2025-2026 Catalog

Geology, B.S. Major, Geology Track

Requirements for Geology Track

The major consists of a minimum of 11 major courses and 5 collateral courses:

One course in Physical Geology:

GEOL 100Introduction to Geology: From Fire to Ice

1

GEOL 110Introduction to Geology: Environmental Geology

1

GEOL 120Introduction to Geology: Geological Disasters-Agents of Chaos

1

GEOL 140A Geologic Exploration of New Zealand's Dynamic Landscape

1

GEOL 150 The Geologic Evolution of the Hawaiian Islands

1

GEOL 160Geology from A (Arches) to Z (Zion): The Geology of National Parks in the Western United States

1

GEOL 170Geological and Paleobiological Evolution of Ecuador and the Galapagos Islands

1

GEOL 180Iceland: Geology and Natural History of a Young Island

1

No more than one 100-level interim course may count as either the Physical Geology or Earth History course.

One course in Earth History:

GEOL 115Introduction to Geology: Earth-Evolution of a Habitable Planet

1

GEOL 130Introduction to Geology: Dinosaurs, Darwin, and Deep Time

1

GEOL 160Geology from A (Arches) to Z (Zion): The Geology of National Parks in the Western United States

1

No more than one 100-level interim course may count as either the Physical Geology or Earth History course.

Additional required courses:

GEOL 200Earth and Planetary Materials

1

 

GEOL 205Oceanography

1

Or

GEOL 315Paleoclimatology and Paleoceanography

1

 

GEOL 215Sedimentology and Stratigraphy

1

GEOL 300Earth Surface Processes

1

GEOL 307Igneous and Metamorphic Petrology

1

GEOL 317Structure and Tectonics of the Earth

1

Three technical electives from an approved list with at least one geology course and no more than one approved 100-level course.

 

MATH 161Calculus I

1

And

MATH 162Calculus II

1

Or

MATH 161Calculus I

1

And

MATH 186Applied Statistics

1

 

CHEM 107General Chemistry I

1

 

CHEM 108General Chemistry II

1

Or

GEOL 321Geochemistry

1

 

PHYS 111General Physics-Mechanics and Thermodynamics

1

Or

PHYS 131Physics I: Mechanics

1

Or

PHYS 151Accelerated Physics I: Mechanics and Thermodynamics

1

Department approved technical electives: With at least one 200-level or above geology course.

This page reflects the requirements for completing this major. General graduation requirements for all students can be found here