About Us
Mission
The Department of Geosciences at Mississippi State University is dedicated to advancing the understanding of the Earth and its systems by offering programs in atmospheric sciences, broadcast meteorology, environmental geosciences, geography, geology, and geospatial technologies. We discover and share geoscientific knowledge through exceptional teaching, innovative research, and student mentorship, while driving the transfer of ideas and technology to promote sustainable resource use. As the central hub for geosciences at the university, we prepare students for leadership roles in academia, industry, and beyond by fostering interdisciplinary collaboration and comprehensive degree programs. We equip students with the critical skills needed to tackle the environmental and societal challenges of the 21st century.
Education
The Department of Geosciences provides fundamental education in geosciences for all students at MSU and specialized education for those students who specifically major and/or minor in Geosciences (BSc and MSc degrees) and Earth and Atmospheric Sciences (PhD degrees). Additionally, the department assumes the role of conducting applied and basic research that leads to deeper understanding of the nature of the earth sciences in Mississippi, the southern U.S. in particular, and more generally leads to an understanding of the integrated nature of earth systems for the whole earth. Furthermore, the department takes seriously its responsibility for providing service to the citizenry of Mississippi by responding to requests for information within the areas of expertise of the faculty and leveraging informal educational opportunities.
Faculty
The Department of Geosciences currently has 16 tenure-track faculty and 7 full-time instructors and offers B.S., M.S. and Ph.D. degrees. Within Geosciences there are 4 areas of emphasis: Professional Geology, Environmental Geosciences, Geography/Geospatial Sciences, and Meteorology/Climatology.
Highlights
National Renown
The department's broadcast meteorology program is nationally recognized and renowned. This program has a 95% job placement rate, and nearly 35% of all broadcast meteorologists working today have ties to this program. Additionally, this program hosts an in-house broadcast studio.
Above Average
Geology graduates perform above the national average for the ASBOG licensing exam.
Global Pioneer in Online Learning
The Department was an early pioneer in distance learning and has established a strong on-line infrastructure and presence. As a result, our distance learning programs (Broadcast Meteorology, Teachers In Geosciences, and Applied Meteorology) are recognized and utilized globally.
Geologic History on Display
The Dunn-Seiler Museum provides outreach and education to over 60 groups or 1000 individual annually. The collection includes 25,000 general specimens, and numerous research specimens.
Beyond Geosciences Majors
The department's general education courses support 10% of the university student population annually.
2024 Office Team
