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Geology Concentration - Overview
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A major program consists of nine full-credit geology courses. Central to the major is a core of five geology courses
that provides students with a basic foundation of knowledge in the geosciences. It is strongly recommended that these
core courses (GEOL 201, 202, 215, 302, and 305) be taken by all majors because they are required for honors in the
department, and they are generally expected for graduate study in geology, civil service examinations, and employment
in government and industry. Similar considerations apply to a field experience such as that provided by GEOL 320 or
SEA Semester.
Majors wishing to go to graduate school in geology should note that graduate schools expect applicants to have
supplemented their undergraduate geology majors with a year each of introductory calculus, chemistry, and physics
or biology. The geology department strongly encourages majors to take these courses; they are required for honors
in geology. Students interested in paleontology are encouraged to take BIOL 254 in addition to, or in place of,
one of the above.
Concentration in Geology Requirements:
A minimum of 9 full-credit courses of which:
- only TWO full-credit 100-level course may be counted toward the major
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- at least TWO must be 400-level courses (one of which must be GEOL441 - Senior Research Seminar)
(GEOL 491 does not count toward this requirement)
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- only ONE course from Sea Semester may be counted toward the major
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- students who elect to take a summer field course at another institution
may apply no more than one such credit toward their nine major courses
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- certain upper-level science courses offered by other departments
(e.g., CHEM 263 or 333 and BIOL 254 or 352) may be counted toward the major program, with prior permission
of the department chair
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A GPA of 2.0 in the major is necessary for graduation. The nine full-credit courses of highest grade are used
to compute this average. A passing grade must be received in GEOL 441 and in all courses counted toward the
major.
Senior Research:
Students majoring in geology and environmental geology are required
to complete a senior research project that comprises original work. During the spring of their senior year,
students enrolled in GEOL 441, Senior Research Seminar, will complete this requirement through the submission
of a written paper and a formal, public presentation of their work. The primary objective of GEOL 441 is to
provide a capstone research experience for geology majors guided by faculty oversight and peer-group discussions.
Students can initiate a senior research project of interest by speaking directly to a faculty member about ideas
for a research project or by consulting with a faculty member about a project that might arise from a summer
internship, a summer employment experience, or be based on research initiated in a geology course. A number of
upper-level geology courses, including GEOL 491 (Independent Study), feature a research component that could be
used as a starting point for future original work. In all cases, a student must consult with a geology faculty
member in planning and designing the senior project. Normally, this faculty member will be the student's research
adviser during the senior year. All majors will be expected to submit a research proposal during the fall term of
their senior year. Papers and presentations will be evaluated by the geology department faculty in the spring.
Minor Concentration: A minor program consists of
any five courses, with at least four full-credit courses above the 100 level. It is strongly recommended that these courses be
selected after consultation with a member of the department faculty.
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Last updated 8/11
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