Geology - BA
The Bachelor of Arts in Geology provides students the skills to understand Earth systems and the interactions between human societies and Earth processes. The BA degree is designed for students who will apply a foundation in geologic knowledge to careers such as environmental law, science journalism, non-profit organizations, business, K-12 science education, resource management, sustainability, environmental monitoring, conservation, public health, public policy, and public service. The B.A. in Geology also allows students to build an interdisciplinary degree combining geology with other disciplines, such as biological, anthropological and social disciplines in preparation for interdisciplinary graduate work.
Students will supplement their geology coursework with courses from a disciplinary theme that aligns with their career goals. Disciplinary themes are elective courses designed to prepare students for professional programs and employment in careers that would benefit from a solid geological and STEM foundation. Theme courses may be combined with additional electives to form a minor in other programs, however, completion of theme courses does not in itself confer a minor. With the exception of the Business minor, application to most minor programs is made through the department that houses the minor. The BA degree requires a minimum of 18 credit hours in a disciplinary theme. Themes not listed can be approved in consultation with a Department of Geology and Geophysics Faculty Program Coordinator.
First Year | ||
---|---|---|
Fall | Semester Credit Hours | |
CHEM 119 | Fundamentals of Chemistry I | 4 |
ENGL 104 | Composition and Rhetoric | 3 |
GEOL 150 | Introduction to the Solid Earth | 4 |
GEOL 180 | Introduction to Geology and Geophysics | 1 |
MATH 140 | Mathematics for Business and Social Sciences | 3 |
Semester Credit Hours | 15 | |
Spring | ||
CHEM 120 | Fundamentals of Chemistry II | 4 |
GEOL 152 | History of the Earth | 4 |
MATH 142 | Business Calculus | 3 |
Communication | 3 | |
Semester Credit Hours | 14 | |
Second Year | ||
Fall | ||
GEOL 203 | Mineralogy | 4 |
GEOL 210 | Geological Communication | 3 |
PHYS 201 | College Physics | 4 |
Language, philosophy and culture 2 | 3 | |
Theme course 1 | 3 | |
Semester Credit Hours | 17 | |
Spring | ||
GEOL 250 | Geological Field Methods | 4 |
GEOL 304 | Igneous and Metamorphic Petrology | 4 |
PHYS 202 | College Physics | 4 |
Theme course 1 | 3 | |
Semester Credit Hours | 15 | |
Third Year | ||
Fall | ||
GEOL 306 | Sedimentology and Stratigraphy | 4 |
GEOL 330 | Geologic Field Trips | 1 |
American history | 3 | |
Social and behavioral science 2 | 3 | |
Theme course 1 | 3 | |
Semester Credit Hours | 14 | |
Spring | ||
STAT 201 | Elementary Statistical Inference | 3 |
Government/Political science | 3 | |
Geology elective 3 | 3 | |
Geosciences elective 4 | 3 | |
Theme course 1 | 3 | |
Semester Credit Hours | 15 | |
Fourth Year | ||
Fall | ||
GEOL 420 or GEOL 450 | Environmental Geology or Geology Senior Project | 3 |
American history | 3 | |
Geology elective 3 | 3 | |
Theme course 1 | 3 | |
General elective 5 | 3 | |
Semester Credit Hours | 15 | |
Spring | ||
Government/Political science | 3 | |
Creative arts 2 | 3 | |
Geology elective 3 | 3 | |
Theme course 1 | 3 | |
General elective 5 | 3 | |
Semester Credit Hours | 15 | |
Total Semester Credit Hours | 120 |
- 1
See theme descriptions and lists of approved theme courses below.
- 2
Three hours must be selected from courses that also satisfy the International and Cultural Diversity requirement and three hours must be selected from courses that also satisfy the Cultural Discourse requirement.
- 3
Select from GEOL 207 or GEOL 208, GEOL 300-499 (except GEOL 481, GEOL 485), GEOP 300-499 (except GEOP 485). No more than 3 hours of GEOL 491 or GEOP 491 may apply toward this requirement.
- 4
Select from: ATMO 444; GEOG 205, GEOG 304, GEOG 309, GEOG 330, GEOG 331, GEOG 352/GEOL 352, GEOG 360, GEOG 361, GEOG 401, GEOG 410/OCNG 412, GEOG 430, GEOS 430, GEOS 431, GEOL 442/GEOG 442, OCNG 251, OCNG 252, OCNG 320, OCNG 330, OCNG 340, OCNG 350, OCNG 469.
- 5
General electives may not include AERS 100-499; ENGL 103; GEOL 101-104; KINE 198, KINE 199; MATH 102, MATH 142, MATH 150, MATH 151, MATH 168, MATH 171; MLSC 100-499; NVSC 100-499; SOMS 100-499.
Approved Theme Courses
Theme courses can be combined with electives to form a minor in other programs. Themes not listed can be approved in consultation with a Department of Geology and Geophysics Faculty Program Coordinator.
Business and Finance Theme
This theme is available to students who have also declared a minor in Business from the Mays Business School and prepares them for careers in non-profit organizations, resource management, sustainability, public service, and marketing.
Code | Title | Semester Credit Hours |
---|---|---|
Select 18 hours from: | 18 | |
Survey of Accounting Principles | ||
Survey of Managerial and Cost Accounting Principles | ||
Business Information Systems Concepts | ||
Survey of Finance Principles | ||
Principles of Business Regulations and Law | ||
Survey of Management | ||
Principles of Marketing | ||
Total Semester Credit Hours | 18 |
Paleontology and Paleoecology Theme
This theme is designed for students interested in paleontology, who want to take advantage of the broad spectrum of evolution and ecology courses available in the College of Arts and Sciences and College of Agriculture and Life Sciences. It prepares students for careers in science journalism, resource management, and conservation paleobiology. Students should take BIOL 111, BIOL 112, and BIOL 214 early because they are prerequisites for many of the upper-level courses.
Code | Title | Semester Credit Hours |
---|---|---|
Select 18 hours from: | 18 | |
Introductory Biology I | ||
Introductory Biology II | ||
Genes, Ecology and Evolution | ||
Chordate Anatomy | ||
Invertebrate Zoology | ||
or ECCB 313 | or Diversity and Evolution of Invertebrates | |
Ecology | ||
or ECCB 205 | or Fundamentals of Ecology | |
Marine Biology | ||
Fire Ecology and Biogeochemistry | ||
Herpetology | ||
Ecosystem Restoration and Management | ||
General Mammalogy | ||
General Ornithology | ||
Range Ecology | ||
Aquatic Ecosystems | ||
Total Semester Credit Hours | 18 |
Geospatial Theme
This theme is designed for students who want to combine geology and Geographic Information Systems. It prepares students for careers in resource management, sustainability, environmental conservation, and public service. Students completing appropriate course work in this theme may be eligible for a GIST minor.
Code | Title | Semester Credit Hours |
---|---|---|
Select 18 hours from: | 18 | |
GNSS in the Geosciences | ||
Remote Sensing in Geosciences | ||
Principles of Geographic Information Systems | ||
GIS Programming | ||
Digital Image Processing in the Geosciences | ||
Advanced Topics in GIS (Geographic Information Systems) | ||
Terrain Analysis and Mapping | ||
WebGIS | ||
Principles of Geocomputation | ||
Total Semester Credit Hours | 18 |
Geology of the Human Past Theme
This theme is designed for students interested in geology, anthropology, and human evolution. It prepares students for careers in science journalism, government agencies, state and national parks, biomedical technology and research, and forensic science. In this theme, ANTH 225 and ANTH 226 are prerequisites for some of the upper-level anthropology courses, and BIOL 111 and BIOL 112 are prerequisites for BIOL 214.
Code | Title | Semester Credit Hours |
---|---|---|
Select 18 hours from: | 18 | |
The Prehistoric World | ||
Introduction to Biological Anthropology | ||
Introduction to Biological Anthropology Laboratory | ||
Fossil Evidence of Human Evolution | ||
Ice Age Humans in North America | ||
Introduction to the Primates | ||
Bioarchaeology | ||
Human Osteology | ||
Human Biological Variation | ||
Environmental Archaeology | ||
Introductory Biology I | ||
Introductory Biology II | ||
Genes, Ecology and Evolution | ||
Total Semester Credit Hours | 18 |
Pre-Law Theme
This theme is designed for students interested in environmental, land use, and water law. It prepares students for law school and for careers in science journalism, environmental conservation, and public service.
Code | Title | Semester Credit Hours |
---|---|---|
Select 18 hours from: | 18 | |
Public Speaking | ||
Argumentation and Debate | ||
Persuasion | ||
Introduction to Forensic and Investigative Sciences | ||
American Environmental History | ||
History of Energy in America | ||
History of Science | ||
Law and Society in the United States through Reconstruction | ||
Environmental Ethics | ||
Social and Political Philosophy | ||
Philosophy of Law | ||
Politics and Policy in the United States | ||
Public Administration | ||
Modern Political Thought | ||
American Political Thought | ||
Total Semester Credit Hours | 18 |
Life Sciences Theme
This theme is designed for students interested in geology who wish to pursue medical, physiological, and related life-science careers. The courses listed may lead to a Pre-Medicine minor if additional requirements are met. Students interested in a Pre-Medicine minor should fulfill their Communications elective with a second ENGL course and take 6 hours of upper-level biology as their two general elective courses. Students in this theme should plan to take BIOL 111, BIOL 112 and BIOL 213 in this sequence, early in their degree program.
Code | Title | Semester Credit Hours |
---|---|---|
Select 18 hours from: | 18 | |
Principles of Biochemistry | ||
Introductory Biology I | ||
Introductory Biology II | ||
Molecular Cell Biology | ||
Integrated Human Anatomy and Physiology I | ||
Integrated Human Anatomy and Physiology II | ||
Organic Chemistry I and Organic Chemistry Laboratory | ||
Organic Chemistry II and Organic Chemistry Laboratory | ||
Statistics for Biology | ||
Total Semester Credit Hours | 18 |
Public Policy and Economics Theme
This theme is designed for students interested in geology, public policy and economics and prepares them for careers in science journalism, non-profit organizations, resource management, sustainability, environmental conservation, public service, and marketing. Due to prerequisites, students should plan to take ECON 202, ECON 323, and ECON 433 in this sequence.
Code | Title | Semester Credit Hours |
---|---|---|
Select 18 hours from: | 18 | |
Strategic Communication | ||
Political Communication | ||
Communication, Organizations and Society | ||
Principles of Economics | ||
Principles of Economics | ||
Microeconomic Theory | ||
Energy Markets and Policy | ||
Environmental Economics | ||
American Environmental History | ||
History of Energy in America | ||
Communication Law and Policy | ||
Political Reporting | ||
Environmental Ethics | ||
Foundations of Public Health | ||
The Environment and Public Health | ||
Health Care and Public Health System | ||
Politics and Policy in the United States | ||
Congressional Politics | ||
Public Administration | ||
Principles of Business Regulations and Law | ||
Total Semester Credit Hours | 18 |
Secondary Education Theme
This theme helps to prepare students for pre-college teaching. Most of the courses in this theme require Junior or Senior classification and must be taken in the order listed below. However, completion of these courses does not in itself confer a teacher certification. Students entering this theme wishing to earn teacher certification should consult with a teaching certification advisor.
Code | Title | Semester Credit Hours |
---|---|---|
INST 210 | Understanding Special Populations | 3 |
INST 222 | Foundations of Education in a Multicultural Society | 3 |
or TEFB 273 | or Introduction to Culture, Community, Society and Schools | |
RDNG 465 | Reading in the Middle and Secondary Grades | 3 |
or RDNG 372 | or Reading and Writing across the Middle Grades Curriculum | |
TEFB 322 | Teaching and Schooling in Modern Society | 3 |
TEFB 324 | Teaching Skills II | 3 |
TEFB 406 | Science in the Middle and Secondary School | 3 |
or TEFB 407 | or Mathematics in the Middle and Senior School | |
Total Semester Credit Hours | 18 |