• Geology is the science of the earth's composition, structure, origin, and evolution. It includes subjects as diverse as the origin of rocks and minerals, the migration of pollutants in groundwater, and the evolution of life as recorded in fossils.
  • Geologists and geoscientists work in a variety of areas. In today's society, with concerns about the scarcity and conservation of natural resources, global climate change, and environmental pollution, many geologists are involved in devising sustainable approaches to energy development, investigating and mitigating pollution, and understanding and mitigating the effects of hazards, such as flooding, volcanic eruptions, earthquakes, and landslides.
  • Some geoscientists study the materials and fundamental processes of the solid earth while others investigate the effects of human influence upon the earth and provide the basic information needed to solve problems and establish rational policies for resource management, environmental protection, and public health, safety, and welfare. Geologists also study the history of the earth, including the fossilized rock record from which we can learn much about previous life forms, climates, and ecosystems. This knowledge is one of the fundamental tools for interpreting the magnitude and impact of modern-day and future climate change.
  • The Bachelor of Science (B.S.) degree in Geology is offered to those students who are particularly interested in graduate work and a stronger natural science foundation. The B.S. requires all the same courses as the A.B., with the addition of an extra-departmental elective and additional courses in chemistry, physics, and mathematics or statistics. The B.S. also requires research experience in which students partner with faculty members and graduate students to investigate a question of individual interest. In the past, students have taken advantage of such interactions to conduct publishable research and to travel with professors to their field areas in various parts of the world.