Hydrology and Water Resources (BSGS)
Degree-Bachelor of Science in Geosciences (BSGS)
The Bachelor of Science in Geosciences (BSGS) serves as a professional degree for students planning careers as geologists, geophysicists, hydrologists, climate scientists, or teachers, as well as for those planning to pursue graduate work in 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),
- prescribed work for the degree, and
- major requirements. Taken together, these courses constitute a degree major, 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 Geosciences degree must choose one of five majors: General Geology, Geophysics, Hydrology and Water Resources, Climate System Science, or Geosciences.
Component Notes
- Introduction to Earth and Planetary Science Component: A introductory exposure to geosciences in the 21st Century and foundational techniques required to study processes on Earth and other planets.
- Experiential Learning Component: Courses that develop skills in observation, data gathering, and interpretation in the field and/or laboratory.
- Disciplinary Breadth Component: These courses that span all aspects of geosciences at a sophomore level and provide the foundation to pursue courses at the advanced level. All geoscience students regardless of major are required to take these courses that span from the interior planetary processes to the climate system.
- Quantitative Analysis Component: Courses that develop skills in the quantitative analysis of geosciences data and theories, including geostatistics, mathematics, numerical modeling, computer coding, and data analysis. The selection of courses includes courses where quantitative analysis of data and theories is the primary emphasis.
- Geospatial Skills Component: Courses that teach 3-D visualization and thinking skills and instruct in geospatial technologies and software.
- Immersion Learning Component: Intensive three week courses that require full time participation. Often, but not always, they occur off campus. Data acquisition and interpretation are a core component of these experiences.
- Disciplinary Fundamentals Component: Courses that survey the discipline at the advanced level, building upon introductory coursework, while also providing fundamental knowledge required for other advanced courses. Students will be guided through Areas of Study that are a suggested menu of courses for students interested in different aspects of Fundamentals appropriate for sub-disciplines and key topical subjects.
Major-Hydrology and Water Resources
In the hydrology and water resources major, we teach the physical and chemical principles underlying Earth’s water cycle to prepare to solve challenges related to water resources. Hydrology majors study the fundamentals of surface and subsurface flow and transport, thermodynamics, and water chemistry that impact the occurrence, distribution, and quality of water in the atmosphere, on the land surface, within biomass, and in soil and aquifers. Independent inquiry, data analysis, and experiential learning are emphasized through laboratories, field trips, research projects, and an immersion course focused on field methods and field applications of hydrologic science. Students prepare for technical roles in environmental industries and government agencies, as well as graduate study.
Admissions
Information about admissions to this program is given in the school's Admissions section.
Total Hours Required: 126
Plan of Study
The Plan of Study is a suggested four-year course sequence to support academic planning and serves as a helpful guide. Currently enrolled students should meet with their academic advisor to tailor their course selections and timelines to their individual goals and circumstances.
| Year 1 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Semester 1 | Hours | |
| Hours chosen from: Intro to Earth and Planetary Science course | 3 | |
| M 408C | Differential and Integral Calculus | 4 |
| CH 301 | Principles of Chemistry I | 3 |
| UGS 302 or UGS 303 |
First-Year Signature Course or First-Year Signature Course |
3 |
| RHE 306 | Rhetoric and Writing | 3 |
| Hours | 16 | |
| Semester 2 | ||
| Humanities (040) | 3 | |
| M 408D | Sequences, Series, and Multivariable Calculus | 4 |
| CH 302 | Principles of Chemistry II | 3 |
| Hours chosen from: Experiential Learning Course | 3 | |
| U.S. History (060) | 3 | |
| Hours | 16 | |
| Year 2 | ||
| Semester 1 | ||
| Hours chosen from: Disciplinary Breadth course | 8 | |
| PHY 303K | Engineering Physics I | 3 |
| PHY 105M | Laboratory For Physics 302K, 303K, and 317K | 1 |
| U.S. History (060) | 3 | |
| Hours | 15 | |
| Semester 2 | ||
| Hours chosen from: Disciplinary Breadth course | 4 | |
| Hours chosen from: Experiential Learning course | 3 | |
| Free Elective | 3 | |
| PHY 303L | Engineering Physics II | 3 |
| PHY 105N | Laboratory For Physics 302L, 303L, and 317L | 1 |
| Hours chosen from: Immersion Learning course | 3 | |
| Hours | 17 | |
| Year 3 | ||
| Semester 1 | ||
| Hours chosen from: Quantitative Analysis course | 3 | |
| Visual and Performing Arts (050) | 3 | |
| GOV 310L | American and Texas Government | 3 |
| Hours chosen from: Upper-division Disciplinary Fundamental course | 3 | |
| Free Elective | 3 | |
| Hours | 15 | |
| Semester 2 | ||
| Hours chosen from: Upper-division Disciplinary Fundamental course | 3 | |
| Hours chosen from: Quantitative Analysis course | 3 | |
| GOV 312L | Issues and Policies in American Government | 3 |
| Free Elective | 3 | |
| Hours chosen from: Hydrology Component course | 4 | |
| Hours | 16 | |
| Year 4 | ||
| Semester 1 | ||
| Hours chosen from: Hydrology Component course | 4 | |
| Hours chosen from: Water, Climate, and Environmental Fundamentals course | 4 | |
| Hours chosen from: Upper-division Disciplinary Fundamental course | 3 | |
| Social and Behavioral Sciences (080) | 3 | |
| Free Elective | 3 | |
| Hours | 17 | |
| Semester 2 | ||
| Hours chosen from: Hydrology Component course | 3 | |
| Hours chosen from: Water, Climate, and Environmental Fundamentals course | 3 | |
| Free Elective (upper-division) | 3 | |
| Free Elective | 5 | |
| Hours | 14 | |
| Total Hours | 126 | |
Requirements
All requirements are listed below, starting with the most specialized moving to the most general. Additional requirements may follow the table, so be sure to read the entire page. Some required courses listed below may also satisfy General Education requirements, including Core Curriculum.
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Major | ||
| Choose a sequence below: | 8 | |
| Sequence 1: | ||
| Differential and Integral Calculus | ||
| Sequences, Series, and Multivariable Calculus | ||
| Sequence 2: | ||
| Differential Calculus | ||
| Integral Calculus | ||
| Multivariable Calculus | ||
| Choose a sequence below: | 8 | |
| Sequence 1: | ||
| Mechanics | ||
| Laboratory for Physics 301 | ||
| Electricity and Magnetism | ||
| Laboratory for Physics 316 | ||
| Sequence 2: | ||
| Engineering Physics I | ||
| Laboratory For Physics 302K, 303K, and 317K | ||
| Engineering Physics II | ||
| Laboratory For Physics 302L, 303L, and 317L | ||
| CH 301 | Principles of Chemistry I | 3 |
| CH 302 | Principles of Chemistry II | 3 |
| Introduction to Earth and Planetary Science Component | ||
| Hours chosen from: | 3 | |
| Physical Geology | ||
| Climate: Past, Present, and Future | ||
| Age of Dinosaurs | ||
| Earth, Wind, and Fire | ||
| Earth Science and Sustainability | ||
| Crisis of Our Planet | ||
| The Age of Mammals | ||
| Geology of National Parks | ||
| Gems and Gem Minerals | ||
| Introduction to Geology | ||
| Introduction to the Solar System | ||
| Earth in 2100 | ||
| Experiential Learning Component | ||
| Hours chosen from: | 6 | |
| Life through Time | ||
| Geodata | ||
| Earth From Lab to Planet | ||
| Introduction to Field and Stratigraphic Methods | ||
| Disciplinary Breadth Component | ||
| GEO 416E | Solid Earth Processes | 4 |
| GEO 416S | Earth and Planetary Processes Through Time | 4 |
| GEO 416W | Climate, Water, and the Environment | 4 |
| Quantitative Analysis Component | ||
| Hours chosen from: | 6 | |
| Computational Applications in the Geosciences | ||
| Numerical Modeling in the Geosciences | ||
| Python for Geoscience Research | ||
| Introduction to Machine Learning and Geosciences | ||
| Mathematical Methods in Geophysics | ||
| Immersion Learning Component | ||
| GEO 376L | Field Methods in Groundwater Hydrology | 3 |
| Water, Climate, and Environmental Fundamentals Component | ||
| Hours chosen from: | 6 | |
| Vadose Zone Hydrology | ||
| Physical Climatology | ||
| Global Warming | ||
| Introduction to Atmospheric Sciences | ||
| Introduction to the Cryosphere | ||
| Applied Karst Hydrogeology | ||
| Hydrogeology Component | ||
| GEO 476K | Groundwater Hydrology | 4 |
| GEO 476M | Aqueous Geochemistry | 4 |
| GEO 376S | Physical Hydrology | 3 |
| Disciplinary Fundamentals Component | ||
| Hours chosen from: Upper-division GEO coursework | 9 | |
| Subtotal | 78 | |
| Degree | ||
| Free electives: Additional coursework to reach total hours required. | 12 | |
| Subtotal | 12 | |
| General Education | ||
| Remaining Core Curriculum (42 hours total) | 36 | |
| Foreign Language other than English, Beginning Proficiency | ||
| Subtotal | 36 | |
| College Requirements - Geosciences | ||
| General University Requirements | ||
| Total Hours | 126 | |
Additional Requirements
At least 18 hours of upper-division coursework in geological sciences must be completed in residence.
Degree-Bachelor of Science in Geosciences (BSGS)
A course in one prescribed work area may not also be used to fulfill the requirements of another prescribed work or major requirement.
A grade point average of at least 2.00 is required in geological sciences courses counted toward the major requirement.
Algebra courses at the level of Mathematics 301 or the equivalent may not be counted toward the total number of hours for the degree.
Course Grades: A grade of at least C- is required in each course used to fulfill any of the requirements for the degree. The official grade in a course is the last one made; however, if a student repeats a course and has two or more grades, all grades and all semester hours are used to calculate the University grade point average and to determine the student’s scholastic eligibility to remain in the University and the student's academic standing in the Jackson School of Geosciences.
Individual degree(s) or degree options may contain course residency requirements in addition to University requirements. BSGS majors must complete at least 36 semester hours of upper-division coursework in residence at the University.