Geology (BA)

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Program Prerequisite: None.
Minor: Not required.
Grade Requirements: A grade of “C-” or better in courses required for this major in addition to an overall GPA for all courses of 2.00 or higher.
Credit Hour Requirements: A total of 120 credit hours is required for graduation; 51-58 of these are required within the major. A total of 40 upper division credit hours are required (courses numbered 3000 and above).
Program Code: 6010BA
CIPC: 400601

* Students may benefit from having a minor in such fields as chemistry, physics, mathematics, computer science, geospatial analysis, a life science, or professional and technical writing and should consult with an advisor prior to choosing an option.

Advisement

Advisor: Dr. Adolph Yonkee, 801-626-7419,

All Geology students are required to meet with a faculty advisor at least annually for course and program advisement. Call 801-626-7139 for more information or to schedule an appointment. (Also refer to the Department Advisor Referral List.)

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Admission Requirements

Declare your program of study (see Enrollment Services and Information ). No special admission or application requirements are needed for this program. However, students should meet with an advisor to plan and declare their program of study.

General Education

Refer to Degree Requirements for either Bachelor of Science or Bachelor of Arts requirements. MATH 1050 or MATH 1080 or MATH 1210 is recommended for the Quantitative Literacy requirement. The following courses required for the Geology major will also satisfy general education requirements: BTNY 1203 , CHEM 1210 , GEO 1110 , PHYS 2010 , and PHYS 2210 .

Program Learning Outcomes

Be able to identify common minerals and rocks, describe rock characteristics, and interpret the environments/conditions (igneous, sedimentary, or metamorphic) in which rocks formed. {Earth Materials}
Be able to identify major physical and biological events in Earth history and describe the methods used to interpret this history, including radiometric dating, fossil succession, and stratigraphic correlation. {Earth History}
Be able to identify landforms from maps and imagery, construct topographic profiles, and interpret the development of landforms in terms of common surface processes. {Surface Processes}
Be able to identify the different types of lithospheric plate boundaries based on types of activity, estimate rates of plate motion, describe the driving mechanisms for plate tectonics, and interpret geologic structures and construct cross sections from geologic map data. {Tectonic Processes}
Be able to describe key geological cycles - including the hydrologic cycle, rock cycle, and carbon cycle. {Earth Systems}
Have demonstrated an understanding of scientific methodology and the interdisciplinary nature of the geosciences, culminating in a capstone experience involving collection and analysis of multiple data sets to interpret Earth processes. {Capstone Experience}

Language Courses Required to fulfill the BA (12 credit hours)

6 semester hours of a foreign language
Select an additional 6 semester hours from the following:
ENGL 3610 - American Literature I Credits: (3)
ENGL 3100 - Professional and Technical Writing Credits: (3)
ENGL 3140 - Professional and Technical Editing Credits: (3)
ENGL 3190 CEL - Document Design Credits: (3)
ENGL 3520 HU - Literature of the Natural World Credits: (3)
Or additional foreign language

Major Course Requirements for BA Degree

Geology Courses Required (23 credit hours)

GEO 1110 PS - Dynamic Earth: Physical Geology Credits: (3)
GEO 1115 - Physical Geology Lab Credits: (1)
GEO 1220 - Historical Geology Credits: (4)
GEO 2050 - Earth Materials Credits: (4)
GEO 3000 - Geoscience Methods and Careers Credits: (3)
GEO 3080 - Applied Hydrology Credits: (3) or
GEO 3550 - Sedimentology and Stratigraphy Credits: (4)
GEO 3150 - Geomorphology Credits: (4)

Electives Courses (15 credit hours)

Select an additional 15 hours from GEO courses numbered 3000 and above and/or up to 6 hours from other Earth/environmentally related classes approved by the Earth and Environmental Sciences Department.

Support Courses Required (13-21 credit hours)

BTNY 1203 LS - Plant Biology Credits: (3) or
BTNY 1403 LS SUS - Principles of Environmental Science Credits: (3-4)
CHEM 1010 PS - Introductory Chemistry Credits: (3)
OR
CHEM 1110 PS - Elementary Chemistry Credits: (4) and
CHEM 1115 - Elementary Chemistry Lab Credits: (1)
OR
CHEM 1210 PS - Principles of Chemistry I Credits: (4) ** and
CHEM 1215 - Principles of Chemistry I Lab Credits: (1)
PHYS 1010 PS - Elementary Physics Credits: (3) or
PHYS 2010 PS - College Physics I Credits: (5) or
PHYS 2210 PS - Physics for Scientists and Engineers I Credits: (5) **
either
MATH 1050 QL - College Algebra Credits: (4) and
MATH 1060 QL - Trigonometry Credits: (3)
OR
MATH 1080 QL - Pre-calculus Credits: (5)
OR
MATH 1210 - Calculus I Credits: (4) **

Notes:

* Students should consider a minor or complementary set of elective classes that supports their career plans (please consult an advisor).

**Students planning to attend graduate school in science or engineering areas should take additional Chemistry, Physics, and Math classes (please consult an advisor).