BS in Geology
The BS degree program, providing comprehensive training in geology and allied natural sciences, prepares graduates for professional work in industry or government, as well as for graduate study in any field of geoscience or environmental sciences. This program prepares students for the examination for the professional geologist license. Students who expect to earn the BS in geology within a minimum amount of time (four years as a full-time student) should have completed geometry, trigonometry, two years of algebra, and chemistry in high school.
Program Requirements
A major with the BS requires a minimum of 45 credit hours in geology, including:
| Code | Title | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Required Core Courses | ||
| GEOL 111 | General Geology | 4 |
| GEOL 312 | Historical Geology | 4 |
| GEOL 320 | Mineralogy and Optical Mineralogy | 4 |
| GEOL 324 | Petrology & Petrography | 3 |
| GEOL 526 | Sedimentary Geology | 3 |
| GEOL 540 | Field Map Methods | 3 |
| GEOL 544 | Structural Geology | 3 |
| GEOL 552 | Physical Stratigraphy | 3 |
| GEOL 570 | Biogeology | 3 |
| Required Capstone Course | ||
| GEOL 640 | Field Geology | 6 |
| Additional Courses | ||
| Select an additional 9 credit hours of upper-division geology electives chosen to match the student’s career interest and in consultation with an advisor from the geology department. An additional elective capstone course is: | 9 | |
| Geohydrology | ||
| Required Supporting Sciences 1 | ||
| MATH 242 & MATH 243 | Calculus I and Calculus II | 10 |
| STAT 370 | Elementary Statistics | 3 |
| CHEM 211 & CHEM 212 | General Chemistry I and General Chemistry II | 10 |
| Select one of the following combinations: | 8-10 | |
| General College Physics I and General College Physics II | ||
| Physics for Scientists I and Physics for Scientists II | ||
| Total Credit Hours | 76-78 | |
| 1 | It is recommended that the required supporting sciences courses be taken prior to, or at least concurrently with, the required core courses in geology listed above. |
Students interested in pursuing graduate degrees in environmental sciences should also consider taking BIOL 210 and BIOL 418. PC 105 is recommended for students with little experience with computers.