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Geophysicist, GS-1313 |
Basic Requirements for All Grades, GS-5 and above
Degree: Successful completion of a full 4-year course of study in an accredited college or university leading to a bachelor's or higher degree that included at least 30 semester hours in mathematics (including calculus) and the physical sciences (geophysics, physics, engineering, geology, astronomy, meteorology, electronics, etc.).
OR
Combination of education and experience: Courses equivalent to a major, as shown above, plus appropriate experience or additional education.
The quality of the combination of education and experience must be sufficient to demonstrate that the applicant possesses the knowledge, skills, and abilities required to perform work in the occupation, and is comparable to that normally acquired through the successful completion of a full 4-year course of study with a major in the appropriate field. In addition to courses in the major and related fields, a typical college degree would have included courses that involved analysis, writing, critical thinking, research, etc. These courses would have provided an applicant with skills and abilities sufficient to perform progressively more responsible work in the occupation. Therefore, creditable experience should have demonstrated similarly appropriate skills or abilities needed to perform the work of the occupation.
Click here for information on how experience and education may be combined.
Additional Experience and Education Requirements For GS-7 and Above
In addition to meeting the basic entry qualification requirements, applicants must have specialized experience and/or directly related education in the amounts shown in the table below:
|
Grade |
Education |
OR Specialized Experience |
|
GS-7 |
1 year of graduate-level education in an accredited college or university in mathematics (including calculus) or physical sciences (geophysics, physics, engineering, geology, astronomy, meteorology, electronics, etc.). ; or superior academic achievement |
1 year equivalent to at least GS-5 |
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GS-9 |
2 years of progressively higher level graduate education in an accredited college or university, leading to a master's degree |
1 year equivalent to at least GS-7 |
|
GS-11 |
3 years of progressively higher level graduate education in an accredited college or university, leading to a Ph.D. degree or Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree |
1 year equivalent to at least GS-9 |
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GS-12 and above |
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1 year equivalent to at least next lower grade level |
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NOTE: Education and experience may be combined for all grade levels for which both education and experience are acceptable. |
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Graduate Education: Completion of graduate level education in the amounts shown in the table, in addition to meeting the basic requirements, is qualifying for positions at grades GS-7 through GS-11 if it provided the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to do the work. One year of full-time graduate education is considered to be the number of credit hours that the school attended has determined to represent 1 year of full-time study. If that number cannot be obtained from the school, 18 semester hours should be considered an academic year of graduate study. Part-time graduate education is creditable in accordance with its relationship to a year of full-time study at the school attended.
Specialized Experience: Experience that equipped the applicant with the particular knowledge, skills, and abilities to perform successfully the duties of the position, and that is typically in or related to the work of the position to be filled. To be creditable, specialized experience must have been equivalent to at least the next lower grade level in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization.