MSc Geophysics: Jobs, Colleges, Entrance Syllabus, Scope 2023

Senior Content Specialist

MSc Geophysics is a 2-year post-graduate degree program offered by various Universities and Colleges in India to teach important aspects of Geography and Physics to study crucial matters related to Earth Sciences.

This 2- year program ensures a prospering career in leading private and public sectors, with an average salary of INR 3,00,000 - INR 10,00,000.

A bachelor's degree in any related discipline, preferably Physics, Chemistry, Geology, or Earth Sciences with a minimum aggregate of 60% and good scores in CETs can make you eligible for pursuing a master’s degree in Geophysics.

Check MSc Entrance Exams

Many of the renowned colleges in India offer a master’s degree in Geophysics. The annual fee varies from college to college, starting from INR 10,000 to INR 10,00,000.

Refer to the full list of top colleges in India offering M.Sc in Geophysics

Table of Contents

MSc Geophysics: Course Highlights
MBA Strategic Management: What is it About?
Why Study?
Admission Process
4.1 Eligibility Criteria
4.2 Top Entrance Exams
4.3 How to Prepare for Entrance Exam
4.4 How to Get Admission in Top College
Syllabus
Top Colleges in India
6.1 College Comparison
Courses Comparison
Jobs and Career Options
Future Scope
FAQs

MSc Geophysics: Course Highlights

Course level	Postgraduate
Full-form	Master of Science in Geophysics
Duration	2 Years
Eligibility	Bachelor's degree in any related discipline (Physics, Chemistry, Earth Sciences, Geology, Electronics)
Admission Process	Bachelor's degree with a minimum of 60%+ CET (IIT JAM, AUCET, BHU PET)
Examination Type	Offline and Semester based
Course Fee	INR 10,000 - INR 4,00,000
Average Salary	INR 3,00,000 - INR 10,00,000
Top Recruiting Agencies	Geological Survey of India, National Geophysical Research Institute (NGRI) Hyderabad, Geological Survey of India (GSI), National Institute of Oceanography (NIO), INCOIS, Ground Water Departments of State and Central Government, CSIR & DRDO Laboratories, Hindustan Petroleum Corporation, ONGC, GSI, Bharat Petroleum, etc.
Job Profiles	Geophysicist, Exploration Geophysicist Advisor Geophysicist, Research Scientist, Exploration Geoscientist, Associate Professor, etc.

MSc Geophysics: What is it all About?

Geophysics is a stream that is a combination of two important core subjects i.e. Physics and Geography. The two subjects and their integrated learning is known as Geophysics which has become an important subject to learn the basics of Earth Science and to procure more information on earth's natural surface.

This degree imparts knowledge on earth's natural surface and resources through the study of quantitative physical methods that are making extensive use of Physics in studying various natural phenomena such as seismic activity, electromagnetic waves, and radioactivity.
The earth's crust and core are subjected to numerous changes that are responsible for many natural activities that still need to be investigated thoroughly, therefore Geophysics is the field that offers answers to such questions and conducts active research and analysis on these important activities.
The stream also provides information on the structural alignment and composition of the earth by exploring the earth's surface and investigating how the earth was formed and the functional forces behind this formation.
The stream also applies the concepts of Physics to understand the geological point of view of earth's formation and to derive answers for the same.
Such crucial knowledge of earth can further lead us to find how important minerals, oil, and stones are formulated to ensure the protection of naturally occurring resources.

Why Should You Study MSc Geophysics?

MSc in Geophysics ensures a prospering career with exposure as well as the opportunity to secure high positions with decent salary packages.

Candidates can seek employment with major organizations of geology such as the Geological Survey of India as geoscientists to actively pursue research and development.
Candidates can also become exploration advisors in geological organizations and can assist the main advisor in the preparation of reports and information on different aspects of the earth's formation.
Candidates can also pursue a research career and can carry out their independent ventures or research proposals and can also get paid. The candidates can also visit the important geological places for data analysis and specimen collection.
Candidates are always welcome to pursue a career as a teacher or a professor in a College or a University and also conduct research and publish it in journals for a successful career in teaching.
Candidates can also seek employment as Scientists in Agricultural Laboratories and Institutions to study soil formation and fertility of the earth's surface.
After completing the degree, candidates can also secure jobs in organizations such as Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC), Hindustan Petroleum, Indian Oil, Bharat Oil, etc.

MSc Geophysics: Who Should Opt For This Course Program?

Candidates who possess an excellent command of theoretical aspects of Geology and Physics.
Candidates with an excellent eye for detail and intricacy can also pursue this career.
Candidates possessing determination and patience to conduct fieldwork and sampling as well as research are also suitable for this particular course program.
Candidates having prior knowledge of statistics for quantitative and qualitative research are also suitable for this program.

MSc Geophysics: Admission Process

Admission in Masters (M.Sc) in Geophysics is done through an entrance exam, conducted by various colleges with the following other requirements:

Admission in this course program is usually conducted via entrance tests.
The candidates are required to have a Bachelor's degree in any related discipline preferably Earth sciences, Physics, Chemistry, Geology with a minimum score of 50-60%.
The candidates are also expected to qualify entrance tests such as IIT JAM or LPUNEST to avail admission in colleges of their choice.

Check LPU Jalandhar Admission Process in detail.

MSc Geophysics: Eligibility Criteria

The eligibility of this course is as follows:

The candidates are required to have a Bachelor's degree in any related discipline such as Physics, Chemistry, Electrical engineering, Geology, and Earth Sciences.
The candidates must have cleared their previous examination with a minimum aggregate of 50-60%.
The candidates are also expected to have qualified the entrance tests such as IIT JAM, LPUNEST or AUCET with a good score.

MSc Geophysics: Entrance Exams

There are many entrance exams held annually to get admission in M.Sc Geophysics. All of the details of the entrance exams are mentioned below.

IIT JAM

IIT JAM is an entrance exam conducted by the Indian Institute of Technology to offer admission to students in their respective programs. The test consists of questions on subject-related matters with a fair share of logical and analytical reasoning and aptitude tests.

BHU PET

BHU PET is conducted by Banaras Hindu University to offer admission to students in their postgraduate programs. The test usually is concerned with the knowledge of a student in the related area as well as his or her thinking abilities and reasoning skills.

LPUNEST

LPUNEST or Lovely Professional University test is conducted by the university to avail admission to students who wish to pursue a master’s degree with this particular University. The test pattern consists of logical and analytical reasoning, a reading comprehension test, and questions related to the given subject.

AUCET

AUCET is conducted by The University of Andhra in Visakhapatnam. The test consists of questions related to logical and analytical skills as well as questions about Geology, Physics, and Chemistry.

The dates of application and examination for the above-mentioned examinations are mentioned in the table below.

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

MSc Geophysics: How to Prepare for the Entrance Examinations?

For admission into the reputed colleges, candidates are required to follow the guidelines as mentioned below:

Candidates are advised to go through their previous syllabus and course to understand important core concepts of a particular subject.
Candidates are also expected to study with determination and maintain a time table for proper learning and time management.
For important numerical and analytical information, candidates can refer to online journals and research articles for a better understanding of complex principles.
Candidates are advised to go through the exam pattern with emphasis on previous year question papers to understand the pattern of the exam.
Candidates are also advised to practice every day to score better grades in their Entrance Examinations.

MSc Geophysics: How to get Admission in a Good College?

To get admission in top colleges of M.Sc in Geophysics, candidates should follow these guidelines.

Candidates are advised to understand the college's exam pattern through analysis and make a time table to give equal attention to all related topics.
Candidates are also advised to go through the previous year’s papers of the University or College Exam to understand the types of questions asked and study accordingly to score better grades.
Candidates are also advised to have a good knowledge of reasoning and aptitude questions to score well in the exam.

MSc Geophysics: Syllabus

The major subjects taught in a 2-Year M.Sc Geophysics degree program are tabulated below. The subjects in a particular semester may vary, according to different colleges.

Semester 1	Semester 2
Geology I	Geology II
Geomathematics	Electrical Methods
Numerical methods and computer Analysis	Gravity Method
Physics of Earth	Signal Processing
Practical	Practical
Seminar	Seminar
Semester 3	Semester 4
Seismology	Well logging
Magnetic Methods	Seismic prospecting
Electromagnetic Methods & Remote Sensing	Dissertation
Hydrogeology	Practical
Practical	Electives
Seminar	Viva-Voce and Seminar

MSc Geophysics: Electives

The following electives can be chosen by the student in his 2-Year course in M.Sc Geophysics.

Petroleum Geology & Geophysics
Integrated Geophysics
Mining Geophysics
Groundwater, Environmental and Engineering Geophysics

MSc Geophysics: Recommended Books

Name of the Book	Author
Structural Geology: A Practical Approach	Singh
The Atmosphere : An Introduction to Meteorology	Lutgens & Tarbuck
Seismology and Plate Tectonics	Gubbins
Nuclear Radiation in Geophysics	Israel & Krebs
Microprocessors Architecture, Programming, and Application	Gaonkar
An Introduction to Seismology, Earthquakes and Earth structure	Stein & Wysession
Interpretation of Gravity and Magnetic Anomalies in Space and Frequency Domain	Murthy & Mishra

MSc Geophysics: Top Colleges

Following are the list of some top colleges that offer a Masters Degree (MSc) in Geophysics, along with their admission process, average annual fee, and average placement offer.

College Name	Admission Process	Average Annual Fee
IIT Kharagpur	IIT JAM	INR 10,41,000
LPU Jalandhar	LPUNEST	INR 3,60,000
BHU Varanasi	BHU PET	INR 10,000
IIT Mumbai	IIT JAM	INR 86,000
Andhra University, Visakhapatnam	AUCET	INR 28,000 - INR 42,000

MSc Geophysics: College Comparison

To help you choose between two colleges, the top 2 M.Sc Geophysics colleges have been compared below.

Parameters	Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Kharagpur	Lovely Professional University (LPU), Jalandhar
Overview	Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur is the finest Institute for technical courses and offers a high end learning curriculum and placement that ensures a stable career with in-depth knowledge of the course.	Lovely Professional University, Jalandhar offers extensive course material and expertise in key elements of Geophysics with special emphasis on practical aspects of the course.
Ownership	Government	Private
NIRF Overall Rank 2020	5	99
Location	Kharagpur, West Bengal	Jalandhar, Punjab
Admission Process	IIT JAM	LPUNEST
Average Fee	INR 10,41,000	INR 3,60,000
Average Salary	INR 2,00,000 - INR 14,00,000	INR 2,00,000 - INR 10,00,000
Top Recruiters	ONGC, Coal India Limited, Oil India Limited, Cairn India.	Oil Companies and Organizations as well as ONGC.

MSc Geology vs MSc Geophysics

Parameters	M.Sc in Geology	M.Sc in Geophysics
Domain	Science	Science
Overview	M.Sc in Geology is concerned with the study of the earth's formation and surface and exploring Earth's crust and core. The field is also concerned with the study of rock formations.	M.Sc in Geophysics is a combination of Geology and Physics and amplifies the concepts of two critical fields to study and investigate the core concepts of geological formations with the help of Physics to find more comprehensive theories and solutions.
Average Fee	INR 10,000- INR 2,00,000	INR 10,000 - INR 4,00,000
Top Colleges	IIT Kharagpur, Hansraj College DU, MIT Manipal.	IIT Kharagpur, LPU Jalandhar, BHU, IIT Mumbai.
Duration	2 Years	2 Years
Admission Process	Merit/ Entrance Exam	Entrance Exam
Job Profiles	Project Assistant, Geological Technologists, Assistant Geologist, Geoscientist, Hydro Geologist, etc.	Geophysicist, Advisor Geophysicist, Research Associate, Professor, Exploration Geophysicist, etc.
Top Recruiters	Reliance Industries Limited, GSPC, Schlumberger, Oil India Limited, NIO, etc.	ONGC, Coal India Limited, Oil India Limited, Cairn India.
Average Salary	INR 2,00,000 - INR 8,00,000	INR 3,00,000 - INR 10,00,000

MSc Geophysics: Job Prospects and Career Options

The stream of Geophysics offers compelling job opportunities in both private and public sectors and organizations with decent salaries and incentives.

The candidates after completing their degree can seek recruitment at the Geological Survey of India as Scientists and Explorers.
The candidates can also seek employment at prominent oil companies such as ONGC and Bharat Petroleum.
Candidates can also seek employment as research associates and assistants at companies such as oil refineries and agricultural industries to provide information and assistance on earth's changing surface and concepts.
Candidates who wish to study more can earn their doctorates and can work as teachers and professors in leading educational institutions to offer support and guidance to students who wish to study this field.
Candidates can also work as Geoscientists and explorers to collect and manage specimens and sample work for research and investigation purposes.
Candidates can also work as Geophysicists at organizations of repute and carry out important research in geological phenomenon with knowledge of Physics and Mathematics.

M.Sc in Geophysics: Jobs

Some of the common job profiles one can apply for after an M.Sc in Geophysics are mentioned below, along with the job description and average salary offered.

Name of the Job Profile	Job Description	Average Salary
Geophysicists	Geophysicists study the changes and natural transitions, the phenomenon of earth and its surface through integrating the knowledge of Physics to find important solutions and theories.	INR 6,00,000 - INR 10,00,000
Exploration Geoscientists	Exploration Geoscientists are professionals who study the causes and effects of earth's formation, and its related queries. They also conduct trips to places of geological importance to collect specimens and conduct research.	INR 6,00,000 - INR 8,00,000
Geoscientist	A Geoscientist is a professional that studies the changing atmosphere of the earth’s outer and inner surface and further investigates the formulation and evolution of the earth and its related elements.	INR 4,00,000 - INR 7,00,000
Advisor Geophysicist	Such professionals assist Geoscientists by providing key information on potential ways to procure information and act as an administrative head of the projects by leading a group of individuals for geological expeditions.	INR 8,00,000 - INR 10,00,000
Research Scientist	A research scientist is a professional that conducts research and analysis on potential fields and finds data for interpretation and also prepares reports.	INR 3,00,000 - INR 4,00,000
Associate Professor or Lecturer	Such professionals are employed as teachers in educational institutions to impart knowledge on crucial elements of Geophysics to the students.	INR 9,00,000 - INR 10,00,000

MSc Geophysics: Scope

M.Sc in Geophysics is a budding field of opportunities where students can explore new avenues of research and development as well as gain immense exposure and knowledge.

Students can gain experience and expertise in Earth Sciences and can establish themselves in a career that is more research-driven.
Candidates can also pursue higher learning in the field and can become successful teachers and lecturers.
Candidates can also work in leading Geological Institutions as Research Associates and contribute their finds to create breakthroughs in the stream of Geophysics.
Candidates who wish to pursue administrative jobs can also seek employment at major oil refineries and mineral resources organizations as Executive Officers and Managers.
Candidates can also work as Geoscientists and Geophysicists to explore a career that is expedition based. Traveling and collecting specimens as well as studying them is a part of their routine job which can be full of exposure and offers diverse experience in the field.
Candidates can also pursue jobs as Research Scientists at organizations and can help in recording data and its interpretation for the preparation of reports.

MSc Geophysics: FAQs

Ques. What is Geophysics?

Ans. Geophysics is an amalgamation of Physics with Geology to find solutions and answers to Earth's formation and evolution theories.

Ques. What is the eligibility for this course?

Ans. Candidates who wish to study MSc in Geophysics are required to have a Bachelor's degree in any related discipline such as Physics, Chemistry, Mathematics, Earth Sciences, or Geology with a minimum of 50-60% along with qualified CET grades to get admission in the college of their choice.

Ques. What types of Entrance Tests are supposed to be qualified to gain admission in this field of study?

Ans. Candidates are required to qualify IIT JAM, AUCET, LPUNEST to get admission in the college of their choice.

Ques. What is the scope of this degree?

Ans. Candidates after completing this degree can work as Geoscientists, Geophysicists, and Research Associates at leading companies.

Ques. Who are the top recruiters of this field?

Ans. Candidates are hired by prestigious institutions such as Geological Survey of India, Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC), Hindustan Petroleum Corporation, Indian Oil Corporation, Bharat Petroleum, Reliance Industries Limited (RIL). The job opportunities in Geophysics are extremely good in both the private and public sectors.

Ques. What is the scope of this degree abroad?

Ans. Candidates who wish to pursue their career abroad can work as Research Associates that work in the field for sampling and research purposes and can earn a good amount.

Ques. What is IIT JAM?

Ans. IIT JAM is an entrance exam conducted by the Indian Institute of Technology to offer admission in their course programs. The paper consists of numerical, reading comprehension, and analytical and logical reasoning.

Ques. What are the types of jobs available for MSc in Geophysics Graduates?

Ans. Candidates can work as Geoscientists, Geophysicists, Professors, Research Associates in different private and public sectors.

Ques. What is the meaning of Geoscientists?

Ans. Geoscientists are professionals that research Earth's formation, surface changes, and evolution with the applied knowledge in Geology and Physics to derive solutions.

Ques. What kind of administration jobs are available for the graduates of this degree?

Ans. Candidates can work on managerial and executive-levels at companies like ONGC, Hindustan Petroleum, Bharat petroleum, etc. Candidates are promoted and offered a raise after gaining considerable experience in the field.