Geology

Geology
Academic Bulletin

Who might want to be a Geo Major/Minor? Students who tell you they are interested in: watersheds, water quality, energy resources, minerals, climate change, earthquakes, volcanoes, fossils/dinosaurs, oceanography, marine biology, mountains, hiking.

Often times, students will say they are interested broadly in “the environment” or “the outdoors”. If that’s the case, we usually suggest that the student take Geo 110 (Physical Geology) and ES110 (Intro to Environmental Science). For both Geo 110 and ES110, there are always spaces reserved for first year students, so please encourage students to enroll in this courses their first year! It is much harder to get into the courses during the sophomore and junior years.

What is the best starting course for a Geo to take? Geo 110 in their first semester

For a student who is potentially going to major and minor outside of the natural sciences, we offer Geo 109 (Geologic Hazards) as a non-lab course that satisfies the SP and QR distribution requirements. Geo 109 is also an approved course for the GHS major/minor and for ESS majors. It’s a great course for first year students. Students who might major in Geo should NOT take Geo 109.

The Geology Department has three tracks for the Major:
Geology (B.A. or B.S.)
Environmental Geology (B.S.)

Each major track prepares students for geoscience career paths. The two B.S. tracks prepare students for graduate programs in geology and also fulfill the academic requirements needed for certification as a licensed professional geologist.

The B.A. track is designed to accommodate a variety of objectives, such as preparation for law school and/or entry into career fields such as K–12 teaching or public policy. With fewer required courses, the B.A. track also more readily accommodates double majors.

Students can double major in both Geology and Environmental Science.

All three major tracks require the following geology courses:

Upper level courses are offered on an alternate-year basis. Students should schedule a meeting with Professor O’Brien to determine their schedule for sophomore year.

For students with interest in a Geology Major, please note the following:

• It is most important to take Geology 110 during the first year (ideally fall semester). If the student has Geo 110 transfer credit, they should take Geo 120 in the spring.
• It is to the student’s advantage to start their physics, math, or chemistry sequence in their first year if possible. A Geo student should choose which allied science sequence to take based on his/her/their academic strengths and interests. In the absence of a student preference, we advise taking Physics 101 in the Spring of freshman year
• It is strongly recommended to take Geology 120 during the first year (Spring semester following Geology 110 in the Fall semester). Geology 120 is offered every spring semester.
• FSGEO 201 is required for the Geology Major and minor and is designed for students in their second year. This course is offered every Fall semester.

Suggested Schedule for the Geology Major:

*Listed here are suggestions for a few of the allied courses; please see the Academic Bulletin for details of the requirements for each major track, including the B.A. track which includes a range of alternatives.

Geology Minor requires 5 courses, 20 credits: including:

• GEO 110 and GEO 120 AND 3 additional courses. See Academic Bulletin for specifics.