MULTIDISCIPLINARY GEOHYDROLOGY

CERTIFICATE PROGRAM

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CONTENTS

Motivation	Program	Certification
Course Requirements	Faculty

Motivation

Groundwater is one of our most stable sources of fresh water, which require innovative management and conservation strategies. This vital source is continuously threatened by excessive pumpage and contamination resulting from accidental and/or deliberate waste disposal operations. In recent years, the preservation and management of groundwater resources has received wide attention in both professional and academic circles. Professionals in this field are constantly faced with the challenge of exploiting new information and new technologies to enhance the development, conservation, utilization and quality of this resource. Furthermore, recent stringent Federal regulations on groundwater quality and quantity management have created the needed impetus and resources for an increasing demand for technical manpower with strong multidisciplinary background in the field of geohydrology. Thus, we must seek ways to expose our students to this field and prepare them properly for the demand imposed on them as practicing engineers and scientists.

Geohydrology requires the multidisciplinary knowledge of groundwater hydrology, earth materials and geochemistry. In response to this need, the Multidisciplinary Geohydrology certificate program offers a plan of study for graduate students, involving course work in the areas of groundwater hydrology, geochemistry, and earth materials. The study program also creates a formal framework for further cooperative geohydrologic research activities among different units at the Georgia Institute of Technology.

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Program

The goal of the Geohydrology certificate program is to provide a broad and uniform background for students who are interested in specializing in this field. The program requires all students to complete 15 credit hours of course work (five courses) in the areas of groundwater hydrology, earth materials, and geochemistry as a part of their graduate program as detailed below. Depending on the student's background, additional courses should be used to strengthen the program in one or more areas relevant to geohydrology. Each student's complete M.S. or Ph.D. program is subject to approval by his/her adviser and the chairperson of his/her school.

The certificate program is designed for graduate students with a bachelor's or higher degree from an accredited college or university with a major in physical or natural sciences or engineering.

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Certification

Students completing the Master of Science or Ph.D. degree requirements of their home school may be awarded a Multidisciplinary Geohydrology Certificate if their program satisfies the requirements of the Multidisciplinary Geohydrology program. In all such awards the Multidisciplinary Geohydrology Committee will review the student's program and petition for certificate and upon approval, forward it to the Dean of College of Engineering for review and award.

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Course Requirements

The courses shown above and their prerequisites listed in the institute catalog constitute the core course selection of the Geohydrology certificate program. To qualify for a certificate, a graduate student must complete the core courses listed in the program with "C" or above grades with and overall average of "B" or above, with the following exceptions and restrictions. Courses CE 6271, CE 6313 and EAS 6128 may not be replaced by other courses. A student may substitute another course from the elective list given below for the courses in groups 4 and 5 above.

School of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences Substitute Courses:

 

School of Civil and Environmental Engineering Substitute Courses:

Students are encouraged to take other related courses in the Geohydrology area to strengthen their program. A list of these courses is provided below.

Recommended Courses:

Download Application Form for the Certificate (MS Word File [.doc])

Fill out your proposed program, print the form on one page and submit your application to one of the faculty members listed below. 

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Faculty

The faculty engaged in the program listed below are representatives of the schools designated. They represent the program within that school and therefore may be consulted as advisors.

CEE	M. M. Aral	(404) 894-2243, Email: maral@ce.gatech.edu, Chairman
	S. Pavlostathis	(404) 894-9365, Email: spyros.pavlostathis@ce.gatech.edu
	C-H. Huang	(404) 894-9365, Email: ching-hua.huang@ce.gatech.edu
Phy	T. Uzer	(404) 894-4986, Email: turgay.uzer@physics.gatech.edu
EAS	M. Taillefert	(404) 894-6043, Email: mtaillef@eas.gatech.edu
ME	N. Hertel	(404) 894-3717, Email: nolan.hertel@nre.gatech.edu

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