Geology
Major Requirements
Major: Geology
Degree Type: B.A. or B.S.
Minimum Degree Credits to Graduate: 122
University Degree Requirements
- Satisfactory completion of all requirements of the curriculum in which one is enrolled.
- Earn a minimum total of 120 credits in approved coursework. Some academic programs exceed this minimum.
- Satisfactory completion of the general education requirements as specified by the university.
- A minimum institutional GPA of 2.00 based on work taken at NDSU.
- At least 30 credits must be NDSU resident credits. Resident credits include credits registered and paid for at NDSU.
- At least 36 credits presented for graduation must be in courses numbered 300 or higher.
- Students presenting transfer credit must meet the NDSU residence credits and the minimum upper level credit. Of the 30 credits earned in residence, a minimum of 15 semester credits must be in courses numbered 300 or above, and 15 semester credits must be in the student’s curricula for their declared major.
For complete information, please refer to the Degree and Graduation Requirements section of this Bulletin.
University General Education Requirements
A list of university approved general education courses and administrative policies are available here.
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Category C: Communication | 12 | |
| College Composition I | ||
| College Composition II | ||
| Fundamentals of Public Speaking | ||
Upper Division Writing † | ||
| Category R: Quantitative Reasoning † | 3 | |
| Category S: Science and Technology † | 10 | |
| Category A: Humanities and Fine Arts † | 6 | |
| Category B: Social and Behavioral Sciences † | 6 | |
| Category W: Wellness † | 2 | |
| Category D: Cultural Diversity *† | ||
| Category G: Global Perspectives *† | ||
| Total Credits | 39 | |
- *
Courses for category D & G are satisfied by completing D & G designated courses in another general education category.
- †
General education courses may be used to satisfy requirements for both general education and the major, minor, and program emphases, where applicable. Students should carefully review major requirements to determine if specific courses can also satisfy these general education categories.
Major Requirements
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Geology Core Requirements | ||
| Students must have at least a 2.0 cumulative GPA in the geology core requirements. | ||
| GEOG 455 | Introduction to Geographic Information Systems | 4 |
| GEOL 105 & 105L | Physical Geology and Physical Geology Lab (May satisfy general education category S) | 4 |
| GEOL 106 & 106L | The Earth Through Time and The Earth Through Time Lab | 4 |
| GEOL 150 | Concepts, Skills, and Ethics in Geoscience | 2 |
| GEOL 350 & GEOL 303 | Invertebrate Paleontology and Paleontology Field Course | 4 |
| GEOL 410 | Sedimentology/Stratigraphy | 4 |
| GEOL 412 | Geomorphology | 3 |
| GEOL 420 & GEOL 421 | Mineralogy and Mineralogy Laboratory | 4 |
| GEOL 422 | Petrology | 3 |
| GEOL 423 | Petrography | 1 |
| GEOL 450 | Field Geology | 3 |
| GEOL 457 | Structural Geology | 4 |
| GEOL 491 | Seminar (Junior Year) | 1 |
| GEOL 491 | Seminar (Senior Year) | 1 |
| SOIL 444 | Soil Genesis and Survey | 3 |
| Select one course from the following: | 2 | |
| Lake Superior Field Course | ||
| Black Hills Field Course | ||
| Field Experience | ||
| Related Required Courses | ||
| ENGL 324 | Writing in the Sciences | 3 |
| MATH 165 | Calculus I (May satisfy general education category S) | 4 |
| MATH 166 | Calculus II | 4 |
| Select one of the following chemistry sequences : | 8 | |
Sequence A: | ||
| General Chemistry I and General Chemistry I Laboratory | ||
| General Chemistry II and General Chemistry II Laboratory | ||
Sequence B: | ||
| Principles of Chemistry I and Principles of Chemistry Laboratory I | ||
| Principles of Chemistry II and Principles of Chemistry Laboratory II | ||
| Select one of the following physics sequences: | 8-10 | |
Sequence A: | ||
| College Physics I and College Physics I Laboratory | ||
| College Physics II and College Physics II Laboratory | ||
Sequence B: | ||
| University Physics I and University Physics I Laboratory | ||
| University Physics II and University Physics II Laboratory | ||
| Total Credits | 74-76 | |
Program notes
- Except for courses offered only as pass/fail grading, no course may be taken Pass/Fail.
- Majors planning on graduate studies should be aware that a summer field camp course may be required for graduate admission. This course is recommended to be taken during the summer following the junior or senior year. Information on field camp courses and a small departmental scholarship to support these studies may be obtained from an adviser.
Minor Requirements
Minor: Geology
Required Credits: 18
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Required Courses | ||
| All minor courses must be selected in consultation with a Department of Geosciences adviser. | 18 | |
| Total Credits | 18 | |
Minor Requirements and Notes
- A minimum of 8 credits must be taken at NDSU.
- Select geography and soil science courses may be substituted for geology courses. A substitution form must be submitted to the Office of Registration and Records for approved substitutions.
- The student and adviser will complete a substitution form with the courses to be used for the geology minor. This form will also require the signature of the department chairperson before being submitted to the Office of Registration and Records for verification of minor program completion.
- Note: This minor will not be available for view in the Student Advisement/Requirement Report in Campus Connection until the substitution form has been received and processed.