 Background Geology
        *Press and Siever: Earth.
        *Vita-Finzi: Recent Earth Movements
        *Suppe: Principles of Structural Geology
        Compton: Geology in the Field
        Hansen, W. R. (1991): Suggestions to Authors of USGS Reports (7th edition)

   2.2 Background Seismology
        *Richter: Elementary Seismology
        *Bolt: Earthquakes
        *Scholz: The Mechanics of Earthquakes and Faulting
        *Stein: Introduction to Seismology, Earthquakes and Earth Structure
        Bullen and Bolt: An Introduction to the Theory of Seismology
        Gubbins: Seismology and Plate Tectonics

   2.3 Geophysics
        *Kearey and Vine: Global Tectonics
        *Garland: Introduction to Geophysics
        *Dobrin and Savit: Geophysical Prospecting
        Fowler: The Solid Earth
        Turcott and Schubert: Geodynamics
        Jacobs: The Earth's Core
        Anderson: Theory of the Earth
        Stacey: Physics of the Earth
        Cox & Hart: Plate Tectonics - How it Works

   2.4 Advanced Seismology Texts
   The following texts are more advanced, and not required background reading.
        Aki and Richards: Quantitative Seismology
        Kennett: Seismic Wave Propagation in Stratified Media
        Jaeger: Elasticity, Fracture, and Flow
        Claerbout: Earth Soundings Analysis

3 Professional Societies

3.1 Recommended

The following are the main professional societies providing communications among seismologists in the United States. Membership is strongly recommended.

American Geophysical Union
Seismological Society of America
Society of Exploration Geophysicists

3.2 Other Useful Societies

As you select your speciality, you may wish to join one or more of the following societies.

American Association of Petroleum Geologists
Earthquake Engineering Research Institute
European Geophysical Society
Geological Society of America
Royal Astronomical Society

4 Journals

The Ph.D is a research degree, and it is essential to be acquainted with what other scientists in the field are doing. You should therefore aim to read or skim at least one article per day on average. Suggestion - once a month, go to library and read all article titles on ALL journals.

The following are the more important journals related to fields of seismology. You should review these from time to time in the library if you do not subscribe.

American Association of Petroleum Geologists Bulletin
Bulletin of the Seismological Society of America
Earthquake Spectra
Geological Society of America Bulletin
Geology
Geophysical Journal International
Geophysical Research Letters
Geophysics
Journal of Geophysical Research
Nature
Physics of the Earth and Planetary Interiors
Pure and Applied Geophysics
Science
Tectonics
Tectonophysics

5 Classes

Ph.D: 72 credits required, 48 in course work, 24 max from prior studies, 30 at 700 level.

MS (A): 30 credits, 9 max from prior studies, 18 at 700 level.

5.1 Academic Standards

The following standards are established by the University of Nevada Graduate School:

Overall graduate credit GPA of at least 3.0 - Good Standing.
Graduate grade point total of one to six grade points below the total necessary for a GPA of 3.0 - Probation.
Graduate grade point total of seven or more grade points below the total necessary for a GPA of 3.0 - Dropped from Graduate Standing.
A student who is placed on probation is not eligible for appointment as a teaching or research assistant. (This means we can not pay you.) A student whose overall graduate GPA remains below 3.0 for two consecutive semesters is dropped from graduate standing.

Students may wish to consult the latest edition of the General Catalog for additional information regarding academic standards.

5.2 Required

There is some discretion, depending on your eventual research direction, but in general the following list of classes is expected for a degree in seismology.

5.2.1 GEOL 697: Special Problems
The Geology Department requires all students to enroll in this class for a two semester sequence. In the Fall semester, we give a series of seminars on faculty research interests. In the Spring semester, the class emphasizes student development of research proposals.
5.2.2 GEOL 655: Geophysics and Geodynamics
5.2.3 GEOL 656: Plate Tectonic Theory
5.2.4 GEOL 690: Elementary Seismology
5.2.5 GEOL 692: Environ. Exploration Geophysics OR GEOL 653 Geophys. Applications
5.2.6 GEOL 695: Special Problems: Interpretation of Seismograms
5.2.7 GEOL 705: Inverse Theory
5.2.8 GEOL 706: Time Series Analysis
5.2.9 GEOL 735: Seismotectonics
5.2.10 GEOL 774: Advanced Seismology I
5.2.11 GEOL 756: Earthquake Source Physics
5.2.12 GEOL 757: Seismic Imaging
5.2.13 PHYS 701: Mathematical Physics

5.3 Recommended

5.3.1 GE 679: Earthquake Engineering
5.3.2 GEOL 693: Mining Exploration Geophysics
5.3.4 GEOL 736: Neotectonics and Seismic Hazards
5.3.5 GEOL 775: Advanced Seismology II
5.3.6 CE 704: Applied Finite Element Analysis
5.3.7 MECH 700: Integral Methods with Applications
5.3.8 MECH 720: Continuum Mechanics

6 Interaction with Other Students

Understand what they are doing and why.

Show them what you are doing.

Read their papers.

Give them copies of your papers.

If you find an article that might help them, tell them about it.

Discuss new research ideas with them.

Help them with computer problems, running programs, etc.

7 Interaction With Other Faculty

Every student should make a point of talking to every faculty member in geophysics during his first month at UNR, including research faculty. He/she should ask what research that faculty member is doing (ask for reprints, too), what ideas the faculty member has for research projects, what classes that faculty member will be offering in the near future, etc. Students are also encouraged to visit other faculty in Geological Sciences during their first semester.

In general, students should not hesitate to talk to any faculty member about research problems, new ideas, etc.

Students are encouraged to write research papers on their results. Before submitting any paper, abstract, etc., it should be reviewed by at least one, and preferably two faculty members who are not authors.

8 Exams

All of the following exams are serious and important. We want everyone to pass, but you can fail. Nobody is accepted into our program if we do not think that he/she has a good chance of passing all exams and succeeding in completing the degree.

8.1 Ph.D. Degree

Qualifying Exam. Oral. Given at most one year after you have arrived. Prepare a 15-minute presentation of your research project. Expect questions on your background, on your course work to date, your research to date, and on the background reading material listed above. Examining committee composed of faculty in seismology and geology, selected by the committee chair. Upon failure, you might be asked to leave the program, be redirected towards a Master of Science degree, or be offered a chance to retake the exam at the discretion of the committee.

Comprehensive Exam. Written and oral. Given when your class work is nearly completed. Some students circulate a 5-page written thesis proposal to their thesis committees when they schedule their exams, which is not required but the faculty find very helpful. For the written part, the exam follows guidelines written by the Geology Department, and covers a wide range of subjects. For the oral part, the examining committee is your Ph.D. advisory/examining committee. For the oral part, you will be expected to present your thesis proposal, defend that it is worthwhile and achievable, justify your assumptions and procedures, and show that you are capabilities by answering related questions.

Thesis Defense. Oral. Final examination after you have completely written your thesis.

8.1.1 Questions Students Might Have About Exams

The following are some questions that a student might have while he/she is preparing for an exam, and a suggested stragegy.

Should I explain why my project is important as part of my oral presentations? YES.
Should I answer questions in a way that shows I am able to articulate the fundamental aspects of our science clearly to non-specialists? YES. Be sure to pay attention to the basics related to your current project. It does not go over well if a seismologist is unable to define earthquake magnitude, or if somewone working on a strong motion seismology project is unable to define acceleration. It also leaves a poor impression if you are unable to explain, simply and clearly, the objectives, results, and significance of any papers you have authored or coauthored.
How much detail should I use? Don't get bogged down in details. Explain the big picture first. For example, if you are asked what earthquake magnitude means, start by saying that it is obtained from the logarithm of the amplitude on a seismogram. Don't assume the examiner wants to know everything you know about the types of instruments or how the distance correction is made or why seismologists have several scales. In an oral exam, if your examiner wants to see if you know that also, let him/her ask. If you omit the fundamentals before you go into details, the examiners are liable to conclude that you have a lot of knowledge but it is poorly organized, or worse, suspect that you don't know the fundamentals.
Should I expect trick questions? No. Most of the questions faculty ask during the oral exams are straightforward. Some faculty consider that the ``ideal question'' is one that helps determine whether you thoroughly understand the fundamental aspects of the subject. A deep, thorough understandingof the basics is very important to you, as it will provide a sound basis for continued professional growth.
Should I memorize formulas? Some formulas are so fundamental that every seismologist should know them very well. Even students who are not even remotely concerned with theory or mathematical aspects of the field should be able to explain seismic moment, b-value curves, and Snell's Law. If you recognize that an equation will help you answer a question, do not hesitate to write it down or on the board, define the variables, and explain what it means.
Should I give standard answers to questions, or show my creative thinking skills by giving my new creative ideas? Give the answers that are in the literature or textbook first, and show that you understand them (and ideally be able to tell who published them). After that, if you have new creative ideas or you think the usual explanation is flawed or incomplete, you can say that also and give your reasons.
How can I show that I am thinking like a scientist? One stereotype of a scientist is that he/she recognizes, tests and formulates hypotheses. Geoscientists do this too.
Any other comments? It leaves a poor impression if you are unable to explain, clearly and simply, the objectives, results, and significance of any papers you have authored or coauthored. For the oral comprehensive exam, you are well advised to be familiar with research related to your own thesis proposal.

8.2 Master of Science

Students in seismology normally choose the thesis option (Plan A). This requires 30 credits (21 on campus, 18 at the 700 level), and defense of the thesis in front of an advisory/examining committee.

Introductory Interview. Oral. Given about one semester after you have arrived. Questions on your background, on your course work and research to date, and on background reading. Committee composed of faculty in seismology and geology, selected by your advisor.

Comprehensive Examination. Oral / written. Given when you have completed most of your classes.

Thesis Defense. Oral. Final examination after you have completely written your thesis.

9 Paper Trail

Along the way, you need to be sure several forms are filled out and signed by the appropriate people. It is up to you to be sure they are all done, because you will be better than the faculty at tracking your own progress. These forms are all available from the Graduate School offices, on the second floor of Getchell Library. A good idea is to get a copy of all the forms you need right away, so that you have them when you need them.

9.1 Ph.D. Degree

9.1.1 GS A-2. Graduate School. Advisory-Examining Committee / Program of Study
Fill this out when you set up your committee. Normally the committee will want to meet with you. This may be done at the oral comprehensive examination, but it can be done sooner.
9.1.2 GS A-3. Graduate School. Change of Committee of Program of Study
Only if needed.
9.1.3 Grad 5. Doctoral Degree. Application for Admission to Candidacy. Comprehensive Examination Report.
Be sure this is filled out and signed when you finish the oral part of the Comprehensive Exam.
9.1.4 Rec 172. Admissions and Records. Advanced Degree Application for Graduation.
Consult UNR catalog or course schedule for deadline for submitting this form. It is early in each semester.
9.1.5 GS A-8. Announcement of Final Oral Examination.
Three weeks before defense, file this with the Graduate Office.
9.1.6 Grad. 6. Doctoral Degree. Notice of Completion.
This will be signed by the Adviory- Examination Committee at your thesis defense.

9.2 Master of Science.

9.2.1 GS A-2. Graduate School. Advisory-Examining Committee / Program of Study
Fill this out when you set up your Committee. Normally the committee will want to meet with you. Do this shortly after the written comprehensive exam, if not sooner.
9.2.2 GS A-3. Graduate School. Change of Committee of Program of Study
Only if needed.
9.2.3 Rec 172. Admissions and Records. Advanced Degree Application for Graduation.
Consult catalog for deadline for submitting this form. It is early in each semester.
9.2.4 Grad. 3. Masters Degree. Application for Admission to Candidacy. Notice of Completion. Plan A.
Start filling this out after you pass the M.S. Comprehensive Examination. Then keep it and get it signed when you defend your thesis.
There is a different form for Plan B, but this plan is not usually used by students in seismology.