Geological Sciences Major B.S.

A student exits a wombat pit in fieldwork with Dr. Greg Springer.

Day- or weekend-long field trips to learn geology in the field
Immersive field training through rotating week-long field course options
Experiential training in geologic methods and career skills
Preparation for professional careers in the geological sciences such as energy and mineral resources
Preparation for graduate school

Undergraduate Coordinator: Dr. Greg Springer

Program Overview

The B.S. in geological sciences is the standard preparation for a professional career in the geological sciences or entry into a graduate program.

Careers and Graduate School

A degree in geological sciences prepares graduates for a variety of career opportunities. Upon graduation, students can pursue positions with employers in the petroleum industry, state and national government agencies, research laboratories, state highway departments, mining companies, civil engineering firms, surveying companies, consulting firms, museums, public and private K-12 schools, institutions of higher education, etc. Students are also adequately prepared to pursue graduate work in their field of interest.

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Admissions Information

Freshman/First-Year Admission: No requirements beyond University admission requirements.

Change of Program Policy: No selective or limited admission requirements.

External Transfer Admission: No requirements beyond University admission requirements.

Degree Requirements

Major code: BS3321

University-wide Graduation Requirements

To complete this program, students must meet all University-wide graduation requirements.

College-Level Requirements for the College of Arts & Sciences

View the College-Level Requirements for the College of Arts & Sciences.

Geological Sciences (B.S.) Major Requirements

The major requirement for the (B.S.) degree in Geological Sciences requires 44 hours.

Introductory Geology Course

This requirement may be satisfied by taking one of the three following options.

Option 1

Complete the following course:

GEOL 1010 - How the Earth Works Credit Hours: 4.0

Option 2

Complete the following course, plus an additional course as a prerequisite.

GEOL 2020 - Introductory Geology Lab Credit Hours: 1.0

Plus one of the following courses:

GEOL 1200 - The Mobile Earth Credit Hours: 3.0
GEOL 1300 - Geology of the National Parks Credit Hours: 3.0
GEOL 1350 - Natural Disasters Credit Hours: 3.0
GEOL 1400 – Dinosaurs and the Mesozoic Credit Hours: 3.0
GEOL 1700 - Metal, Stone, Energy, and Society Credit Hours: 3
GEOL 2080 - Geology of the Solar System Credit Hours: 3.0
GEOL 2110 - Introductory Oceanography Credit Hours: 3
GEOL 2150 - Environmental Geology Credit Hours: 3.0
GEOL 2170 – Water Resources and Sustainability Credit Hours: 3.0
GEOL 2210 - Earth and Life History Credit Hours: 3.0
GEOL 2310 - Water and Pollution Credit Hours: 3.0
GEOL 2710 - Extreme Ancient Climates Credit Hours: 3

Option 3

Complete the following course:

GEOL 2830 - Geology for Engineers Credit Hours: 4.0

Geological Sciences Core Courses

Complete a total of 38 semester hours of GEOL coursework, including the following:

GEOL 2550 - Historical Geology Credit Hours: 3
GEOL 3150 - Mineralogy Credit Hours: 4
GEOL 3201 - Igneous & Metamorphic Petrology Credit Hours: 4
GEOL 3500 - Stratigraphy-Sedimentology Credit Hours: 3
GEOL 3600 - Structural Geology Credit Hours: 4
GEOL 4610 - Regional Field Geology Credit Hours: 3
GEOL 4650 - Geologic Methods Credit Hours: 3

Geological Sciences Disciplinary Electives

Choose two of the following courses:

GEOL 3300 – Principles of Geomorphology Credit Hours: 3.0
GEOL 3400 – Principles of Paleontology Credit Hours: 3.0
GEOL 3700 – Groundwater Fundamentals and Practices Credit Hours: 3.0

Statistics Course

Choose one of the following:

GEOL 3050 – Statistical Methods in Geology Credit Hours: 4.0
MATH 2500 – Statistics and Probability Credit Hours: 4.0
GEOG 2710 – Introduction to Statistics in Geography Credit Hours: 3.0
PSY 2110 – Statistics for the Behavioral Sciences Credit Hours: 4.0

(Please note only GEOL 3050 will count toward GEOL required hours.)

Geological Sciences Electives

Complete any two 4000-level courses in geological sciences.

Geological Sciences Majors Extra-Departmental Requirements

Complete the following three components.

Component 1: Calculus

Complete the following course:

MATH 2301 - Calculus I Credit Hours: 4.0