The Department of Earth, Environmental, and Planetary Sciences offers graduate programs students interested in both Master of Science and Doctor of Philosophy degrees. Both programs are flexible so as to meet individual needs and are research-intensive programs that offer the opportunity to work closely with faculty. Current research strengths in the department include: benthic ecology, surface processes, soil erosion, sediment transport, stratigraphy, geologic sequestration of carbon, geochemistry, meteorites, planetary materials, planetary geology and geophysics, and high-pressure mineral physics and chemistry. Students interested in any these disciplines are encouraged to explore the interests of the faculty and to contact directly any members of the faculty with whom they share interests.

The mission of the graduate program in Earth, Environmental, and Planetary Sciences at Case Western Reserve University is to train the coming generations of professional earth, environmental, and planetary scientists. Professional scientists in these disciplines work in a wide range of environments, including, but not limited, to colleges and universities, commercial and non-profit research laboratories, mining, energy, and environmental consulting industries, local, state, and federal regulatory agencies, federal research laboratories, and museums.