Your studies in geology will integrate the disciplines of biology, chemistry, physics and mathematics in the study of Earth processes and history.

Geology Major Course Requirements

Geology Major

(14 Courses)

  • GEOL 105 Geology
  • GEOL 225 Hydrogeology 
  • GEOL 300 Mineralogy 
  • GEOL 320 Petrology 
  • GEOL 322 Sedimentology and Stratigraphy 
  • GEOL 325 Structural Geology 
  • GEOL 450 Geology Field Camp 
  • CHEM 105 General Chemistry 1 
  • CHEM 107 General Chemistry 2 
  • PHYS 111 Fundamentals of Physics 1 and PHYS 112 Fundamentals of Physics 2 or PHYS 121 General Physics 1 and PHYS 122 General Physics 2 
  • MATH 131 Calculus and Analytic Geometry 1

Electives: Two courses from the following list: GEOL 250, GEOL 275, GEOL 330, GEOL 350, GEOL 389, GEOL 428, GEOL 490, GEOL 492, GEOL 496, BIOL 430

All Geology majors are required to attend a summer geology field camp (typically five to six weeks long), usually taken between the junior and senior years of undergraduate study (GEOL 450). Senior Thesis (GEOL 496) and a second semester of Calculus and Analytic Geometry (MATH 132) are strongly recommended for those students who plan to attend graduate school.