Students planning careers as professional geologists normally complete the emphasis in geology. The emphasis in environmental geosciences is designed for students seeking a broad scientific base for pursuit of careers in professions that may utilize environmental knowledge, such as land-use planning, law, political science or economics and therefore includes several courses in or related to a cross-disciplinary department of the student’s choice. These courses may provide the basis for the completion of a minor in that department. Students planning to pursue initial educator licensure to teach in grades 6-12 will usually select the emphasis in earth science education, but completion of the emphasis does not fulfill all the requirements for initial educator licensure.
Seniors having a cumulative GPA of 2.75 and having completed at least 26 semester hours in geology and environmental geosciences are eligible to undertake a senior thesis. It is the student’s responsibility to find a faculty member willing to serve as project adviser. The Department of Geology and Environmental Geosciences cannot guarantee any student an adviser. A course permit number will not be issued until a project adviser approval form has been filed with the undergraduate adviser. A second committee member will be appointed by the departmental undergraduate committee. The thesis shall be a written report prepared in accordance with accepted guidelines for published scientific literature and reflecting a research effort commensurate with the hours of credit to be earned.
Check departmental information for any additional requirements.
(or an approved substitute taken at another university)
Upper-division GEOL course work, which may include senior thesis, selected in consultation with undergraduate adviser (15)
Requirements outside Department (24)
With written approval of the departmental undergraduate adviser, students with a special interest in ecology and/or paleontology may substitute BIOS 103 and BIOS 105 and BIOS 209 and BIOS 211 for PHYS 210 and PHYS 211 (or PHYS 253 and PHYS 273).
Please note corequisite information in course descriptions.
OR an approved substitute taken at another university. Credits: 4
Upper-division GEOL course work (9-12) of which a minimum of 9 semester hours shall be in courses other than GEOL 489, GEOL 498,or GEOL 499H (except by approval of the undergraduate adviser).
Any of the two-semester laboratory science sequences, other than CHEM or GEOL, listed under the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences “College Requirement for the B.S. Degree” in the Undergraduate Catalog. These would normally be selected to complement the cross-disciplinary focus. Substitutions for special reasons, such as to satisfy a minor, may be approved by the undergraduate adviser. (8)
Upper-division course work selected with approval of undergraduate adviser, from Biological Sciences, Chemistry and Biochemistry, Economics, Environmental Studies, Geographic and Atmospheric Sciences, Mathematical Sciences, Physics, and/or Political Science. (9-12) (A cross-departmental pre-law sequence is also available. Students desiring to pursue other disciplines may petition the department’s Undergraduate Committee.)
Additional Requirement: The 9-12 hours of upper-division GEOL course work and 9-12 hours of upper-division approved course work from the co-disciplinary departments must together total to a minimum of 20 hours.
Total Hours for Emphasis 2, Environmental Geosciences: 67-73
Emphasis 3. Earth and Space Science Education
Requirements listed in these sections are minimum requirements. Meeting these requirements will not guarantee students admission to the geology and environmental geosciences educator licensure program or courses.
Completion of this emphasis does not fulfill all requirements for initial educator licensure.
Additional Requirements for Earth Science Education (6)
Upper-division course work in geology and environmental geosciences or, with approval of the licensure coordinator, from other areas of earth science, usually physical geography, meteorology, or astronomy (6)
Total Requirements in Department (43)
Requirements outside Department (47-53)
Please note corequisite information in course descriptions.
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