Geology, BS

It is the student’s responsibility to check with his or her advisor for any program modifications that may occur after the publication of this catalog. When planning coursework, students are advised that the courses GEOL 212/212L, GEOL 341/341L, GEOL 322/322L and GEOL 410 form a critical sequence that must be taken in the order listed. Students may select program electives (those with a GEOL or GEOE prefix) and free electives (college credits approved by the student’s academic advisor) in one or more of six focus areas including Energy and Mineral Resources, Environmental Geology, Geophysics, Geospatial Technology, Paleontology, and Solid Earth and Tectonics. For more information on the geology bachelor’s degree see the Department of Geology and Geological Engineering page under Undergraduate Studies in this catalog.

¹ Students must complete 30 credits of the general education core including 6 credits of science (with at least 1 credit lab), 3 credits of math, 9 credits of writing/communication, 6 credits of humanities, and 6 credits of social sciences. ENGL 101, ENGL 279, and ENGL 289  are recommended English courses for the Geology major. General education courses must be chosen from an approved list in the university catalog. Students should consult the “General Education Requirements” section of this catalog for a complete listing of all general education requirements.

² Some students may need preparatory math in the first semester, such as MATH 120, which will offset completion of the required mathematics sequence of MATH 123, MATH 125, and MATH 381.

³ GGE program electives must have a GEOL or GEOE prefix. At least 6 of the 12 total credits must be taken from 400-level courses. Substitutions must be approved by the Geology BS curriculum committee and department head.

⁴ A grade of C or higher is required in these courses for graduation with a Geology BS degree and for advancement into some subsequent required courses: GEOE 324/324L, GEOL 212/212L, GEOL 322/322L, GEOL 323, GEOL 323L, GEOL 331/331L, GEOL 341/341L, GEOL 410, GEOL 416/416L/516/516L, GEOL 421/521, GEOL 456/456L/556/556L, GEOL 461/461L, GEOL 464, and GEOL 465. Check prerequisite requirements on course descriptions.  

⁵ Three credits of PHYS 211 and PHYS 213 are required.

⁶ Students must also take one (1) additional elective credit to reach the 120 credits required for graduation if CSC 111/111L is used for this requirement.

⁷ Student must take at least one of these electives in geological resources: GEOE 475/475L/575/575L, GEOL 351, GEOL 451/451L, and GEOL 476/576.

⁸ Free electives are courses with any prefix that are approved by the academic advisor. These courses are not to be used as free electives: CHEM 106/CHEM 106L, CSC 105, MATH 100, MATH 101, MATH 114, MATH 114L, MATH 115, MATH 116/116L, MATH 120, MATH 281, PHYS 111, PHYS 111L, PHYS 113, and PHYS 113L.

⁹ Students must take one of these two courses: GEOE 324/324L or GEOL 456/456L/556/556L¹⁰. If both are taken, the second may serve as a GGE program elective.

¹⁰ GEOL 456/456L/556/556L is offered in alternate years.

Program electives (courses with a GEOL or GEOE prefix) and free electives (other courses approved by a student’s academic advisor) can be chosen to focus in one of six career paths or from two or more career paths, depending on a student’s interests.

Students are strongly encouraged to consult with their advisor in selecting a career path and electives.

Recommended electives for energy and mineral resource geology include:

Recommended electives for environmental geology include:

Recommended electives for geospatial technology include:

Recommended electives for geophysics include:

Recommended electives for paleontology include:

Recommended electives for solid earth and tectonics include: