Academic Catalog

2024-2025

Bachelor of Science Ocean and Earth Science with a Major in Geology (BS)

Richard Hale, Advisor

Students in the Ocean and Earth Science program focus on global systems that control environmental conditions on the planet. They also learn to develop solutions to complex environmental problems by working in interdisciplinary teams. All majors in the department complete courses in the basic sciences and mathematics and core courses in Earth systems science. Students majoring in Geology complete a course-based research experience including both field work and laboratory analysis. In addition, students complete a suite of specialty courses specified in each major.  A minimum grade of C or higher in all major and prerequisite courses is required for graduation.

Ocean and Earth Science with a Major in Geology

The geology major is designed for students with a wide range of professional goals in the sciences, engineering, business, and the arts. Students considering graduate work or employment in pure and applied fields of geology, including environmental geology, geological oceanography, hydrogeology, marine geology, geobiology, geophysics, and geochemistry, should build their backgrounds to support certification as a professional geologist (see later information). Students with a strong interest in geological applications of geographic information systems (GIS) and remote sensing tools should consider the geology major with a minor in geography; the certificate program in spatial analysis of coastal environments (see later description) also emphasizes this area of study.