Option I: General Geology
Bachelor of Science in Geological Sciences
The Bachelor of Science in Geological Sciences serves as a professional degree for students planning careers as geologists, geophysicists, or teachers, as well as for those planning to pursue graduate work in the geosciences or a profession such as law or business. Careers are available in the petroleum and related energy industries, resource evaluation, mineral exploration, geologic hazard monitoring, environmental control and reclamation, building foundation evaluation, groundwater contamination studies, soil testing, regional planning, watershed management, climate modeling, and college or secondary school teaching. Graduates may also work in state or federal agencies, in universities or museums, with consulting firms, or with service companies to the energy and mineral industries.
Degree requirements are divided into three categories: university-wide undergraduate degree requirements (the University core curriculum) and flag requirements, prescribed work for the degree, and major requirements. Taken together, these courses make up an option, a degree plan with a particular concentration or emphasis. Thus, students may develop intellectually challenging yet different plans of study according to their personal interests and goals.
Students seeking the Bachelor of Science in Geological Sciences degree must choose one of four options--I: General Geology, II: Geophysics, III: Hydrogeology, or V: Teaching. (Option IV: Environmental Science and Sustainability is no longer offered.)
Additional Requirements Specific to the BS Geological Sciences, Opts I, II, & III
36 semester hours of upper-division coursework must be completed in residence at the University. At least 18 of these hours must be in geological sciences and at least 12 of the 36 hours must be outside geological sciences.
A total of 126 hours of coursework including core, prescribed, and major work.
Prescribed Work
BS Geological Sciences, Option I, II, & III
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Mathematics 408C and 408D; or 408K, 408L, and 408M. Mathematics 408C or 408K also meets the mathematics requirement of the core curriculum. Algebra courses at the level of Mathematics 301 or the equivalent may not be counted toward the total number of semester hours required for the degree.
- Physics 301, 101L, 316, and 116L; or Physics 303K, 103M, 303L, and 103N.
- Chemistry 301 and 302. Together, requirements 2 and 3 also meet parts I and II of the science and technology requirement of the core curriculum.
- Geological Sciences 401 or 303, 416K, 416M, 420K, and 428.
- Technical Electives: 12 semester hours of approved science and engineering courses offered outside of the GEO Field of study with no more than six semester hours of lower-division courses. These courses may be coordinated with additional recommended GEO elective courses to form a geoscience course concentration. A list of approved technical elective courses and geoscience course concentrations is available in the JSG Advising Office.
- Language or Culture Electives: Six semester hours of coursework in a foreign language or approved coursework recognized as a study of cultures on a domestic or global scale. A list of approved cultural courses is available in the JSG Advising Office. Courses that fulfill this requirement must be in addition to courses counted toward the core curriculum or flag requirements.
Major Requirements
- Geological Sciences 405, 325G, and 426P.
- Six semester hours of approved field and/or research coursework. This requirement may be met by Geological Sciences 660A and 660B. Field/research requirements courses should be completed during the same summer semester.
- 15 additional hours of approved upper division coursework in geological sciences.
Suggested Arrangement of Courses
BS Geological Sciences, Option I: General Geology
| First Year | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| First Term | Hours | Second Term | Hours |
| GEO 401 or 303 | 4 | GEO 405 | 4 |
| M 408C | 4 | M 408D | 4 |
| CH 301 | 3 | CH 302 | 3 |
| UGS 302 or 303 | 3 | E 316L, 316M, 316N, or 316P | 3 |
| RHE 306 | 3 | GEO 012N | 0 |
| 17 | 14 | ||
| Total credit hours: 31 | |||
| Second Year | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| First Term | Hours | Second Term | Hours |
| GEO 416K | 4 | GEO 420K | 4 |
| GEO 416M | 4 | GEO 325G | 3 |
| PHY 303K | 3 | PHY 303L | 3 |
| PHY 103M | 1 | PHY 103N | 1 |
| HIS 315K | 3 | Visual/Performing Arts | 3 |
| 15 | 14 | ||
| Total credit hours: 29 | |||
| Third Year | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| First Term | Hours | Second Term | Hours |
| GEO 428 | 4 | GEO 426P | 4 |
| GEO Upper-division Elective | 3 | Tech Elective | 3 |
| Tech Elective | 3 | GEO Upper-division Elective | 3 |
| HIS 315L | 3 | Upper-division Elective | 3 |
| Language or Culture | 3 | ||
| 16 | 13 | ||
| Total credit hours: 29 | |||
| Third Year | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Summer Term | Hours | ||
| GEO 660A | 3 | ||
| GEO 660B | 3 | ||
| 6 | |||
| Total credit hours: 6 | |||
| Fourth Year | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| First Term | Hours | Second Term | Hours |
| GEO Upper-division Elective | 3 | GEO Upper-division Elective | 4 |
| GEO Upper-division Elective | 3 | Upper-division Tech Elective | 3 |
| Upper-division Tech Elective | 3 | Social/Behavioral Science | 3 |
| GOV 310L | 3 | GOV 312L | 3 |
| Language or Culture | 3 | Upper-division Elective | 3 |
| 15 | 16 | ||
| Total credit hours: 31 | |||
Total Credit Hours: 126