MSc Earth Sciences - in India, Eligibility, Jobs, Admission, Syllabus, Top Colleges and Salary 2023

MSc in Earth Sciences or Master of Science in Earth Sciences is a 2-year postgraduate course divided into 4 semesters.

MSc in Earth Sciences is an associative course that balances concepts like Physical Education, Ecology, Biology, Atmosphere and Biological Science.

MSc in Earth Sciences is favourable to enlarge a conceptual knowledge of critical Earth Science and also enlarge new method in Earth Science teaching and evaluation.

MSc in Earth Sciences eligibility required that students are required to hold a Bachelor’s degree in Science with an aggregate of at least 50% marks.

Admission to MSc Earth Science course will be done either on the basis of the candidate's performance in the Bachelor’s degree exam or on the basis of their performance in the entrance exams conducted by admission authorities.

Also check top MSc Earth Sciences Colleges in India here.

MSc in Earth Science is also called as Geoscience and includes subjects like atmospheric physics, geology, climatology, oceanography, volcanology and many more.

The standard fees charged in India for this course scale between INR 5,000 and 2,00,000. Prosperous postgraduates of the program are recruited as Earth Science Teachers, Geologist, Petroleum Geologist, Volcanologists etc.

MSc Earth Sciences Course Highlights

Course Level	Postgraduate
Duration	2 years
Full Form	Master of Science
Examination Type	Semester wise
Eligibility	Candidates must hold a Bachelor’s degree in relevant discipline from a recognized university
Admission Process	Entrance exam, counselling and personal interview.
Average Annual Fees	INR 5,000 to 2,00,000
Average Annual Salary	INR 3,00,000 to 10,00,000
Top Recruiters	Geological Survey of India (GSI), Central Ground Water Board (CGWB), Oil and Natural Gas Commission (ONGC), Hindustan Zinc Ltd, Minerals and Metals Trading Corporation (MMTC), Coal India and Mineral Exploration Ltd.
Job Positions	Environmental Scientist, Marine geologist, Petroleum Engineer, Geochemist, Groundwater Specialist.

Admission Process

What is the MSc Earth Sciences Admission Process?

Admission to this course is usually based on the score obtained by a candidate in an entrance exam. Some of the major all India entrance exams conducted for this purpose are BHU PET, DUET etc. Some colleges also offer admission on merit basis. The various steps involved in the admission process are given below.

Merit-based Selection

The guide for merit based Msc Earth Science is mentioned below:

Submit the application to the colleges or universities you are interested in.
Maintain a good score throughout your Bachelor’s degree exams.
In due course of time, colleges release their cutoff lists. Check if you are eligible for admission into the desired course.
If eligible, visit the college and submit all the required documents.

Entrance-based Selection

The guide to apply for entrance exam based admission is as follows.

Registration: Candidates have to register themselves for the entrance exams.
Application form: Fill up the application form with all necessary details carefully.
Submit documents: Scan and upload all required documents like mark sheets. Documents need to be uploaded in a specific format only, as specified by the institute’s application portal.
Application fee: A minimal application fee is to be paid online during the submission of the application form. Payment can be done by all online payment modes.
Download admit card: Admit cards are released once all applicants are judged for eligibility. The admit card must be downloaded and printed out to be used on the day of the examination.
Examination: Prepare for the exam as per the syllabus and past papers. Appear for the examination on the date announced.
Results: Based on candidates performance in the entrance exam, results will be announced.

Eligibility Criteria

What is the MSc Earth Sciences Eligibility Criteria?

The eligibility criteria for MSc Earth Sciences aspirants is not complicated and is as follows. It must be noted that the eligibility criteria will differ from institute to institute.

Any candidate with a bachelor’s degree in Physics, Chemistry, Mathematics, Biological Science from a recognized institute is eligible to apply.
The candidate must possess at least 50% marks in their graduation degree.
There is no special provision for reserved category candidates.

Entrance Exams

Which are the popular MSc Earth Science Entrance Exams?

In most of the colleges, the MSc Earth Sciences admissions are done on the basis of the results in the entrance tests.

Some of the popular MSc Earth Sciences entrance exams are provided below:

BHU PET- The Banaras Hindu University conducts its Post graduate Entrance Test (PET) to fill seats in MA, MCom, MSc, MFA, MPA, MEd courses etc.. The exam will be held in computer-based mode, in 200 cities across India. The candidates who qualify this entrance exam will be called for counseling and seat is allocated on the basis of performance in the exam.

BHU PET Pattern & Syllabus	BHU PET Practice Papers

DUET- Delhi University Entrance Test (DUET) is conducted by Delhi University in order to offer admission to aspirants in various UG, PG, MPhil and PhD programs. The entrance exam is conducted by the National Testing Agency (NTA) on behalf of Delhi University. Also check DUET 2023 Practice Papers here.

Entrance Exams	Exam Dates
CUET PG	Check Here
BITSAT	Check Here
NEST	Check Here
IIT JAM	Check Here
DUET	Check Here
TISS NET	Check Here

How to prepare for MSc Earth Sciences entrance exams?

If your college includes an entrance test in the admission procedure, then you must be well prepared for it. So, here we are with some interesting preparation tips for you:

You must be completely familiar with the exam pattern. Get to know the number of sections and the total number of questions that you have to answer.
Knowing the syllabus properly is also of primary importance. You need to download the syllabus from the official website of the university.
In most cases, you will be dealing with multiple-choice questions. If that is the case, then check whether there is negative marking or not.
Another very good way to perform well is to appear for regular mock tests. This will make you accustomed to the type of questions and the examination patterns. Various educational institutes hold regular mock tests for the students.
Revision is also an integral part of preparation. You need to revise all the chapters and the important topics properly. Otherwise, even after preparing all the chapters, you might not get a really good rank.

How to get admission in a good MSc Earth Sciences college?

To secure admission into a top-ranked MSc Earth Sciences college, a number of factors come into play. Some of the following tips will be helpful in that regard.

Candidates need to have the minimum eligibility criteria of having 55% in the Graduation BSc in a relevant field.
A good preparation for the entrance exam is always a safe option.
Preparation must be started after announcement of application fill up that doubles up the chance of doing well in the exam.
Checking the course curriculum, regular and visiting faculty as well exposure , internship will help the candidate to sort out the best college for them.
Placement opportunity is a must on the checklist .The last few years record will be helpful to understand the placement condition.

Syllabus

What is the Syllabus of MSc Earth Sciences?

A list of topics taught to the students pursuing MSc in Earth Sciences is tabulated below:

Semester I	Semester II
Geoscience Part II	Theory Papers
Advanced Remote Sensing in Geoscience Part – II	Igneous & Metamorphic Petrology
Computer Application in Geosciences – II	Sedimentology
Laboratory Work	Paleontology and Stratigraphy
Structural Geology and Geo – tectonics	Laboratory Work
Mineralogy	Petrology
Structural geology & Remote sensing	__
Semester III	Semester IV
Ore Geology and Mining Geology	Hydrogeology
Indian Mineral Deposits and Mineral Economics	Special Paper (Any One of the following corresponding to special Paper already offered in III Semester)
Mineral exploration and Mineral Beneficiation	Advanced Environmental Project Orientation)
Special Paper (Any one of the following)	-
Advanced Environmental Geoscience Part –I	-
Advanced Remote Sensing in Geoscience. Part –I	-
Computer Application in Geosciences -I Part	-
Laboratory work	-
ESL-305 Ore Microscopy and Mineral; Deposits.	-
ESL306	-
Mineral Exploration and Mining Geology	-
Corresponding special Paper	-

Which are the top MSc Earth Sciences Colleges?

The table below shows the best MSc Earth Sciences colleges and universities that offer the course in a full-time mode

NIRF Ranking 2020	College / University Name	Admission Process	Average Annual Fees	Average Annual Salary
6	BHU, Varanasi	Entrance-Based	INR 80,000	INR 5,00,000
13	SRIHER, Chennai	Entrance-Based	INR 2,50,000	INR 6,50,000
16	IIT, Kanpur	Entrance-Based	INR 1,19,000	INR 8,00,000
18	CMC, Ludhiana	Merit-Based	INR 81,835	INR 7,55,000
44	KIIT, Bhubaneswar	Entrance-Based	INR 3,83,000	INR 6,00,000
47	University of Mysore, Mysore	Merit-Based	INR 56,640	INR 5,00,000

MSc Earth Science College Comparison

The tabulation below depicts the comparison made among the three top MSc Earth Science colleges in India.

Parameter	BHU, Varanasi	SRIHER, Chennai
Overview	The Banaras Hindu University is one of the oldest universities in the country. It is a public state university, located in Varanasi.	Sri Ramachandra Institute of Higher Education and Research (SRIHER), Chennai is a Deemed University formerly known as Sri Ramachandra University.
NIRF Ranking	6	13
Eligibility	Candidates must hold a Bachelor’s degree in relevant discipline from a recognized university	Candidates must hold a Bachelor’s degree in relevant discipline from a recognized university
Admission Process	Entrance-Based	Entrance-Based
Average Fees	INR 80,000	INR 2,50,000
Top Recruiting Organizations	Geological Survey of India (GSI), Central Ground Water Board (CGWB) etc.	Oil and Natural Gas Commission (ONGC), Hindustan Zinc Ltd, Minerals and Metals Trading Corporation (MMTC), Coal India and Mineral Exploration Ltd. etc.
Average Salary	INR 5,00,000	INR 6,50,000

MSc Earth Sciences vs MSc Zoology

Both MSc Earth Sciences and MSc Zoology are master’s courses in the field of Science and Technology. However, they are quite different.

Check the list of Top MSc Zoology Colleges in India.

Check the table below for more comparative details:

Particulars	MSc Earth Sciences	MSc Zoology
Duration	2 years	2 years
Focus	It is an associative course that balances concepts like physical education, ecology, biology, atmosphere and biological science. The course is favourable to enlarge a conceptual knowledge of critical Earth Science and also enlarge new method in Earth Science teaching and evaluation	It is a postgraduate course that impart knowledge of existing and extinct animals. The candidates gain enough knowledge of biodiversity and anatomy of animals.
Admission Criteria	National Level or College level entrance examination	State Level entrance test or Merit based admission to some colleges.
Average Annual Fees	INR 5,000 to 3,00,000	INR 20,000 to 2,00,000
Job Options	Environmental Scientist, Marine geologist, Petroleum Engineer, Geochemist, Groundwater Specialist.	Academic researcher, Teacher, Environment Consultant , Marine biologist, Wildlife Conservationist.
Areas Of Employment	In government or private research and development departments.	In government or private animal related organisations like Wildlife Sanctuary.
Average Annual Salary	INR 3,00,000 to 6,00,000	INR 90,000 to 2,00,000

Future Scopes

What are the Future Scopes of MSc Earth Sciences?

Being a very popular discipline, MSc in Earth Sciences course has excellent future scope. The students are exposed to numerous ways in which they can build their career:

PhD: If one wishes to continue in the same field of education, the first program of choice is a PhD Earth Sciences. It is a three to five year duration course and the eligibility criteria include having a MSc degree in Earth Sciences or other related disciplines.
MPhil - Students can also opt for a MPhil degree in a relevant field on completion of this course.

Job Prospects

What are Job Prospects and Career Options after MSc Earth Sciences?

After getting a degree in this field, a candidate can get a variety of jobs to choose from. It will be easy for them to work for the government and private organizations and many other sectors. They can also choose to teach as a professor or a lecturer in colleges or universities.

MSc Earth Science degree holders can find employment at academic institutions and in high-level research and development positions in industry and other institutions.
MSc degree holders in Earth Sciences seek positions in various sectors as Volcanologists, Petroleum Geologists, Environmental Geologists, Earth Science Teachers, Glacial or Quaternary Geologists, Structural Geologists and Hydrogeologists etc.

Tabulation below shows some of the most common MSc Earth Sciences job profiles and career prospects after completing the course are as follows:

Job Profile	Job Description	Average Annual Salary
Engineering Geologist	Their work is to scrutinize the workplace before any construction or economical projects come in progress.	INR 4,78,000
Geo-Hydrologist	They take care of water by analysing various threats to remove water pollution.	INR 7,50,000
Geologist	Their work is to do different research and teach students at college and university level.	INR 8,23,000
Mining Engineer	Mining Engineers ensure that underground resources such as minerals, metals, oil and gas are extracted safely and efficiently. Typical job responsibilities include ensuring that operations comply with health and safety requirements and making sure that the equipment used is safe.	INR 6,56,000
Geoscientist	Geoscientists typically plan and conduct field studies, in which they visit locations to collect samples and conduct surveys. Geoscientists study the physical aspects of the earth, such as its composition, structure, and processes, to learn about its past, present, and future.	INR 4,43,000

FAQs

MSc Earth Sciences FAQs

Ques. What is the duration of MSc Earth Sciences?

Ans. The MSc Earth Sciences is a 2 years long course further divided into 4 semesters.

Ques. Is there any entrance examination for admission to MSc Earth Sciences?

Ans. Yes, in order to get admission in IITs and other good colleges you have to clear the IIT JAM entrance test.

Ques. What is the eligibility criteria for MSc Earth Sciences?

Ans. Candidates must have cleared BSc or BSc Honours from a recognised university.

Ques. What are the employment areas after successfully completing MSc in Earth Science?

Ans. The employment areas after successfully completing MSc in Earth Sciences are Government Organizations, Oil and Gas Industry, Mining Industry and Research Institutions.

Ques. Is there any age limit for admission in M.Sc. Earth Science ?

Ans. No, there is no age limit candidates of any age can pursue the course

Ques. What is the average salary of an MSc Earth Sciences candidate?

Ans. The average salary of MSc Earth Science candidates is INR 3,00,000 to 6,00,000.

Ques. What are the four branches of MSc Earth Science?

Ans. The four branches of MSc Earth Science are Geology, Oceanography, Meteorology and Astronomy.

Ques. Is Earth Science a good degree?

Ans. Yes, Earth Science is a good degree because after successfully completing it you have a lot of scope and job opportunities in India as well as outside India.