Master of Science (MS) in Energy Geoscience

The MS in Energy Geoscience curriculum integrates courses from the Departments of Earth, Environmental and Planetary Sciences, Computer Science, and Economics, along with management and business courses from the Jones Graduate School of Business. Students also benefit from interdisciplinary courses taught by both Rice faculty and industry leaders, providing practical insights into today's evolving energy landscape.

The program requires 40 credit hours of coursework plus a required 3-credit-hour internship. Most students complete the program in approximately 16 months (three semesters), although the total program length may vary, depending on the duration and timing of the internship.

Required Cohort Courses

Students must complete the following 12 credit hours

Required Cohort Courses	Credits
NSCI 501 Professional Science Master's Seminar (2 semesters required)	1+1
NSCI 511 Science Policy and Ethics	3
NSCI 512 Professional Master's Project	1
NSCI 514 Professional Master's Internship	3
NSCI 610 Management for Science and Engineering	3

Required Core Science Courses

Students must complete the following 12 credit hours

Required Core Science Courses	Credits
EEPS 548 3-D SEISMIC REFLECTION DATA INTERPRETATION	3
EEPS 579 APPLIED SUBSURFACE SYSTEMS: ANALYTICAL METHODS FOR ENERGY AND SUSTAINABILITY	4
EEPS 583 DATA MANAGEMENT AND DATA GOVERNANCE	3
EEPS 659 WELL LOGGING AND PETROPHYSICS	3

Areas of Specialization

Energy Data Management

Students must complete the following 9 credit hours

Core Requirements Courses	Credits
EEPS 584 DATA SCIENCE ENVIRONMENTAL AND GEOSCIENCES	3
EEPS 585 COMPUTATIONAL AND DATA SCIENCE IN THE ENERGY INDUSTRY	3
EEPS 586 INTRODUCTION TO DATA SCIENCE & METHODS	3

Students must complete a minimum of 9 credit hours from the following

Elective Requirements Courses	Credits
CHBE 548 ENERGY SYSTEMS AND SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT	3
COMP 543 GRADUATE TOOLS AND MODELS - DATA SCIENCE	3
COMP 556 INTRODUCTION TO COMPUTER NETWORKS	3
DSCI 535/COMP 549 APPLIED MACHINE LEARNING AND DATA SCIENCE PROJECTS	3
ECON 601 ENERGY ECONOMICS I	3
EEPS 634 PALEOCLIMATE	3
EEPS 636 GIS FOR SCIENTISTS AND ENGINEERS	3
MGMT 610 FUNDAMENTALS OF THE ENERGY INDUSTRY	1.5
MGMT 611 GEOPOLITICS OF ENERGY	1.5
MGMT 616 ENERGY MARKET ORGANIZATION	1.5
MGMT 670 OPERATIONS STRATEGY	1.5
MGMT 676 LEADERSHIP, ETHICS, AND FREE ENTERPRISE	1.5
NSCI 515 FOUNDATIONS OF PROJECT AND PROGRAM MANAGEMENT	3
STAT 518 PROBABILITY	3

Energy Transition and Sustainability

Students must complete the following 7 credit hours

Core Requirement Courses	Credits
EEPS 582 GEOSCIENCES FOR THE ENERGY TRANSITION	3
EEPS 680 ENERGY TRANSITION SEMINAR	1
EEPS 637 OR EEPS 638 EARTH'S NATURAL RESOURCES FOR THE ENERGY TRANSITION OR THE SCIENCE OF NATURE-BASED CARBON SEQUESTRATION	3

Select a minimum of 12 credit hours from the following

Elective Requirements Courses	Credits
BIOS 580 SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT AND REPORTING	3
BIOS 559 SUSTAINABILITY IMPACT ASSESSMENTS	3
CEVE 507 ENERGY AND THE ENVIRONMENT	3
CHBE 548 ENERGY SYSTEMS AND SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT	3
EEPS 530 SILICICLASTIC SEDIMENTS: DEPOSITIONAL SYSTEMS AND PROCESSES	3
EEPS 584 DATA SCIENCE ENVIRONMENTAL AND GEOSCIENCES	3
EEPS 585 COMPUTATIONAL AND DATA SCIENCE IN THE ENERGY INDUSTRY	3
EEPS 593 INTRODUCTION TO GEOTHERMAL ENERGY SYSTEMS	3
EEPS 615 GEOCHEMISTRY OF EARTH'S SURFACE	3
EEPS 634 PALEOCLIMATE	3
EEPS 636 GIS FOR SCIENTISTS AND ENGINEERS	3
EEPS 637 EARTH'S NATURAL RESOURCES FOR THE ENERGY TRANSITION	3
EEPS 638 THE SCIENCE OF NATURE-BASED CARBON SEQUESTRATION	3
EEPS 648 EXPLORATION GEOPHYSICS	3
EEPS 654 INTRODUCTION TO SEISMIC INTERPRETATION: STRUCTURAL STYLES AND SEISMIC STRATIGRAPHY	3
EEPS 658 ENVIRONMENTAL & APPLIED ROCK PHYSICS	3
EEPS 667 GEOMECHANICS	3
EEPS 671 EARTH SYSTEMS MODELING I: PHILOSOPHY AND FUNDAMENTALS	3
EEPS 672 EARTH SYSTEMS MODELING: NUMERICAL TECHNIQUES AND APPLICATIONS	3
MGMT 610 FUNDAMENTALS OF THE ENERGY INDUSTRY	1.5
MGMT 611 GEOPOLITICS OF ENERGY	1.5
MGMT 616 ENERGY MARKET ORGANIZATION	1.5
MGMT 758 ENVIRONMENTAL, SOCIAL, AND GOVERNANCE (ESG) ISSUES IN STRATEGY	1.5

Geology

Students must complete the following 6 credit hours

Required Core Courses	Credits
EEPS 630 OR EEPS 530 APPLIED STRATIGRAPHIC METHODS OR SILICICLASTIC SEDIMENTS: DEPOSITIONAL SYSTEMS AND PROCESSES	3
EEPS 654 OR EEPS 661 INTRODUCTION TO SEISMIC INTERPRETATION: STRUCTURAL STYLES AND SEISMIC STRATIGRAPHY OR STRUCTURE AND EVOLUTION OF TECTONIC SYSTEMS	3

Students must select a minimum of 12 credit hours from the following:

Elective Requirements Courses	Credits
CHBE 548 ENERGY SYSTEMS AND SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT	3
EEPS 525 APPLIED SEDIMENTOLOGY 1	3
EEPS 530 SILICICLASTIC SEDIMENTS: DEPOSITIONAL SYSTEMS AND PROCESSES	3
EEPS 545 THEORETICAL GLOBAL SEISMOLOGY I	3
EEPS 578 HYDROCARBON EXPLORATION	3
EEPS 579 APPLIED SUBSURFACE SYSTEMS: ANALYTICAL METHODS FOR ENERGY AND SUSTAINABILITY	3
EEPS 580 SEMINAR: QUANTITATIVE PETROLEUM SYSTEMS ANALYSIS	3
EEPS 582 GEOSCIENCES FOR THE ENERGY TRANSITION	3
EEPS 592 SPECIAL TOPICS IN EARTH, ENVIRONMENTAL & PLANETARY SCIENCES	3
EEPS 615 GEOCHEMISTRY OF EARTH'S SURFACE	3
EEPS 630 SEQUENCE STRATIGRAPHY	3
EEPS 633 CLIMATE DYNAMICS	3
EEPS 634 CLIMATE OF THE COMMON ERA	3
EEPS 636 GIS FOR SCIENTISTS AND ENGINEERS	3
EEPS 648 EXPLORATION GEOPHYSICS	3
EEPS 654 INTRODUCTION TO SEISMIC INTERPRETATION: STRUCTURAL STYLES AND SEISMIC STRATIGRAPHY	3
EEPS 658 ENVIRONMENTAL & APPLIED ROCK PHYSICS	3
EEPS 660 GLOBAL TECTONICS	3
EEPS 661 STRUCTURE AND EVOLUTION OF TECTONIC SYSTEMS	3
EEPS 662 TECTONOPHYSICS	3
EEPS 667 GEOMECHANICS	3
EEPS 671 EARTH SYSTEMS MODELING I: PHILOSOPHY AND FUNDAMENTALS	3
MGMT 610 FUNDAMENTALS OF THE ENERGY INDUSTRY	1.5
MGMT 611 GEOPOLITICS OF ENERGY	1.5
NSCI 515 FOUNDATIONS OF PROJECT AND PROGRAM MANAGEMENT	3

Geophysics

Students must complete the following 6 credit hours

Courses	Credits
EEPS 650 GEOPHYSICAL DATA ANALYSIS: DIGITAL SIGNAL PROCESSING	3
EEPS 651 GEOPHYSICAL DATA ANALYSIS: INVERSE METHODS	3

Students must select a minimum of 12 credit hours from the following:

Core Requirements Courses	Credits
CHBE 548 ENERGY SYSTEMS AND SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT	3
EEPS 578 HYDROCARBON EXPLORATION	3
EEPS 592 SPECIAL TOPICS IN EARTH, ENVIRONMENTAL & PLANETARY SCIENCES	3
EEPS 615 GEOCHEMISTRY OF EARTH'S SURFACE	3
EEPS 630 SEQUENCE STRATIGRAPHY	3
EEPS 633 CLIMATE DYNAMICS	3
EEPS 634 CLIMATE OF THE COMMON ERA	3
EEPS 636 GIS FOR SCIENTISTS AND ENGINEERS	3
EEPS 648 EXPLORATION GEOPHYSICS	3
EEPS 658 ENVIRONMENTAL & APPLIED ROCK PHYSICS	3
EEPS 660 GLOBAL TECTONICS	3
EEPS 661 STRUCTURE AND EVOLUTION OF TECTONIC SYSTEMS	3
EEPS 662 TECTONOPHYSICS	3
EEPS 667 GEOMECHANICS	3
EEPS 671 EARTH SYSTEMS MODELING I: PHILOSOPHY AND FUNDAMENTALS	3
MGMT 610 FUNDAMENTALS OF THE ENERGY INDUSTRY	1.5
MGMT 611 GEOPOLITICS OF ENERGY	1.5
NSCI 515 FOUNDATIONS OF PROJECT AND PROGRAM MANAGEMENT	3

Required internship

Three to Six Month Full-Time Internship: Practical experience is offered via a three to six month full-time work immersion. The internship will be under the guidance of a host company, government agency, or non-profit organization. With approval of the advising faculty, a capstone project, independent study, or a research project can be used to fulfill the internship requirement. At the conclusion of the internship (or the conclusion of the capstone project, independent study, or research project), students must present a summary of their project in both oral and written form for the cohort course Professional Master's Project (NSCI 512). Part-time students who already work in their area of study may fulfill the internship requirements by working on an approved project with their current employer.

TOTAL CREDIT HOURS: 40 credit hours, plus a required 3 credit hour internship

Visit the GA for Energy Geoscience most up-to-date curriculum here

NOTE: Not all listed courses are offered every year, but other courses can be used to fulfill requirements with the permission of the faculty advisor

Students enrolled in the Energy Geoscience program can take advantage of the Inter-Institutional Graduate Program Agreement