Master of Science (M.S.) in Geochemistry

The M.S. in Geochemistry at UCLA gives students a strongly research-oriented learning experience centered on real geochemical problems across Earth and planetary science. Students can develop practical expertise in areas including stable and radioactive isotope geochemistry, experimental petrology, cosmochemistry, marine geochemistry, meteorite research, and planetology while working with advanced analytical and experimental equipment. UCLA’s geochemistry research environment spans scales from atomic and molecular processes to planetary systems, with faculty research supported by specialized laboratories, computational resources, and major analytical facilities.

Research and practical opportunities include:

• Secondary Ion Mass Spectrometry: The UCLA/NSF Secondary Ion Mass Spectrometer Laboratory houses CAMECA ims-1270 and ims-1290 instruments for high-resolution in-situ analysis of geological and extraterrestrial materials, including U-Pb dating, stable-isotope analysis, and trace-element studies.
• SIMS practical training: UCLA has offered graduate-level SIMS workshops combining lectures with practical demonstrations on the ims-1270 and ims-1290, covering geochronology, stable-isotope geochemistry, trace-element geochemistry, and cosmochemistry.
• Mass spectrometry: The E.D. Young Laboratory includes a ThermoFinnigan Neptune MC-ICP-MS, a 193-nm excimer laser-ablation system, and a Class 100 clean laboratory for wet chemistry and isotope research.
• Stable-isotope laboratory: UCLA’s Stable Isotope Laboratory uses a 10-µm CO₂ infrared laser fluorination system and the PANORAMA gas-source isotope-ratio mass spectrometer for high-precision oxygen-isotope and rare-isotopologue research.
• Experimental petrology: Students involved in relevant research can work with high-temperature and high-pressure equipment, including a 1700°C gas-mixing/vacuum furnace, Rockland 150-ton piston cylinder, and Kennedy-type kilo-ton piston cylinder for experimentally reproducing geological conditions.
• Geochemistry clean laboratory: The PTXRt laboratory includes three laminar-flow hoods, three Class 100 workstations, a water-purification system, and double sub-boiling distillation stations for sample preparation and isotope-geochemistry work.
• Electron microprobe: The UCLA EMPA Laboratory houses a JEOL JXA-8200 Superprobe, providing electron-microprobe capabilities for geological and mineralogical research.
• Meteorite research: The UCLA Meteorite Collection contains more than 1,500 meteorites and serves as a research and educational resource; around 100 specimens are displayed in the UCLA Meteorite Gallery.
• Computational research: UCLA’s geochemistry program provides computational resources for first-principles studies of molecules and minerals, including Beowulf-type Linux clusters for computational geochemistry.
• Interdisciplinary research: Students can work within research areas spanning biogeochemistry, cosmochemistry, crystal chemistry, experimental petrology, stable and radioactive isotopes, marine geochemistry, meteorites, planetology, and lunar geochemistry, with many faculty pursuing interdisciplinary projects.
• Research groups: UCLA hosts active geochemistry groups such as the PTXRt Lab, where research combines isotopic measurements, high-pressure/high-temperature experiments, and kinetic modelling to investigate geological processes on Earth, the Moon, and other planetary bodies. 

The M.S. in Geochemistry at UCLA develops advanced expertise across biogeochemistry, environmental geochemistry, isotope studies, marine geochemistry, experimental petrology, meteorite research, and planetary science. Graduates can build careers in Geochemist, Environmental Scientist, Research Scientist, and Geoscientist roles across research institutions, government agencies, environmental organizations, energy and natural-resource sectors, and scientific laboratories. UCLA’s EPSS alumni network also demonstrates progression into university faculty, research and staff science, NASA, postdoctoral research, industry, and public-service careers.

Career progression: UCLA provides several university-level resources and a research environment that can support the transition from graduate study into scientific employment or further research:

• Career services: UCLA Graduate Career Services provides master’s students with career exploration, job-search strategies, resume and cover-letter support, interview preparation, career coaching, and access to 12twenty, UCLA’s platform for jobs, internships, appointments, and career events.
• Employment outcomes: UCLA EPSS maintains an alumni outcomes database covering 327 graduate alumni, including 67 university professors, 85 research and staff scientists, 29 NASA professionals, and 27 postdocs, alongside alumni working in private-sector and public-service roles. These figures cover EPSS graduate alumni broadly rather than only the Geochemistry M.S.
• Salary figures: Not stated: UCLA’s official Geochemistry/EPSS sources reviewed do not publish a program-specific graduate salary figure, so a salary number should not be inferred from external sources.
• Industry and research connections: The UCLA SIMS laboratory operates as an NSF-supported national facility and has served more than 100 external users from over 50 institutions during the last three years, with research also supported by agencies including NASA, the Department of Energy, NIST, PRF, and NIH. This gives students working in relevant research areas exposure to a facility used by a broad external scientific community.
• Professional research environment: UCLA’s Geochemistry and Cosmochemistry research uses advanced mass spectrometers, ion microprobes, high-pressure petrology equipment, and computational resources for molecular and mineral simulations, supporting research relevant to Earth, planetary, environmental, and materials-related scientific careers.
• Alumni network: EPSS maintains an alumni database and networking structure that tracks graduates across academia, NASA, research laboratories, industry, and public service. UCLA also highlights career paths involving NASA, JPL, USGS, NOAA, the Department of Energy, national parks, museums, data science, engineering, business, and law.
• Accreditation value: UCLA is institutionally accredited by the WASC Senior College and University Commission (WSCUC). WSCUC accreditation applies to UCLA as an institution rather than specifically to the Geochemistry M.S.; it provides an established institutional quality framework that supports the long-term academic recognition of the university.
• Graduation outcomes: The Geochemistry program provides a direct route into advanced scientific work while also supporting doctoral progression. UCLA states that qualified Geochemistry students may proceed directly toward the Ph.D., and the department’s current alumni and commencement records show continued progression through graduate research and advanced scientific careers.

Further Academic Progression: After completing the M.S., students can continue into UCLA’s Ph.D. in Geochemistry, which expands the same research areas into doctoral-level study. UCLA’s Geochemistry Ph.D. encompasses areas including biogeochemistry, environmental geochemistry, experimental petrology, isotope studies, marine geochemistry, meteorite research, mineral physics, paleoclimate, and planetary science; students can also pursue related doctoral research within UCLA’s wider Earth, Planetary, and Space Sciences environment.