Earth Sciences (BA or BS)
Majors in Earth Sciences focus on the materials, processes, and histories of Earth as a planetary system, with a special emphasis on environmental change at geologic time scales. Interest areas include global change, climate adaptation, water resources, planetary science, tectonics, paleontology and evolution, natural hazards, mineral and energy resources, surface processes, geophysics, and paleoclimatology.
Students may obtain a Bachelor of Science degree or a Bachelor of Arts degree. The Bachelor of Science degree has three tracks.
Requirements
Bachelor of Science
At least 30 credits of Earth Sciences courses at the 2000 level and above and at least 12 credits of related courses at the 2000 level and above must be successfully completed for the Bachelor of Science in Earth Sciences in addition to the college B.S. requirements. Courses cross-listed with Earth Sciences courses cannot be used to fulfill the related courses requirement.
All students must complete a 2000 level or above ERTH W course, and a concentration listed below. No more than three credits in the major can be from:
| Course | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| ERTH 4989 | Undergraduate Research in Geoscience | 3 |
| ERTH 4990 | Internship in Geoscience Field Study | 1-3 |
| ERTH 4991 | Internship in Geoscience Research Paper | 1 |
| ERTH 4999 | Independent Study | 1-6 |
Earth Track
| Course | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| ERTH 3010 | Earth History and Global Change | 3 |
| ERTH 3030 | Earth Structure | 3 |
| ERTH 3040 | Earth Materials | 3 |
| At least 18 additional credits of Earth Sciences courses at the 3000 level and above | 18 | |
| Total Credits | 27 | |
Environment Track
| Course | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| ERTH 3020 | Earth Surface Processes | 3 |
| ERTH 3030 | Earth Structure | 3 |
| ERTH 3040 | Earth Materials | 3 |
| Select three courses of the following: | 9 | |
| Engineering and Environmental Geology | ||
| Geomicrobiology | ||
| Applied Data Analysis in Earth Science | ||
| Glacial Processes and Materials | ||
| GIS and Remote Sensing for Geoscience Applications | ||
| Watersheds and Environmental Change | ||
| Stable Isotope Biogeochemistry | ||
| Dates and Rates in Earth and Environmental Science | ||
| Environmental Site Assessment | ||
| Environmental Geochemistry | ||
| Introduction to Ground Water Hydrology | ||
| At least nine additional credits of Earth Sciences courses at the 3000 level and above | 9 | |
| Total Credits | 27 | |
Atmosphere Track
| Course | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| ERTH 3010 | Earth History and Global Change | 3 |
| Select one of the following: | 3 | |
| Earth Surface Processes | ||
| Earth Structure | ||
| Earth Materials | ||
| Select three courses of the following: | 9 | |
| Our Evolving Atmosphere | ||
| Applied Data Analysis in Earth Science | ||
| GIS and Remote Sensing for Geoscience Applications | ||
| Stable Isotope Biogeochemistry | ||
| Modeling the Changing Atmosphere and Ocean | ||
| Paleoclimatology | ||
| At least 12 additional credits of Earth Sciences courses at the 3000 level and above | 12 | |
| Total Credits | 27 | |
Bachelor of Arts
At least 24 credits of Earth Sciences courses at the 2000 level and above and at least 12 credits of related courses at the 2000 level and above must be successfully completed for the Bachelor of Arts in Earth Sciences in addition to the college B.A. requirements. Courses cross-listed with Earth Sciences courses cannot be used to fulfill the related courses requirement.
The requirements include the following:
| Course | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| One 2000 level or above ERTH W course | 3 | |
| Select two of the following: | 6 | |
| Earth History and Global Change | ||
| Earth Surface Processes | ||
| Earth Structure | ||
| Earth Materials | ||
| At least 15 additional credits of Earth Sciences courses at the 2000 level and above | 15 | |
| Total Credits | 24 | |
No more than three credits can be from ERTH 4989 Undergraduate Research in Geoscience, ERTH 4990 Internship in Geoscience Field Study, ERTH 4991 Internship in Geoscience Research Paper, ERTH 4999 Independent Study. No more than six credits at the 2000 level can count toward the 24 credit total.
Earth Sciences majors satisfy the writing in the major and information literacy competency requirements by passing a 2000 level or above ERTH W course.
A minor in Earth Sciences is described in the “Minors” section.
University General Education Requirements
Every student must meet a set of core requirements to earn a baccalaureate degree, in addition to those required by the student's major course of study and other requirements set by the student's school or college. For more information about these requirements, please see General Education Requirements.
College of Liberal Arts and Sciences Degree Requirements
Students must meet a set of requirements established by the college in addition to the University's General Education requirements. For more information, see the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences section of this catalog.
Environmental Earth Sciences (4+1 MS)
The 4+1 M.S. in Environmental Earth Sciences prepares students for a career as an Environmental Professional/Professional Geoscientist. Courses cover the fundamentals of how the earth works from physical, chemical and biologic perspectives and provide program participants with a unique set of skills to address the environmental, water, and climate challenges of the 21st century. Students complete 30 credits. Up to 12 credits of the required graduate coursework at the 5000 level or higher may be used toward both the undergraduate and M.S. plans of study and students are expected to take between nine and 12 credits of required courses while they are undergraduates. However, courses taken at the 3000-4000 level that are counted on a graduate plan of study cannot also be counted toward an undergraduate degree. Only six credits of 3000 or 4000 level coursework may count toward the M.S.