Academics

The Geology Department offers a broad curriculum that prepares students for more advanced graduate study in the geosciences and for employment immediately after graduation. Most of our students go on to graduate school or directly enter careers in environmental, mining, and petroleum. The Department offers three degree tracks, the Bachelor of Science (B.S.) degree, the Bachelor of Arts (A.B.) degree, and the Geology Minor. The best strategy for planning your Geology Degree is to set up an appointment with a departmental advisor as soon as possible.

We offer graduate degrees at the M.S. and PhD levels. Our departmental research interests are wide-ranging and include these research areas. Our faculty and students are engaged in research in diverse settings, including Italy, Kamchatka, the Bahamas, the Antilles, the Cordillera, as well as in the southeast. The M.S. is the professional degree in geology that opens up careers in industries dedicated to exploration of natural resources (energy, metals, minerals, water), in public sector regulation and protection of the environment, and in environmental remediation. As the terminal degree in Geology, the PhD is the starting point of an academic career in the earth and planetary sciences and is also sought-after by public and private sector organizations focused on the development and regulation of natural resources.