Geology
Geology is the study of processes affecting the earth — geological, hydrological, and chemical.
Geology majors study past and present-day interrelationships between earth components and earth processes: rocks, minerals, fossils, landforms, structural features, earthquakes, glaciers, magmas, volcanoes, atmospheric gases, surface water, subsurface water, and environmental pollutants. Required coursework in geology is integrated with required or recommended coursework in forestry, soils, hydrology, chemistry, physics, and mathematics.
Requirements for the Major in Geology
The major requires successful completion of the following:
| Code | Title | Semester Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Course Requirements 1 | ||
| GEOL 121 | Physical Geology (Lab) | 4 |
| GEOL 221 | Mineralogy (Lab) | 4 |
| GEOL 230 | Paleoecology | 4 |
| or GEOL 235 | Earth Systems and Climate Change | |
| GEOL 325 | Field and Structural Geology (Lab) | 4 |
| Select five additional courses in Geology (GEOL) numbered 200 or above 1, 2 | 20 | |
| Select three of the following courses: 3 | 12 | |
Additional Geology courses 200-level or above | ||
| Field Investigations in Biology | ||
| Comparative Vertebrate Anatomy (Lab) | ||
| Evolutionary Biology | ||
| General Chemistry I - Matter to Molecules (Lab) | ||
| General Chemistry II - Equilibrium to Electrochemistry (Lab) | ||
| Advanced General Chemistry I (Lab) | ||
| Advanced General Chemistry II (Lab) | ||
| Organic Chemistry I (Lab) | ||
| Introduction to Modeling and Programming | ||
| Fundamentals of GIS | ||
| Advanced Applications of GIS | ||
| Calculus I | ||
| Calculus II | ||
| Multidimensional Calculus | ||
| Linear Algebra | ||
| Differential Equations | ||
| General Physics I (Lab) | ||
| General Physics II (Lab) | ||
| Modern Mechanics (Lab) | ||
| Electric and Magnetic Interactions (Lab) | ||
| Elementary Statistics | ||
| Total Semester Hours | 48 | |
| Code | Title | Semester Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Additional Requirements | ||
| A comprehensive examination | ||
| A designated writing-intensive course in the major | ||
| Department capstone requirement, which may be satisfied by: | ||
a. Completing two or more GMWI courses in geology with a grade of C or higher; or, | ||
b. Completion of GEOL499, which requires approval of the department chair and prior completion of one of the following to enroll in: An independent study project or a summer research experience, such as an NSF REU or Sewanee SURF, that culminates in a presentation at a scientific conference or the development of a management plan. | ||
- 1
Must include at least one writing intensive geology course.
- 2
A field camp or research experience that has been pre-approved by your major advisor may substitute for up to four credits.
- 3
Students interested in attending graduate school are encouraged to take additional foundational math and sciences courses.
Student Learning Outcomes
A student majoring in Geology will
- Demonstrate ability to apply the scientific method (formulating and testing hypotheses, and interpreting and synthesizing data collected in the field and laboratory).
- Demonstrate competence in the techniques and tools used to navigate, measure, analyze and study landscapes and the geologic features/resources they contain while in the field.
- Demonstrate the ability to communicate clearly and effectively on a subject related to the discipline in both written and oral form.
- Be able to describe, discuss and interpret natural landscapes, with a specific and developed emphasis on geologic and hydrologic features.
- Properly evaluate and appraise policies and practices that impact the sustainable management specifically of geologic resources in the US and/or abroad.