Program Overview
College of Natural and Health Sciences
Contact: Timothy Grover, Ph.D., Department Chair
Location: Ross Hall 3235
Telephone: 970-351-2647
Website: www.unco.edu/nhs/earth-atmospheric-sciences/
Advising Information:
Students must consult with their assigned major advisor each semester prior to registering.
To find your advisor, log into ursa.unco.edu; go to 'Student' tab and click 'View Student Information' link. If no advisor is listed, contact the major program for advisor information.
The program consists of three parts:
- Liberal Arts Curriculum (LAC) Credits
- Required Major Credits
- University-Wide Credits
Program Description:
The science of geology explores the physical makeup of the earth, the processes that shape it and the history of its development. This program provides a broad background in geology and emphasizes the study of geology in the field and in the laboratory.
Graduates of the geology program will be prepared for entry-level positions as geologists in the petroleum, mining, and environmental industries, in local, state and federal governmental agencies and in a variety of engineering and geological consulting firms. The program also provides the background necessary for admission to graduate programs in geology and related fields.
Program Admission Requirements:
Academic Good Standing
Program Requirements:
- The course of study for this major must be developed in consultation with and be approved by the student's academic advisor.
- At least one half of the credits in ESCI, GEOL, and OCN courses must be numbered 300 or above. No more than 8 credits of ESCI, GEOL, and OCN courses numbered below 200 may be counted toward the major.
- Written Communication, Mathematics, and Natural & Physical Sciences courses approved for the Liberal Arts Curriculum that are taken as part of this major may also be used to satisfy Liberal Arts Curriculum requirements.
- A 2.0 grade point average in the courses taken as part of this major is required for graduation.
- In accordance with University Policies, coursework earned more than 10 years prior to the date of matriculation to UNC may not be used to satisfy any major or minor requirements. Any exception to this policy is at the discretion of the academic program.
Degree Requirements — 120 Credits
Liberal Arts Curriculum — 31 credits
To complete the degree in 120 credits as outlined, the program recommends the below LAC courses that also count toward the 74-75 required major credits.
Any additional coursework completed outside of the recommended list below may extend the length of the program of study.
Written Communication — 6 credits
SCI 291 is recommended to fulfill the Intermediate Writing Course in the Written Communication requirement and will fulfill both LAC and major requirements.
See Written Communication courses
Note: SCI 291 has a prerequisite of ENG 122 or SAT Verbal with a minimum score of 630 or ACT English with a minimum score of 30 or SAT Reading Test with a minimum score of 34.
Mathematics — 3 credits
MATH 127 or MATH 131 are recommended to fulfill Mathematics requirement and will fulfill both LAC and major requirements.
Students considering graduate school are strongly encourage to complete MATH 131
See Mathematics courses
Arts & Humanities, History, Social & Behavioral Sciences, U.S. Multicultural Studies [MS], and International Studies [IS] — 15 credits
To complete the LAC in the minimum number of credits, be sure to choose at least one course with an IS designation and one course with an MS designation.
Select any courses to fulfill this requirement from the currently approved LAC course list.
See Arts & Humanities, History, and Social & Behavioral Sciences courses
Natural & Physical Sciences — 7 credits
GEOL 100, CHEM 111), CHEM 111L, PHYS 220 and PHYS 240 are recommended to fulfill Natural & Physical Sciences requirement and will fulfill both LAC and major requirements.
See Natural & Physical Sciences courses
See Liberal Arts Curriculum
2. Required Major — 74-75 credits
Take the following courses:
Electives - 6 credits
| | 300 level or higher ESCI or GEOL | 3 |
Take 3 total credits from the following:
ESCI 491 and/or ESCI 492 Advisor approved field course or a field camp transferred in from another institution, or an advisor approved internship, 3 credits total from any combination of these options.
3. University-Wide Credits — 14-15 credits*
Complete additional credits to achieve the minimum credits needed for any degree at UNC; for this program, that will typically be 14-15 credits.
*Note: Students who apply the recommended courses to both the liberal arts curriculum and the major requirements will have an increased number of university wide electives to apply to this degree. See your advisor for details.
MATH 131 is required for PHYS 240. Those students interested in going to graduate school after completion of their undergraduate program are strongly encouraged to take MATH 131, CHEM 111, CHEM 112, PHYS 240, and PHYS 241.
Four Year Plan
This four year plan is a recommended schedule to complete this bachelor's degree in 4 years. Courses are subject to availability. Students must consult with their major advisor to receive information on any additional graduation requirements and course sequence guidance.
Year 1 – 32 credits
Fall Semester
| GEOL 100 | General GeologyLAS1LASL | 4 |
| ENG 122 | College CompositionLAW1 | 3 |
| | LAC Arts and HumanitiesLAA1LAA2LAA3LAA4 | 3 |
| | LAC HistoryLAH1 | 3 |
| | University-Wide Elective | 3 |
| Total Credit Hours: | 16 |
LAC Arts and Humanities: Choose U.S. Multicultural Studies (MS) or International Studies (IS) course.
Spring Semester
| GEOL 202 | Historical Geology | 4 |
| GEOG 210 | Introduction to GIS and GPS | 3 |
| | LAC Arts and HumanitiesLAA1LAA2LAA3LAA4 | 3 |
| | LAC Social and Behavioral SciencesLAB1LAB2LAB3 | 3 |
| | University-Wide Elective | 3 |
| Total Credit Hours: | 16 |
LAC Social and Behavior Sciences: Choose U.S. Multicultural Studies (MS) or International Studies (IS) course.
Year 2 – 30 credits
Fall Semester
| CHEM 111 | Principles of Chemistry ILAS1 | 4 |
| CHEM 111L | Principles of Chemistry I LaboratoryLAS1LASL | 1 |
| MATH 131 | Calculus ILAX1 | 4 |
| | Major Elective | 3 |
| | LAC Arts and Humanities, History, or Social and Behavioral SciencesLAA1LAA2LAA3LAA4LAB1LAB2LAB3LAH1 | 3 |
| Total Credit Hours: | 15 |
Spring Semester
| ESCI 420 | Chemistry of the Earth System | 4 |
| or | |
| CHEM 112 | Principles of Chemistry II | 4 |
| and | |
| CHEM 112L | Principles of Chemistry II Laboratory | 1 |
| | |
| SCI 291 | Scientific WritingLAW2 | 3 |
| ESCI 330 | Earth Science Statistical Analysis | 3 |
| ESCI 490 | Colloquium in Earth Sciences | 1 |
| | University-Wide Elective | 3 |
| Total Credit Hours: | 15 |
Year 3 – 28 credits
Fall Semester
Spring Semester
| ESCI 490 | Colloquium in Earth Sciences | 1 |
| GEOL 421 | Ig and Met Petrology | 4 |
| GEOL 460 | Geomorphology | 4 |
| | University-Wide Elective | 5 |
| Total Credit Hours: | 14 |
Year 4 – 30 credits
Fall Semester
| GEOL 450 | Sedimentology and Stratigraphy | 4 |
| GEOL 470 | Structural Geology | 4 |
| | Major Elective | 3 |
| | University-Wide Elective | 4 |
| Total Credit Hours: | 15 |
Spring Semester
| ESCI 491 | Geoscience Field Issues | 1- 6 |
| and/or | |
| ESCI 492 | Earth Science Internship | 1-15 |
| | |
| GEOL 481 | Geologic Field Techniques | 3 |
| | University-Wide Elective | 3 |
| | University-Wide Elective | 3 |
| | University-Wide Elective | 3 |
| Total Credit Hours: | 15 |
ESCI 491 and/or ESCI 492: Advisor approved field course, or a field camp transferred in from another institution, or an advisor approved internship, 3 credits total from any combination of these options.