Geology
Understanding the Earth's dynamics, composition, and environment is accomplished through an interdisciplinary curricula including geology, geography, physics, chemistry, mathematics, and soil science.
Opportunities for careers in the geosciences have never been better. Areas of environmental science, petroleum, mining, water and land resources, volcanology, paleontology, and glacial geology offer rewarding careers with a completed bachelor’s degree. Many students continue study at the graduate level.
Geology Major
Curricula requirements include a departmental core of 45 credits, including year-long sequences in calculus, chemistry, and physics, as well as computer science.
A typical first year for all geology majors includes physical geology, the Earth through time, and year-long sequences in English, mathematics, and chemistry.
Geology Minor
A minor in Geology consists of at least 18 credits of geology courses selected in consultation with a Department of Geosciences adviser. Selected geography and soil science courses may be substituted for geology courses.
Environmental Geology Minor
As environmental stewardship becomes an increasingly important aspect of all career paths, the Environmental Geology minor complements and enhances a wide range of majors. Students interested in the Earth and the environment are invited to consider this rewarding and challenging minor. Geology majors may not minor in Environmental Geology.
Major Requirements
Major: Geology
Degree Type: B.A. or B.S.
Minimum Degree Credits to Graduate: 122
General Education Requirements for Baccalaureate Degree
- A list of approved general education courses is available here .
- 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 the major, minor, and program emphases requirements for minimum grade restrictions, should they apply.
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Communication (C) | 12 | |
| College Composition I | ||
| College Composition II | ||
| Fundamentals of Public Speaking | ||
Upper Division Writing † | ||
| Quantitative Reasoning (R) † | 3 | |
| Science and Technology (S) † | 10 | |
| Humanities and Fine Arts (A) † | 6 | |
| Social and Behavioral Sciences (B) † | 6 | |
| Wellness (W) † | 2 | |
| Cultural Diversity (D) *† | ||
| Global Perspectives (G) *† | ||
| Total Credits | 39 | |
| * | May be satisfied by completing courses in another General Education category. |
| † | May be satisfied with courses required in the major. Review major requirements to determine if a specific upper division writing course is required. |
College Requirements
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Bachelor of Arts (BA) Degree – An additional 12 credits Humanities and Social Sciences and proficiency at the second year level in a modern foreign language. * | 12 | |
| Bachelor of Science (BS) Degree – An additional 6 credits in Humanities or Social Sciences * | 6 | |
| * | Humanities and Social Sciences may be fulfilled by any course having the following prefix: ADHM, ANTH, ARCH, ART, CJ, CLAS, COMM, ECON, ENGL, FREN, GEOG, GERM, HDFS, HIST, LA, LANG, MUSC, PHIL, POLS, PSYC, RELS, SOC, SPAN, THEA, WGS, or any course from the approved list of general education courses in humanities and social sciences (general education categories A and B). These credits must come from outside the department of the student’s major. |
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 |
| Select one of the following: | 2 | |
| Lake Superior Field Course | ||
| Black Hills Field Course | ||
| Field Experience | ||
| 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 |
| Related Required Courses | ||
| 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 | ||
| 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 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 | ||
| Select one of the following: | 3-4 | |
| Visual BASIC | ||
| Computer Science I | ||
| Computing Fundamentals I | ||
| Total Credits | 75-78 | |
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.
