You generally need a solid academic record, good GRE scores, and three letters of recommendation to get into grad school. Pitt, for example, requires a GPA of at least 3.0; other programs may be higher or lower.

GREs

The Graduate Record Exams (GREs) are similar to the SATs. Some fields have a separate subject exam, but geology does not. Various books and classes are available to help you prepare for the GREs. You can take the GRE right on campus. While you get your scores immediately after you finish your exam, it may take more than a month for the GRE folks to mail the official results to the graduate programs that you designate. Therefore, DO NOT WAIT TOO LONG TO TAKE THE EXAM! Check out the GRE web site for the current schedule and to reserve a seat at your testing center of choice.

Letters of Recommendation

Your application will also require about three letters of recommendation from people, generally your professors, who are familiar with your capabilities as a student. If you really want to include a letter from a boss or someone else who was not one of your professors, this should generally be in addition to the required number of letters.

The faculty generally do not mind writing letters of recommendation, but it is a LOT easier if we have a lot to write about. So, make a point to interact with your professors! Questions and comments during and after class, general conversations, and outstanding performance on written and oral work help make you stand out. If you had more opportunities to shine in front of the TA than the professor, ask the TA to talk to the professor about you. The best way to get meaty letters is to undertake some sort of research or independent study. This close collaboration provides ample opportunity for the faculty member to observe a range of characteristics essential for graduate school, including independence, reliability, attention to detail, lab skills, scientific creativity, ability to understand and synthesize the technical literature, and the ability to think and write clearly.

Should You Get A Master's or PhD?

Whether you do a master's or a PhD program depends to a certain extent on your career goals and to a certain extent on your academic record and the school you apply to. A master’s degree takes about 2 years and is an excellent degree for a wide range of professional petroleum and environmental careers. A PhD takes about 5 years and is great for petroleum, some environmental work (especially hydrogeology), and for an academic career. If you want to go for a PhD, you can either get a separate master's followed by a PhD, or some programs will take you naturally and seamlessly from a master's to a PhD, while still others admit all of their students straight into a PhD program. If you have strong grades and GRE scores, you can pick any of these routes. If you are a solid "B" student, you may have to prove yourself in a master's program before you will be admitted to a PhD program.