Environmental, Earth, and Geospatial Sciences

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OVERVIEW

The mission of the Department of Environmental, Earth and Geospatial Sciences (DEEGS) is to promote intellectual, professional, and personal excellence through the highest quality instruction, research, and service.  Its vision is to be recognized as a regional, statewide, and national resource for students and society as well as professionals who work in the many fields that are encompassed by the environmental, earth, and geospatial sciences.

Receiving approval from the University of North Carolina Board of Governors in 1995, the Master of Science in Earth Sciences has a relatively short history. The first M.S. degree in Earth Sciences was conferred in 1998. While the degree program was established in the Department of Geography and Earth Sciences, it became a part of the Environmental, Earth and Geospatial Sciences Department in 2005 when the Environmental Science and the Geography and Earth Sciences departments merged. As part of the Department of Environmental, Earth and Geospatial Sciences with classes taught by multiple faculty within the department, it had outgrown the name ‘Earth Sciences’ and wished to be more inclusive of the activities that are studied at the Master’s level as well as the mission and skillsets within the department. In 2021, the name of the M.S. program was changed from ‘Earth Sciences’ to ‘Environmental, Earth and Geospatial Sciences’ to encapsulate the goal and mission of the program.

The program is designed to develop master’s level competence in applied earth sciences, with an emphasis on geographic information systems, quantitative analysis and remote sensing of the physical environment, or general earth science, which is designed to enhance the knowledge of earth science teachers and other professionals who wish to pursue additional graduate work. These focus areas will enable students to match their degree program with their educational and occupational needs and interests. All students will be required to complete a common twelve (12) semester hour sequence of core courses selected from the following: EASC 5200 (ATMOSPHERIC DYNAMICS), EASC 5210 (LITHOSPHERIC MOVEMENTS), EASC 5130 (APPLIED GEOSPATIAL STATISTICS FOR THE EARTH SCIENCES) and EASC 5030 (METHODS AND TECHNIQUES OF EARTH SCIENCE).

The Master of Science in Environmental, Earth and Geospatial Sciences curriculum requires satisfactory completion of a minimum of 30 semester-hours of approved graduate credit. The program objectives are met through the following components: (1) a core curriculum consisting of 12 credit hours, (2) elective credits of 15 credit hours and (3) a thesis or internship project (at least 3 credit hours) coupled with a systematic program of guidance, advisement, and evaluation that involve students from entry through graduation. These elective courses can be taken within their major, within other majors at NCCU or through NCCU’s interinstitutional agreement with local colleges and universities. Any elective course should be taken with the advisor’s approval. Graduate courses at NCCU are numbered above 5000.

THE ABM (ACCELERATED BACHELOR’S-MASTER’S PROGRAM)

In 2018, the NCCU School of Graduate Studies approved the DEEGS proposal to offer an Accelerated Bachelor’s-Master’s Degree program. Sometimes called a ‘3+2’ or ‘4+1’ program this program allows students to take up to 9 credits of graduate coursework during their undergraduate career than can be satisfy both undergraduate and graduate coursework. With 1 summer course, this allows students to complete their Master’s degree in 1 calendar year. The ABM application form must be completed by students during their undergraduate career with at least a 3.0 GPA. In order to earn credit for graduate courses taken as an undergraduate, students must 1) Complete the graduate-level course offering if the course is co-listed with an undergraduate course and 2) Earn at least a grade of ‘B’ in the graduate-level course. Otherwise, the graduate-level course must be retaken in graduate school.

TRANSFER COURSES

The NCCU graduate school allows a maximum of six semester hours of coursework from another institution. Transfer of graduate credit from another institution may be considered if:

1. The course is graduate level at an accredited university;

2. The student earned at least a grade of “B” or equivalent in each course for which credit is to be transferred;

3. The advisor, department chairperson, and dean of the college approve the course as part of the student’s graduate program; and

4. The courses do not exceed the time limit for completing the Master’s degree program.

Students may also take NCCU graduate courses outside of the major as part of their requirements or electives. This may be the case for EDGR 5910 (Introduction to Statistical Methods), ENGG 5115 (Advanced Professional and Technical Writing) or graduate level Information Science (IS) coursework. An unlimited number of graduate credits taken at NCCU can be applied to the M.S. in Environmental, Earth and Geospatial Sciences if:

1. The advisor approves the course as part of the student’s graduate program

2. All core and elective requirements are satisfied for the M.S. program; and

3. The courses do not exceed the time limit for completing the Master’s degree program.

There are two options for obtaining the M.S. degree in Environmental and Geographic Sciences: thesis and non-thesis project options.  In addition to core requirements and classes related to a student’s concentration, the master’s degree also requires successful completion of a written comprehensive examination.

Option 1: M.S. in Environmental and Geographic Sciences with Thesis: For this option, laboratory and/or field research under the close supervision of a faculty member and writing of a master’s thesis are required.  Students must present their proposed research topic before a thesis committee before they can be admitted to candidacy and successfully defend the thesis for completion of the program by taking EASC 5900 (Thesis).  The total credit hours required for the thesis option are 30.

Option 2: M.S. in Environmental and Geographic Sciences with Non-thesis Project: This option is designed primarily for individuals who wish to complete a project or internship using industry-based skills learned in the M.S. program in preparation for the workforce.  Under the supervision of a faculty supervisor, students may work with an external organization or agency.  They must write and present the results of this experience in defense of this internship for successful completion of the program by taking EASC 5800 (Internship).  The total credit hours required for the non-thesis project option are 30.

DEEGS Graduate Faculty

Bang, John (Professor)

B.S., University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

M.D., Central America Health Science University - Belize/University of Illinois at Chicago

Ph.D., University of Texas at El Paso

Gerald, Carressa (Assistant Professor)

B.S., North Carolina A&T State University

M.S., Ph.D., North Carolina A&T State University

Malhotra, Rakesh (Associate Professor)

B.S. Punjab University, India

M.S., Ph.D., University of Georgia, Athens

McGinn, Christopher (Associate Professor)

B.S., East Carolina University

M.S., Ph.D., University of North Carolina at Greensboro

Mulrooney, Timothy (Associate Professor)

B.A., Columbia University in the City of New York

M.E.S., Loyola University Maryland

M.S., University of Idaho

Ph.D., University of North Carolina at Greensboro

Dr. Theophraste Noussi (Assistant Professor)

B.S. University of Yaounde (Biochemistry)

M.S. North Carolina Central University (Earth Sciences)

Ph.D., Joint School of Nanoscience & Nanoengineering - UNGC and NCAT (Nanoscience)

Vlahovic, Gordana (Professor)

B.S., University of Zagreb, Croatia

M.S., Ph.D., University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Yang, Zhiming (Associate Professor)

B.S., Jiling University, China

M.S., Ohio State University

Ph.D., Oklahoma State University

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