Geology
Home ยป Geology

Plan of Study

General Education Requirements

All 100- and 200-level Geology courses, as well as GEOS 314 carry Scientific Inquiry General Education credit. The 200-level Geology courses also fulfill the Quantitative Reasoning component.

The Major

One of the following introductory courses:

  • GEOS 201 Environmental Geology
  • GEOS 211 Physical Geology

All of the following core courses:

  • GEOS 314 Interpreting Earth History
  • GEOS 315 Earth Materials
  • GEOS 316 Geochemistry
  • CHEM 111 Principles of Chemistry

Four elective courses from the following three groups,
at least one course from each group:

GROUP A

  • GEOS 410 Structural Geology and Tectonics
  • GEOS 411 Tectonics and Geophysics

GROUP B

  • GEOS 420 Earth Surface Processes
  • GEOS 421 Sedimentology

GROUP C

  • GEOS 430 Hydrogeology
  • GEOS 431 Soils

Any two of the following cognate courses,
courses must be in different departments:

  • BIOL 111 Ecological Biology
  • CHEM 221 Organic Chemistry I
  • CHEM 331 Equilibrium and Analysis
  • MATH 120 Elementary Statistics
  • MATH 180 Calculus A
  • PHYS 120 General Physics I
  • PHYS 125 Analytical Physics I

All seniors must complete:

  • GEOS 480 Seminar on Current Topics

And one of the following:

  • GEOS 481 Internships, Field Studies and Other Field Experiences
  • GEOS 486 Independent Student Research
  • GEOS 488 Senior Capstone Experience

The Minor

One of the following introductory courses:

  • GEOS 201 Environmental Geology
  • GEOS 211 Physical Geology

All of the following core courses:

  • GEOS 314 Interpreting Earth History
  • GEOS 315 Earth Materials
  • GEOS 316 Geochemistry

One of the following upper-level courses:

  • GEOS 410 Structural Geology and Tectonics
  • GEOS 411 Tectonics and Geophysics
  • GEOS 420 Earth Surface Processes
  • GEOS 421 Sedimentology
  • GEOS 430 Hydrogeology
  • GEOS 431 Soils

Environmental Geology Minor

One of the following introductory courses:

  • GEOS 210 Environmental Geology
  • GEOS 211 Physical Geology

Required core course:

  • GEOS 316 Geochemistry

One of the other core courses:

  • GEOS 314 Interpreting Earth History
  • GEOS 315 Earth Materials

Two of the following upper-level courses:

  • GEOS 420 Earth Surface Processes
  • GEOS 430 Hydrogeology
  • GEOS 431 Soils