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Preparation of geology students for graduate school must go beyond mastery of information presented in coursework. Participation in directed research projects, such as a senior thesis, affords the opportunity for students to develop research questions, conduct literature searches, test hypotheses, design sample collection and preparation programs, collect data and analyze the results, and present a final product in oral and/or written formats. The practical aspects of working within a budget and meeting deadlines are added benefits. Development of these transferable skills prior to admission to graduate school benefits students, institutions, and the community-at-large.
David W. Mogk (Mon,) studied this question.