Active involvement in research, particularly during the summer, is encouraged for all of GPS's undergraduate students. For geologists, that research will include an emphasis on fieldwork, which the division believes provides the kind of firsthand experience with geological phenomena that cannot be fully gained in a classroom or laboratory.

Learning Outcomes in the GPS Division

The expectation for undergraduate students in the earth and planetary sciences in the GPS Division is that they will:

• have a basic understanding of the relevant scientific principles and observations,
• have the basic skills in geology, physics, chemistry, or biology to  address problems in this science,
• be able to communicate  this scientific knowledge to scientists and the public, and
• have had experience in doing research.

Undergraduate students can pursue one of the following five options (an option is Caltech's version of a major): geobiology, geochemistry, geology, geophysics, or planetary science. Students also have access to a variety of elective courses that allow them to develop and explore special interests in a broad array of scientific and engineering fields.