Geology, Earth Science, BA
Bachelor of Arts in Geology, Earth Science
More on the Geology, Earth Science major
Earth Science Fundamentals
Earth scientists study earth materials, structures and processes and how they’ve changed through time. This knowledge may be applied to exploration for natural resources — including metals, petroleum and water; understanding natural hazards such as earthquakes, volcanoes and landslides; addressing problems associated with environmental contamination; and investigating Earth’s history to understand the evolution of life and global climate change. Earth scientists are employed by natural resource companies, environmental consulting firms, government agencies, nonprofit organizations and universities.
Core courses provide the fundamentals in:
- physical and historical geology
- mineralogy and petrography
- structural geology and plate tectonics
- sedimentology, paleontology and stratigraphy
Degree program can be tailored to a major field of interest by taking additional courses in the supporting sciences and mathematics.
Requirements for Admission
Admission to the College of Arts and Sciences. The student must maintain a minimum 2.00 grade point average.
Earn a Bachelor’s degree AND a Master’s degree in 5 years
A combined version of this degree is available to students who intend to continue on to the Master's of Science in Geology degree at the University of Akron. Please contact your advisor or the Department of Geosciences for guidance.
The following information has official approval of The Department of Geosciences and The Buchtel College of Arts & Sciences, but is intended only as a supplemental guide. Official degree requirements are established at the time of transfer and admission to the degree-granting college. Students should refer to the Degree Progress Report (Stellic) which is definitive for graduation requirements. Completion of this degree within the identified time frame below is contingent upon many factors, including but not limited to: class availability, total number of required credits, work schedule, finances, family, course drops/withdrawals, successfully passing courses, prerequisites, among others. The transfer process is completed through an appointment with your academic advisor.
Three year accelerated option: for first time students who have earned credits for at least the first year of courses. Credits can be earned through qualifying scores on appropriate Advanced Placement (AP) exams or through College Credit Plus Program (CCP) courses. Credits for qualifying AP scores or CCP courses are determined by the appropriate academic department. Departments may assign varied course credit, depending on the student’s score on an AP exam or grade in a CCP course. Students may also receive credit by examination or via placement tests, where appropriate.
Requirements
Summary
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| General Education Requirements | 36 | |
| College of Arts & Sciences Requirements | 14 | |
| Core Geology-Earth Science Requirements | 34 | |
| Geology-Earth Science Elective | 3 | |
| Geology-Earth Science Upper Level Electives | 7 | |
| Geology-Earth Science Non-Geology Requirements I | 8 | |
| Geology-Earth Science Non-Geology Requirements II | 7 | |
| Additional Credits for Graduation * | 11 | |
| Total Hours | 120 | |
- *
Bachelor's degrees require a minimum of 120 credit hours for graduation.
General Education Requirements
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Students pursuing a bachelor’s degree must complete the following General Education coursework | ||
| Breadth of Perspectives courses may also fulfill major or Breadth of Knowledge requirements. Integrated and Applied Learning courses may also fulfill requirements in the major. | ||
| Academic Foundations | 12 | |
Mathematics, Statistics and Logic: 3 credit hours | ||
Speaking: 3 credit hours | ||
Writing: 6 credit hours | ||
| Breadth of Knowledge | 19 | |
Arts: 3 credit hours | ||
Humanities: 3 credit hours | ||
Natural Sciences: 7 credit hours | ||
Social Sciences: 6 credit hours | ||
| Breadth of Perspectives | ||
U.S. Perspectives | ||
Global Perspectives | ||
Civic Literacy | ||
| Integrated and Applied Learning | 1-3 | |
Select one class from one of the following subcategories: | ||
Complex Issues Facing Society | ||
Capstone | ||
| General Education Elective 1 | 4-2 | |
Review the General Education Requirements page for detailed course listings. | ||
| Total Hours | 36 | |
- 1
Credits may be selected from any approved General Education course not already accounted for.
College of Arts & Sciences Requirements
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Degree requirements in Arts & Sciences include the demonstration of ability to use another language by completion of the second year of a foreign language. | ||
| 2 Year Language Proficiency | 14 | |
101 Beginning I | ||
102 Beginning II | ||
201 Intermediate I | ||
202 Intermediate II | ||
| Survey of Deaf Culture in America (American Sign Language option only) | ||
| Students must also complete a minimum of 40 credits (excluding workshops) consisting of either: | ||
Upper-level (300/400) courses both in and outside of the student’s major; | ||
or other courses outside the major department approved by the student’s major department chair (permission should be obtained prior to enrollment); these may not include workshops | ||
Core Geology-Earth Science Requirements
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| GEOL 101 | Introductory Physical Geology | 4 |
| GEOL 102 | Introductory Historical Geology | 4 |
| GEOL 230 | Mineral Science | 4 |
| GEOL 231 | Silicate Mineralogy and Petrology | 4 |
| GEOL 324 | Sedimentation & Stratigraphy | 4 |
| GEOL 350 | Structural Geology | 4 |
| GEOL 360 | Paleobiology | 4 |
| GEOL 453 | Geology Field Camp I | 3 |
| GEOL 454 | Geology Field Camp II | 3 |
| Total Hours | 34 | |
Geology-Earth Science Electives
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Students must select a minimum of three (3) credits from geology courses from any level not required for this degree 1 | 3 | |
| GEOL:1xx/2xx/3xx/4xx | ||
| Total Hours | 3 | |
Geology-Earth Science Upper Level Electives
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Students must select a minimum of seven (7) credits of upper level geology courses (GEOL:3xx/4xx) or other upper level courses listed below 2 | 7 | |
| GEOL 3xx/4xx | ||
| GEOG 405 | Geographic Information Systems 2 | |
| GEOG 407 | Advanced Geographic Information Systems | |
| GEOG 440 | Cartography | |
| GEOG 445 | GIS Database Design | |
| GEOG 446 | GIS Programming and Customization | |
| GEOG 447 | Remote Sensing | |
| GEOG 449 | Advanced Remote Sensing | |
| Total Hours | 7 | |
Geology-Earth Science Non-Geology Requirements I
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Take one of the following MATH courses: | 4 | |
| Precalculus Mathematics | ||
| Technical Algebra and Trigonometry 2 | ||
| CHEM 151 | Principles of Chemistry I | 3 |
| CHEM 152 | Principles of Chemistry I Laboratory | 1 |
| Total Hours | 8 | |
Geology-Earth Science Non-Geology Requirements II
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Students must a take a minimum of seven (7) credits from the list of courses below. | 7 | |
| BIOL 111 | Principles of Biology I | |
| BIOL 112 | Principles of Biology II | |
| CHEM 153 | Principles of Chemistry II | |
| CHEM 154 | Principles of Chemistry II Laboratory | |
| STAT 260 | Basic Statistics | |
| MATH 221 | Analytic Geometry-Calculus I | |
| MATH 222 | Analytic Geometry-Calculus II | |
| PHYS 261 | College Physics I | |
| PHYS 262 | College Physics II | |
| PHYS 291 | Elementary Classical Physics I | |
| PHYS 292 | Elementary Classical Physics II | |
| Total Hours | 7 | |
- 1
We highly recommend students take upper level (3xx/4xx) Geology courses for all Geology-Earth Science elective requirements to experience a wide variety of coursework to best prepare for their careers in the geosciences.
- 2
Students may select any upper level geology course which is not required for this degree to satisfy this requirement. We also highly recommend taking GEOG 405 Geographic Information Systems as an upper level elective.
Recommended Sequence
| 1st Year | ||
|---|---|---|
| Fall Semester | Hours | |
| GEOL 101 | Introductory Physical Geology 1 | 4 |
| MATH 149 | Precalculus Mathematics | 4 |
| ENGL 111 | English Composition I | 3 |
| Beginning Language I 2 | 4 | |
| Hours | 15 | |
| Spring Semester | ||
| GEOL 102 | Introductory Historical Geology | 4 |
| CHEM 151 | Principles of Chemistry I | 3 |
| CHEM 152 | Principles of Chemistry I Laboratory | 1 |
| ENGL 112 | English Composition II | 3 |
| Beginning Language II 2 | 4 | |
| Hours | 15 | |
| 2nd Year | ||
| Fall Semester | ||
| GEOL 230 | Mineral Science | 4 |
| GEOL 3/4xx | Upper level Geology electives | 3 |
| General Education or Honors Distribution 3, 4 | 3 | |
| Intermediate Language I 2 | 3 | |
| Hours | 13 | |
| Spring Semester | ||
| GEOL 231 | Silicate Mineralogy and Petrology | 4 |
| GEOL 3/4xx | Upper level Geology electives | 3 |
| General Education or Honors Distribution | 3 | |
| Intermediate Language II 2 | 3 | |
| Hours | 13 | |
| 3rd Year | ||
| Fall Semester | ||
| GEOL 350 | Structural Geology | 4 |
| GEOL 3/4xx | Upper level Geology electives 5 | 3 |
| General Education or Honors Distribution | 3 | |
| Geology-Earth Science Non-Geology Requirements II 6 | 4 | |
| Hours | 14 | |
| Spring Semester | ||
| GEOL 360 | Paleobiology | 4 |
| GEOL 324 | Sedimentation & Stratigraphy | 4 |
| General Education or Honors Distribution | 3 | |
| Geology-Earth Science Non-Geology Requirements II | 3 | |
| Hours | 14 | |
| Summer Semester | ||
| GEOL 453 | Geology Field Camp I | 3 |
| GEOL 454 | Geology Field Camp II | 3 |
| Hours | 6 | |
| 4th Year | ||
| Fall Semester | ||
| GEOL 3/4xx | Upper level Geology electives 4 | 6 |
| General Education or Honors Distribution | 3 | |
| General Education or Honors Distribution | 3 | |
| General Education or Honors Distribution | 3 | |
| Hours | 15 | |
| Spring Semester | ||
| Upper Level Electives 7 | 9 | |
| General Education or Honors Distribution | 3 | |
| General Education or Honors Distribution | 3 | |
| Hours | 15 | |
| Total Hours | 120 | |
- 1
GEOL 101 Introductory Physical Geology Strongly Preferred, OR GEOL 100 Earth Science, OR GEOL 200 Environmental Geology, OR (by permission only) GEOL 211 Introduction to Environmental Science, AND GEOL 104 Exercises in Physical Geology.
- 2
Demonstration of ability to use another language by completion of the second year of a foreign language or sign language is required. See your advisor for placement. Please note that all four semesters must be completed in the same language and it’s recommended you begin your first language class as soon as possible.
- 3
Credit hours shown for General Education or Honors Distribution are general guidelines only. These courses should be chosen in accordance with the appropriate General Education curriculum guide (for non-honors students) or Honors Distribution (for honors students).
- 4
We strongly recommend selecting general education or honors distribution courses that fulfill both a Breadth of Knowledge requirement and Breadth of Perspectives requirement. Please consult the General Education requirements to see which courses fulfill both requirements.
- 5
A total of 10 departmental (GEOL) credits are required, seven (7) of which must be at the 300/400 level. Please contact a Department of Geosciences adviser to discuss options.
- 6
B.A. degree requires completion of at least 7 credits from the following and these options can satisfy the upper level requirement for Arts & Sciences as well (300/400 level): BIOL 111 Principles of Biology I, BIOL 112 Principles of Biology II, CHEM 153 Principles of Chemistry II, PHYS 261 College Physics I, PHYS 262 College Physics II, PHYS 291 Elementary Classical Physics I, PHYS 292 Elementary Classical Physics II, STAT 260 Basic Statistics, MATH 221 Analytic Geometry-Calculus I, MATH 222 Analytic Geometry-Calculus II.
- 7
Buchtel College of Arts & Sciences (BCAS) – requires 40 credits at the 300/400 level. We strongly suggest taking all upper level (300/400) Geology elective courses to fulfill the Geology-Earth Science Elective and Geology-Earth Science Upper Level Elective requirements because this plan of study will satisfy the BCAS requirement automatically.
Alert
- By the end of your first 48 credit hours attempted, you must have completed your General Education English, Mathematics, Statistics, and Logic, and Communications (Speech) requirements
- By the end of your first 48 credit hours attempted, you must have declared a major and transferred to (been accepted by) a degree granting college at The University of Akron.