Major in Geology, Environmental Geology Concentration

Environmental Geology concentration students develop expertise in surface and shallow subsurface processes that shape the Earth and provide critical soil and water resources and services for human society and the natural world. Graduates will be prepared for careers that address environmental implications of geological process and human activities. The curriculum emphasizes the fundamentals of geology, surface and shallow subsurface processes, field-based research methodologies and technologies, and environmental geosciences. The concentration empowers students to pursue positions with corporations and public, private, and nonprofit organizations that address environmental/natural resource management issues, regulatory agency activities, hazard identification and mitigation, land use, and support research that informs natural resource policy and decision making to advance sound stewardship. The curriculum provides a strong foundation for graduate studies in the many fields of geosciences and environmental science.

Learning Objectives

Upon successful completion, students will be able to:

1. Demonstrate foundational skills and knowledge in all sub-disciplines of geology (physical and historical geology, earth materials, sedimentology and stratigraphy, structural geology)
2. Exhibit valuable skills in scientific reasoning, quantitative data analysis and reasoning; field, analytical, and remote sensing skills; spatial thinking and map use enabling them to contribute effectively to professional work and engage in original research.
3. Use visualization tools, theory, computation, and simulations to explain field observations and experimental results, make interpretations and test hypotheses.
4. Obtain, organize, and critically evaluate geologic information, and effectively present it through oral and written discourse with specialists and non-specialists.
5. Ethically and responsibly engage their knowledge of geology to address current global and scientific challenges.
6. Apply sustainability principles that incorporate complex environmental, economic, and social factors.
7. Show proficiency in investigating human interactions with Earth's climate and ecosystems, particularly from depths of groundwater to the top of the vegetation canopy.
8. Exhibit valuable professional skills related to environmental resource management and protection.

Effective Fall 2025

Directed Technical Electives

¹

GEOL 110, GEOL 120, GEOL 122, or GEOL 124 in combination with GEOL 121 may be substituted for GEOL 150.

²

MATH 155 may be substituted for MATH 160.

³

Students who substituted MATH 155 for MATH 160 should substitute MATH 255 for MATH 161.

⁴

Select enough elective credits to bring the program total to a minimum of 120 credits, of which at least 42 must be upper-division (300- to 400-level).

⁵

 A maximum of one credit may be counted toward Directed Technical Electives.

⁶

May be selected as a Directed Technical Elective if not taken in to fulfill the Environmental Geoscience requirement. 

⁷

May be selected as a Directed Technical Elective if not taken in the junior year to fulfill the statistics requirement.