Earth Science, B.A.

Requirements for Major in Earth Science

The earth science major is intended for the student who begins the major in second semester of the sophomore year or later or is doing the major in addition to another major.

Eight Units in Geology, Including:

Two courses from the following list, at least one of which must be GEOL 101 or 103
GEOL 101: Introductory Geology (1 Unit)
GEOL 103: Introduction to Earth History (1 Unit)
GEOL 104: Earth Resources and the Environment (1 Unit)
GEOL 106: Natural Disasters (1 Unit)
GEOL 115: Oceans, Atmosphere and Climate (1 Unit)
EITHER
GEOL 201: Structural Geology (1 Unit)
OR
GEOL 203: Mineralogy (1 Unit)
EITHER
GEOL 205: Sedimentation and Stratigraphy (1 Unit)
OR
GEOL 208: Geomorphology (1 Unit)
One 300-level elective
Three other geology courses, two of which must be at the 200-level or higher
These may not include
GEOL 210: Regional Field Geology (1/2 Unit)
Summer field camp or a directed study

One Cognate Course in Mathematics, Chemistry, Physics And/or Biology

may include:

PHYS 105: Introductory Astronomy (1 Unit)
OR
PHYS 206: Astrophysics I: Stars, Galaxies and Cosmology (1 Unit)
OR
One of the courses listed under the geology major requirements above

Requirements for All Students Majoring in Geology or Earth Science

All students completing a major in geology or earth science must satisfy a field work requirement equivalent to one unit of study. This requirement may be fulfilled by summer research, internship or work experiences, academic year directed studies, completion of GEOL 210 or GEOL 314 , other suitable field experiences approved by the faculty (such as field trips sponsored by GSA), or some combination of the above.
- After completing three or four geology courses or at the end of their junior year, geology majors planning graduate study and/or a professional geology career are urged to attend either the Albion summer field camp in the Rocky Mountains or a similar summer geology field course offered by another college or university. This experience is required by most graduate schools before entering a graduate program and is required by many industries and institutions employing geologists.
A maximum of one geographic information systems course (GEOL 111 , GEOL 211 or GEOL 311 ) may be counted toward the major.
Departmental Colloquia: All geology and earth science majors are required to attend departmental colloquia regularly and to participate once each semester for four semesters.
The geology units and the required cognate courses must be taken for a numerical grade. Students considering a geology major are urged to complete the cognate units as early as possible in their Albion career.