MS Hydrogeology Undergraduate Course Preparation

This is a quantitative degree program

The UA Master’s in Hydrogeology is a quantitative program.  Our objective is to produce students who can enter the profession or continue on to a PhD who have both the understanding of hydrogeology and the technical skills to put their understanding into practice. 

We want you to be successful in our program.  To be prepared for this program, there are several concepts that you will need to have learned before arriving. These concepts will not be taught during the program – you will be expected to understand and apply them before you begin. Furthermore, the program is full time, so it will be very difficult to catch up on this preparatory material after you begin. All courses will be taught in English and English proficiency is expected as defined by the UA Graduate College.  If you have any questions or concerns, please reach out to us to discuss this further.

How can you determine whether you are prepared?

We do not have formal prerequisites for the program. If you have a degree in Civil, Environmental, or Geological Engineering, Geology, Mathematics, or related fields, you may have covered some or all of the required preparatory skills. However, we encourage students with other degrees to apply.   

We strongly recommend that everyone would have taken these courses: 

Calculus I  

Chemistry I 

Physics I  

Because different schools and different professors offer different material in these foundational courses, we have provided links to free online text books and a list of topics within each course that we feel covers the material that you will want to have studied before you begin the UA MS.  See the list below (‡Online resources for foundational courses) for more information.

If possible, we would also recommend that you have taken: 

Introductory Geology 

Statistics I 

We have provided links to free online text books and a list of topics within each of these courses that we feel covers the material that you will want to have studied before you begin the UA MS.  See the list below (‡‡Online resources for additional preparatory resources) for more information.

Important background concepts beyond the foundational courses

There is content beyond the material covered in Calculus I, Physics I, and Chemistry I that you need to understand to be ready to begin the program.  Rather than recommend courses that include these topics, we have provided links that you can use to self-study.  We encourage you to look for other online resources that can round out your understanding of these topics.  In particular, many of these topics are presented completely and clearly using ChatGPT (or similar)! If you understand what is presented in these links, then you will be ready to begin the UA MS. 

Spatial statistics – kriging, variograms 

Partial derivatives and applications:  

Math concepts: Gradient, divergence, Laplacian  

Basic matrix mathematics  

Taylor series and Taylor expansion  

Divergence theorem 

The importance of communication skills

You should also recognize that written and spoken communication are critical elements of  all professions related to hydrogeology. Our program places a strong emphasis on teaching technical communication – both written and oral – but you should have strong English skills before you begin. The best way to improve your writing is to practice and to give and receive feedback.  At a minimum, we recommend that you have a look at this blog and consider how well you understand and apply the concepts listed under "Developing Key Skills." 

Considerations beyond the MS

In many technical areas within the profession of hydrogeology, an MS has been seen as necessary for career advancement beyond the entry level. However, you should also consider the following specific additional requirements that you may not be aware of if you will be new to the profession. 

  • All federal hydrogeology or hydrology positions have specific requirements that include 6 credit hours of calculus – see this link for more information.  

  • Some states have specific requirements to be licensed as a professional or registered hydrogeologist and, in some cases, your career prospects will be significantly improved if you have a license. For context, consider this link regarding the licensing requirements in the state of Washington.  If you have a strong desire to work in a specific state or country, we strongly encourage you to research the licensing requirements there before you begin an MS as this may influence your decisions about which preparatory courses you will choose to take. 

‡Online resources for foundational courses 

Below are some online resources for the three foundational courses: Calculus I, Physics I, and Chemistry I.  The table of contents of each book is provided. We have highlighted in blue those topics that we feel are of primary importance.  If you are unfamiliar with any of these topics, please refer to the text to learn or relearn the material. 

Calculus I: Free Calculus Volume 1 Textbook Available for Download - OpenStax 

  • Functions and Graphs 

  • Limits 

  • Derivatives 

  • Applications of Derivatives 

  • Integration 

  • Applications of Integration 

Physics I: Unit 1, Mechanics:  Free University Physics Volume 1 Book for Download - OpenStax 

  • Units and Measurement 

  • Vectors 

  • Motion Along a Straight Line 

  • Motion in Two and Three Dimensions 

  • Newton’s Laws of Motion 

  • Applications of Newton’s Laws 

  • Work and Kinetic Energy 

  • Potential Energy and Conservation of Energy 

  • Linear Momentum and Collisions 

  • Fixed-Axis Rotation 

  • Angular Momentum 

  • Static Equilibrium and Elasticity 

  • Gravitation 

  • Fluid Mechanics 

Chemistry I: Unit 1, Mechanics:  Free Chemistry Textbook Available for Download - OpenStax 

  • Atoms, Molecules, and Ions 

  • Composition of Substances and Solutions 

  • Stoichiometry of Chemical Reactions 

  • Thermochemistry 

  • Electronic Structure and Periodic Properties of Elements 

  • Chemical Bonding and Molecular Geometry 

  • Advanced Theories of Covalent Bonding 

  • Gases 

  • Liquids and Solids 

  • Solutions and Colloids 

  • Kinetics 

  • Fundamental Equilibrium Concepts 

  • Acid-Base Equilibria 

  • Equilibria of Other Reaction Classes 

  • Thermodynamics 

  • Electrochemistry 

  • Representative Metals, Metalloids, and Nonmetals 

  • Transition Metals and Coordination Chemistry 

  • Organic Chemistry 

  • Nuclear Chemistry 

‡‡ Online resources for additional preparatory courses  

Below are online resources for the two additional courses that we feel would be useful: Introductory Geology and Statistics.  The table of contents of each book is provided. We have highlighted in blue those topics that we feel are of primary importance.  If you are unfamiliar with any of these topics, please refer to the text to learn or relearn the material. 

Geology I:  An Intro to Geology – Free Textbook for College-Level Introductory Geology Courses 

  • Understanding Science 

  • Plate Tectonics 

  • Minerals 

  • Igneous Processes and Volcanoes 

  • Weathering, Erosion, and Sedimentary Rocks 

  • Metamorphic Rocks 

  • Geologic Time 

  • Earth History 

  • Crustal Deformation and Earthquakes 

  • Mass Wasting 

  • Water 

  • Coastlines 

  • Deserts 

  • Glaciers 

  • Global Climate Change 

  • Energy and Mineral Resources 

Statistics:  Free Introductory Statistics 2e Textbook for Download - OpenStax 

  • Sampling and Data 

  • Descriptive Statistics 

  • Probability Topics 

  • Discrete Random Variables 

  • Continuous Random Variables 

  • The Normal Distribution 

  • The Central Limit Theorem 

  • Confidence Intervals 

  • Hypothesis Testing with One Sample 

  • Hypothesis Testing with Two Samples 

  • The Chi-Square Distribution 

  • Linear Regression and Correlation 

  • F Distribution and One-Way ANOVA