Major Requirements

The geological sciences option is for students who expect to make geology an important component of their career, e.g., in engineering/environmental consulting, oil and gas exploration, mineral exploration and mining, and federal and state government; it also provides rigorous preparation for graduate study.

The environmental geology option is for students who wish to work in the environmental sector, which at present is the largest employer of geoscientists in the United States; its focus is on characterizing processes and hazards in the modern shallow subsurface; it also prepares students for graduate study.

The planetary science option is for students who wish to pursue a research career, e.g., at universities, research institutions, government facilities such as NASA, and museums. It focuses on the physical and geochemical processes in our solar system spanning the early solar nebula to planetary formation and evolution. The option facilitates interdisciplinary knowledge in mathematics, physics, chemistry, and biology, and is therefore well suited to students transferring from other STEM disciplines as well as those preparing for graduate study.

The general option is for students who have an interest in the earth and planetary sciences and plan to pursue a career in science education, communication and journalism, medicine, environmental law and policy, business, etc.

Declaration of the major in earth and planetary sciences requires a grade of C or better in 01:460:101 Introductory Geology, or its equivalent, or special permission of the undergraduate program director. Course schedules for each semester should be approved by the undergraduate program director or other faculty adviser prior to registration.

460: Geological Sciences Option (B.S.) [62 credits total]

Foundation Courses

01:160:161 General Chemistry (4)

01:640  CALC1 (4)

One of the following: 01:640: CALC2 (4) or 01:960:379  Basic Probability Theory (3) or 01:960:401  Basic Statistics for Research (3)

One of the following: 01:750:203  General Physics (3) (recommended) or 01:750:193   Physics for the Sciences (4) or 01:750:201  Extended General Physics (5)

Core Courses

01:460:101  Introductory Geology (4) [alternatively 01:460:100  Planet Earth (3) and 01:460:103  Introductory Geology Lab (1)]

01:460:300  Introduction to Sedimentary Geology (4)

01:460:301  Mineralogy (4)

01:460:302  Petrology (4)

01:460:303  Paleontology (4)

01:460:304  Introduction to Geochemistry (4)

01:460:306  Introduction to Geophysics (4)

01:460:407  Structural Geology and Geologic Maps (4)

01:460:410  Field Geology (3) or equivalent (see field requirement below)

01:460:480  Major Events in Earth History (3)

Elective Courses

Three 3-credit courses in 01:460 at the 300 level or higher.  Note: 01:119:115, 116 General Biology, 01:160:162 General Chemistry, General Physics 2, CALC 3, CALC 4, and 01:355:302 Scientific and Technical Writing (3) are acceptable electives. Other non-460 courses require permission of the undergraduate program director. Undergraduate students may take graduate courses if they have a GPA of 3.0 or higher and/or with the permission of the instructor. Students may choose from the following specializations or create their own group of electives.

• Paleobiology and Paleoceanography: 01:460:305 Evolution and Geologic Time (3); 01:460:394 Geologic Context (3); 01:460:451 Marine Geology (3); 01:460:454 Micropaleontology (3); 01:460:476 History of the Earth System (3); 16:460:526 Paleoceanography (3); 16:460:552 Stable Isotopes in the Environment (3); 16:460:625 Seminar in Sequence Stratigraphy (3)
  
• Tectonics, Geophysics, and Hydrology: 01:460:414 Hydrologic Processes (3); 01:460:428 Hydrogeology (3); 01:460:429 Tectonics and Regional Structural Geology (3); 01:460:441 Structure and Formation of Terrestrial Planets (3); 01:460:442 Dynamics of Planetary Interiors (3); 16:460:515 Advanced Tectonics (3); 16:460:528 Groundwater Modeling (3); 16:460:557 Seismic Acquisition and Processing (3)
• Geochemistry and Petrology: 01:460:396 Geochronology (3); 01:460:417 Environmental Geochemistry (3); 16:460:509 Meteoritics (3); 16:460:513 Volcanology (3); 16:460:551 Isotope Geochemistry (3); 16:460:617 Seminar in Geochronology (3); 16:460:631 Seminar in Petrology (3)

460E: Environmental Geology Option (B.S.) [63 credits total]

Foundation Courses

01:160:161  General Chemistry (4)

01:640  CALC1 (4)

One of the following: 01:640 CALC2 (4) or 01:960:379  Basic Probability Theory (3) or 01:960:401  Basic Statistics for Research (3)

One of the following: 01:750:203  General Physics (3) (recommended) or 01:750:193 Physics for the Sciences (4) or 01:750:201  Extended General Physics (5)

Core Courses

01:460:101  Introductory Geology (4) [alternatively 01:460:100  Planet Earth (3) and 01:460:103  Introductory Geology Lab (1)]

01:460:202  Environmental Geology (3)

01:460:300  Introduction to Sedimentary Geology (4)

01:460:301  Mineralogy (4)

01:460:302  Petrology (4)

01:460:306  Introduction to Geophysics (4)

01:460:407  Structural Geology and Geologic Maps (4)

01:460:410  Field Geology (3) or equivalent (see field requirement below)

01:460:413  Environmental Geochemistry (3)

01:460:428  Hydrogeology (3)

Elective Courses

Four 3-credit courses from the following list: 01:355:302 Scientific and Technical Writing (3); 01:450:321 Geographic Information Systems (3); 01:450:322 Remote Sensing (3); 01:460:304 Introduction to Geochemistry (4); 01:460:408 Geomorphology (3); 01:460:418 Geological Modeling (3); 11:375:202 Chemical Principals of Environmental Science (3); 11:375:203 Physical Principles of Environmental Science (3); 11:375:303 Numerical Methods in Environmental Science (3); 11:375:423 Environmental Fate and Transport (3).

460P: Planetary Science Option (B.S.) [63 credits total]

Foundation Courses

01:160:161,162  General Chemistry (4, 4)

01:640  CALC1, CALC2 (4, 4)

One of the following: 01:640 CALC3 (4) or 01:960:401  Basic Statistics for Research (3)

One of the following: 01:750:193  Physics for the Sciences (4) or 01:750:201  Extended General Physics (5) or 01:750:203  General Physics (3)

One of the following: 01:750:194  Physics for the Sciences (4) or 01:750:201  Extended General Physics (5) or 01:750:204  General Physics (3)

Core Courses

01:460:101  Introductory Geology (4) [alternatively 01:460:100  Planet Earth (3) and 01:460:103  Introductory Geology Lab (1)]

01:460:222  Planet Mars (3) or 01:460:224  Geology of Moons and Planets (3)

01:460:301  Mineralogy (4)

01:460:302  Petrology (4)

01:460:304  Introduction to Geochemistry (4)

01:460:441  Structure and Formation of Terrestrial Planets (3) [or 01:460:442  Dynamics of Planetary Interiors (3)]

01:460:480  Major Events in Earth History (3)

Elective Courses

Four 3-credit courses from the following list: 01:355:302 Scientific and Technical Writing (3); 01:450:321 Geographic Information Systems (3); 01:450:322 Remote Sensing (3); 01:460:300 Introduction to Sedimentary Geology (4); 01:460:410 Structural Geology and Geologic Maps (4); 01:460:414 Hydrologic Processes (3); 01:460:418 Geological Modeling (3); 01:460:442 Dynamics of Planetary Interiors (3) [or 01:460:441 Structure and Formation of Terrestrial Planets (3)]; 16:460:630 Seminar in Planetary Science (3); 01:640:244 Differential Equations for Engineering and Physics (4) or 01:640:250 Introductory Linear Algebra (3) or 01:640:252 Elementary Differential Equations (3) or 01:640:292 Honors Calculus IV (4); 01:750:341 or 342 Principles of Astrophysics (3)

460L: General Option (B.A.) [40 credits total]

Foundation Courses

01:160:161  General Chemistry (4)

01:640  CALC1 (4)

Core Courses

01:460:101  Introductory Geology (4) [alternatively 01:460:100  Planet Earth (3) and 01:460:103  Introductory Geology Lab (1)]

01:460:300  Introduction to Sedimentary Geology (4) (assumes change in name and number)

01:460:301  Mineralogy (4)

01:460:302  Petrology (4)

01:460:303  Paleontology (4)

01:460:407  Structural Geology and Geologic Maps (4)

01:460:411  Geologic Field Methods (2)

Elective Courses:

Two additional 3-credit courses in 01:460, one of which must be at 300-level or higher; other acceptable courses are 01:119:115  General Biology, 01:750:203  General Physics, and those approved by undergraduate program director.

Field Requirement

All majors in the geological sciences option and the environmental geology option must take a minimum of 3 credits in field geology. Most students satisfy this requirement by taking an external field camp offered by many geoscience departments at other universities; ask the undergraduate program director for guidance. Many students do the field training during the late spring/summer between junior and senior years.