The graduate certificate program is open to all persons holding a B.S., M.S., or Ph.D. degree in geology, geophysics, geological engineering, geotechnics, or civil engineering or who are currently accepted into a graduate degree program in one of these fields at Missouri S&T. Once admitted to the program, the student must take the four designated courses (provided in the curriculum section). In order to receive a graduate certificate, the student must have an average cumulative grade point of 3.0 or better in the certificate courses. Once admitted to the program, a student will be given three years to complete the program.

Students admitted into the certificate program will have non-degree graduate status, however, they will earn graduate credit for the courses they complete. If the student completes the four-course sequence with a grade of B or better in each of the courses taken, they, upon application, will be admitted to their choice of non-thesis M.S. degree programs in either geological engineering or geotechnics. The certificate credits taken by the students admitted to the M.S. degree program will count towards their master's degree. Students who do not have all of the prerequisite courses necessary to begin the courses in the certificate program will be allowed to take ''bridge" courses at either the graduate or undergraduate level to prepare for the formal certificate courses.