Bachelor-Master Accelerated Option in Geosciences

The Bachelor-Master Accelerated Option in Geosciences gives a chance for talented students to progress in their careers through the engagement in graduate courses and thesis research during their last year of undergraduate (BSc) studies at the Department of Geosciences. Students enrolled in the BS-MS program in Geosciences are allowed to register for up to four (4) MSc courses at the 500-level or 600-level during their fourth year 4 of BSc studies and their first year at the BS-MS program. Two (2), of these courses will be double-counted towards their BSc degree and MSc degree. During year 5 of the BS-MS, the enrolled student will have to register for the remaining courses of the MSc degree, including the COS-required courses and the Thesis research hours. Students involved in employment after getting their BSc degree may be advised to continue their MSc degree as part-time students, hence their BS-MS duration may be extended to a total of 6 years. Accordingly, a BS-MS student will normally earn an MSc degree after finishing the 120 CH for the BSc and the requirements for the MSc with a total of 144 CH.

Program Objectives

Shorten the study period to earn graduate degrees for outstanding students, as they may be able to complete their MSc degree within 1-1.5 additional years after the BSc instead of the typical 2-3 years in the regular admission route.
Make it easier for BSc students to continue on to graduate studies to provide them with advanced knowledge, skills, and attributes that will make them ready for successful careers at the forefront of academic and industrial development.
Better prepare the Geosciences graduates for the current and future requirements of professional registration within the UAE and internationally, for which having an MSc would be an advantage.
Foster a tradition of graduate research activity in the Department of Geosciences with the expectation that there will be an additional benefit to the undergraduate program.

Launching Requirements

The proposed BS-MS program depends on the currently available BSc (Geosciences) and MSc (Geosciences) programs, where courses and instructors of both programs will be available to teach in the newly proposed BS-MS program. No further logistic or manpower requirements are needed at this stage.

Credit Requirements

The current BSc degrees in Geosciences typically requires the completion of 120 credit hours. After the completion of these credit hours, Geosciences BSc graduates can apply for an MSc degree in Geosciences by completing an additional 30 credit hours of graduate course work. For the proposed integrated BS-MS program, outstanding senior undergraduate students will be allowed to choose up to 6 credit hours of undergraduate electives from the 500-level or 600-level Geosciences graduate courses (electives) with double counting of such credit hours towards their BSc and MSc degrees. This will allow students to obtain their MSc degree after their BSc by completing the remaining 24 credit hours of graduate course work. A total of 144 CHs will be sufficient for talented students to obtain integrated BSc and MSc degrees in a maximum of 5.5 years for full time students and could be extended to 6 years for part-time students. The double counted courses (6 CH) have been selected to contribute to the efficient employability of the BS-MS graduates. These include GEOL521 (Geochemistry for Environment and Mineral Exploration) and GEOL532 (Non-Seismic Methods). These courses must be taken by the BSC-MSc students as free elective (6 CH) in the non-Geosciences basket. The BS-MS students will not pay fees for the double counted courses if their BS tuition fees are paid by the Federal Government because the courses are part of the requirements for BS degree. Students interested in the new BS-MS program will be advised after successful completion of 75 CH to take a track oriented towards graduate study.

General Admission Requirements

Junior or Senior BSc standing, with at least 75 CH completed and a minimum GPA of 3.5
Official program entry requires 90 CH completed with a 3.5 GPA or higher.
A minimum score of 6.0 in IELTS or equivalent that demonstrates proficiency in English.
Acceptance of the obligation and responsibility for the graduate study fees.
A statement of professional goals.

Competitive Admission

5 to10 students per cohort per semester ensures rigorous academic standards and maximizes individual guidance and support.
When there are class limits within the graduate programs, admission will be processed on a competitive basis based on the student’s GPA and career objectives.

Mode of Enrollment

Students will be enrolled as full-time, face-to-face BS-MS students. However, part-time students will be also given the chance to apply to the program so that their overall duration of the BS-MS program is extended to six (6) years. Admission will be made available every semester, but could be limited to Fall semester of every academic year depending on the rate of admission and the capacity of the Department of Geosciences

The Early Admission Procedure

Interested students should first check on their eligibility with the Graduate Program Coordinator at the Department of Geosciences, then submit an application as specified by the University’s Admission office to the Departmental Chairperson by the announced deadline. Such an application should be simpler than the regular graduate program application, as the student information is already on file with the UAEU Registrar’s office.

Once it is reviewed that the early admission requirements are fulfilled by the student and the student is recommended by the Graduate Program Committee at the Department of Geosciences, the department’s decision that the student can be enrolled in the BS-MS program will be forwarded to the University’s Admission Office for official pre-admission by the announced university deadlines for regular admission to graduate programs.

Academic Advising Guidelines

During the first semester, the BS-MS student will confer with the Graduate Program Coordinator and faculty members who correlate with his/her research interests. After potential research areas have been identified and mutually agreed to with a faculty member and the Graduate Program Committee, the designated faculty member will become the student’s academic advisor to recommend and approve his/her course schedule for the rest of the duration of the program. This academic advisor will also supervise the student’s thesis.

Probation and Dismissal from the Bachelor-Master Accelerated Option Status

All applicable UAEU policies and procedures regarding the academic progress of students will apply as relevant for the undergraduate and graduate portions of the studies. Thus, if the Bachelor-Master Accelerated Option student, for example, cannot maintain a cumulative grade point average (GPA) of 3.0 for the graduate courses taken at UAEU, he/she will be placed on probation with possible dismissal from the MSc eligibility for failing to raise the GPA within the specified number of semesters. Moreover, if the Bachelor-Master Accelerated Option student withdraws from the Bachelor-Master Accelerated Option, he/she will have to inform the Department graduate studies coordinator by semester 7 at most to academically advise the student towards the completion of his/her BSc studies in a swift manner.