Minor in Geoscience

About the Minor

Geosciences are at the core of numerous problems facing the world today and impact the lives of communities across the planet. Climate change, natural disasters, access to mineral resources and clean water, and availability of energy all shape government policies and corporate strategies and are a cause of concern for society at large.

The Geoscience minor is designed to give students specializing in other fields the skills to understand and analyze these issues. It is a natural fit for environmental science majors who wish to understand how the physical world can impact biodiversity, ecological processes, and environmental impacts. For students majoring in fields such as business and engineering, the minor in Geoscience will provide them with the tools to make better decisions about products or projects related to natural hazards and their impact, cost and availability of natural resources, energy policy, space exploration, land use, and environmental justice. For students who are liberal arts majors, the minor in Geoscience offers the opportunity to explore earth science issues that shape the social, cultural, political and scientific debate, and to be prepared for issues they may encounter in their careers.

All prospective students should meet with an advisor from the College as soon as possible.

For more information about this minor, please visit the CoAS minors web page.

Program Requirements

GEO 101Physical Geology4.0
GEO 102History of the Earth4.0
GEO 201Earth Systems Processes3.0
GEO Electives13.0
Mineralogy
Advanced Field Methods in Earth Science
Environmental Geology
Geochemistry
Sedimentology and Stratigraphy
Invertebrate Paleobiology and Paleoecology
Vertebrate Paleontology
Volcanology
Field Camp
Igneous and Metamorphic Petrology
Geology of Groundwater
Plate Tectonics
Total Credits24.0