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Earth Science Education, B.S.

  • Requirements
  • Graduation Plan
  • Department
  • Faculty
  • Careers

Requirements

Earth Science is the study of the Earth, including its water and atmosphere, and their relationship to humans and other living things. Earth Science applies chemistry, physics, mathematics and biology to scientific problems of the Earth. The Earth Science Education program prepares students to receive a Utah State teaching credential with an endorsement in Earth Science. Through careful choice of courses, students may also earn endorsements in the other physical sciences.

Total Program Credits: 123

Matriculation Requirements:
  1. Complete the following courses: GEO 1010, GEO 1015, MATH 1050, MATH 1060, BIOL 1610 with a grade of "C-" or higher in each.
  2. Complete a minimum of 30 semester hours of college credit.
  3. Apply to the department of Earth Science for admission.
Secondary Education Requirements:
  1. ACT exam minimums: Composite 21, English 20, Math 19; or SAT exam minimums: Critical Read /Math 1000, with Math and Reading scores of 450; or If student has a bachelor degree or higher, he/she does not need to meet this testing requirement.
  2. GPA of 3.0 or higher.
  3. Completion of all General Education requirements and the majority of content area courses.
  4. Pass group interview directed by the Secondary Teacher Education Department.
  5. Pass LiveScan Criminal Background Check.
General Education Requirements: 27 Credits
  ENGL 1010 Introduction to Writing 3
  ENGL 2010 Intermediate Writing--Humanities/Social Sciences 3
or ENGL 2020 Intermediate Writing--Science and Technology  (3.0)
  MATH 1050 College Algebra 4
Complete one of the following: 3
  HIST 2700 US History to 1877  (3.0)
and HIST 2710 US History since 1877  (3.0)
  HIST 1700 American Civilization  (3.0)
  HIST 1740 US Economic History  (3.0)
  POLS 1000 American Heritage  (3.0)
  POLS 1100 American National Government  (3.0)
Complete the following:
  PHIL 2050 Ethics and Values 3
  HLTH 1100 Personal Health and Wellness  (2.0)
or PES 1097 Fitness for Life 2
  Distribution Courses
  Biology*
  Physical Science*
  Additional Biology or Physical Science*
  Humanities Distribution 3
  Fine Arts Distribution 3
  Social/Behavioral Science 3
Discipline Core Requirements: 90 Credits
  ASTR 3050 Astrophysics I 3
  BIOL 1010 General Biology 3
  BIOL 2500 Environmental Biology 3
  CHEM 1210 Principles of Chemistry I 4
  CHEM 1215 Principles of Chemistry I Laboratory 1
  CHEM 1220 Principles of Chemistry II 4
  CHEM 1225 Principles of Chemistry II Laboratory 1
  GEO 1010 Introduction to Geology 3
  GEO 1015 Introduction to Geology Laboratory 1
  GEO 1220 Historical Geology 3
  GEO 1225 Historical Geology Laboratory 1
  GEO 3080 Earth Materials 4
  GEO 3700 Structure and Tectonics 4
  GEO 4200 Teaching Methods in Science 3
  GEO 4500 Sedimentary Geology 4
  MATH 1060 Trigonometry 3
  METO 3100 Climate and the Earth System 3
  PHYS 2010 College Physics I 4
  PHYS 2015 College Physics I Lab 1
  PHYS 2020 College Physics II 4
  PHYS 2025 College Physics II Lab 1
Education Courses
  EDSC 3000 Educational Psychology 3
  EDSC 3050 Foundations of American Education 2
  EDSC 3250 Instructional Media 2
  EDSC 4200 Classroom Management I 2
  EDSC 4250 Classroom Management II 2
  EDSC 4440 Content Area Reading and Writing 3
  EDSC 445G Multicultural Instruction ESL 3
  EDSC 4550 Secondary Curriculum Instruction and Assessment 3
  EDSC 4850 Student Teaching--Secondary 10
  EDSP 3400 Exceptional Students 2
Elective Requirements: 6 Credits
Any 6 credit hours from the following list 6
  GEO 1080 Introduction to Oceanography  (3.0)
  GEO 1085 Introduction to Oceanography Laboratory  (1.0)
  GEO 202R Science Excursion  (1.0)
  GEO 204R Natural History Excursion  (3.0)
  GEO 3100 Isotope Geochemistry  (3.0)
  GEO 3200 Geologic Hazards  (4.0)
  GEO 3500 Geomorphology  (4.0)
  GEO 4510 Paleontology  (4.0)
  METO 1010 Introduction to Meteorology  (3.0)
  METO 1020 Introduction to Meteorology Laboratory  (1.0)
  Or other advisor-approved electives

Graduation Requirements:

  1. Completion of a minimum of 123 semester credits.
  2. Overall grade point average of 2.0 (C) or above. (Departments may require a higher GPA.)
  3. Residency hours -- minimum of 20 credit hours through course attendance at UVU.
  4. Completion of GE and specified departmental requirements.
  5. Grade of C- or higher in all GEO, BIOL, and METO courses.
  6. Successful completion of at least one Global/Intercultural course.

Note: *This requirement is fulfilled with the core requirements.

Graduation Plan

This graduation plan is intended to be a guide. You are encouraged to meet with an advisor and set up an individualized graduation plan in Wolverine Track.

Semester 1 Course Title Credit Hours
ENGL 1010 Introduction to Writing 3
MATH 1050 College Algebra 4
GEO 1010 Introduction to Geology 3
GEO 1015 Introduction to Geology Lab 1
American Institutions See General Education List 3
HLTH 1100 or
PES 1097		 Personal Health and Wellness 2
  Semester total: 16
Semester 2 Course Title Credit Hours
ENGL 2020 Intermediate Writing: Science/Tech 3
MATH 1060 Trigonometry 3
GEO 1220 Historical Geology 3
GEO 1225 Historical Geology Lab 1
BIOL 1010 General Biology 3
Humanities Distribution See General Education List 3
  Semester total: 16
Semester 3 Course Title Credit Hours
CHEM 1210 Principles of Chemistry I 4
CHEM 1215 Principles of Chemistry I Lab 1
PHYS 2010 College Physics 4
PHYS 2015 College Physics Lab 1
METO 1010 Intro to Meteorology 3
Fine Arts Distribution See General Education List 3
  Semester total: 16
Semester 4 Course Title Credit Hours
GEO 3700 Structure and Tectonics 4
PHYS 2020 College Physics II 4
PHYS 2025 College Physics II Lab 1
CHEM 1220 Principles of Chemistry II 4
CHEM 1225 Principles of Chemistry II Lab 1
  Semester total: 14
Semester 5 Course Title Credit Hours
GEO 3080 Earth Materials 4
ASTR 3050 Astrophysics I  3
Geology Elective Choose from: GEO 1080, GEO 1085, GEO 202R, METO 1010, METO 1020, GEO 3100, GEO 3200, GEO 3500, GEO 4510 3
PHIL 2050 or
PHIL 205G		 Ethics and Values 3
Social/Behav Science Distribution See General Education List 3
  Semester total: 16
Semester 6 Course Title Credit Hours
BIOL 2500 Environmental Biology 3
GEO 4500 Sedimentary Geology 4
METO 3100 Climate and Earth Systems 3
EDSP 3400 Exceptional Students 2
EDSC 3000 Educational Psychology 3
EDSC 3050 Foundations of American Education 2
  Semester total: 17
Semester 7 Course Title Credit Hours
GEO 4200 Teaching Methods in Science 3
EDSC 3250 Instructional Media 2
EDSC 4440 Content Area Reading and Writing 3
EDSC 445G Multicultural Education/ESL 3
EDSC 4550 Secondary Curriculum Insruction and Assessment 3
EDSC 4200 Classroom Management I 2
  Semester total: 16
Semester 8 Course Title Credit Hours
EDSC 4250 Classroom Management II 2
EDSC 4850 Student Teaching -- Secondary 10
  Semester total: 12
  Degree total: 123

Department

Name:

Earth Science

Location:

PS 207

Telephone:

801-863-6295

Email:

michael.bunds@uvu.edu or hancocke@uvu.edu

Web Address:

www.uvu.edu/earthscience/

Chair:

Michael Bunds

 
 

Mission Statement

The Department of Earth Science’s mission is to provide students with a rewarding and dynamic educational experience. We pride ourselves on being able to offer personal attention to the needs of students with diverse backgrounds and educational goals, and to providing students with the opportunity to learn outside of the classroom in research, service-learning and internship projects. Our three degree programs (B.S. in Geology, B.S. in Environmental Science and Management, and B.S. in Earth Science Education) provide a wide range of skills and knowledge that are applicable to today´s earth science job markets, as well as a broad-based science education that´s ideal for students planning to continue to graduate programs in law, education, business, or health fields. Our Department graduates professionals who are skilled and creative and who are well prepared to contribute toward solving earth and environmental science challenges faced here in Utah and worldwide.

Depending on the specific degree and elective courses chosen, a graduate will gain particular expertise in one or more of the following areas:

  • Economic Geology
  • Environmental Science
  • Environmental Management
  • Geochemistry
  • Geographic Information Systems
  • Geologic Hazards
  • Geomorphology
  • Hydrology
  • Paleontology
  • Petrology
  • Tectonics
 
 

Earth Science

Administrative Assistant: Kellie Hancock

Earth Science Advisor: Tom Liljegren

 
 

Faculty

Joel Bradford(1993)

Associate Professor

Department: Earth Science
Faculty



B.S., Vocational Education, Southern Illinois University; M.S., Cultural Anthropology, University of Utah.

Professional Page >>

 

Michael Bunds(2001)

Associate Professor

Department: Earth Science
Department Chair, Department Chair



B.A., Geological Sciences, University of California, Santa Barbara; M.S., Geology, University of California, Davis; Ph.D., Geology (Geochemistry, Structural Geology), University of Utah.

Professional Page >>

 

Eddy Cadet(1993)

Associate Professor

Department: Earth Science
Faculty



B.S., Biology, University of Illinois; M.S., Environmental Sciences, Tuskegee University; Licensed Environmental Health Scientist (Utah); Registered Environmental Health Specialist (REHS).

Professional Page >>

 

James Callison(1994)

Associate Professor

Department: Earth Science
Faculty



B.S., Biology, Southern Utah University, M.S., Range Science, Brigham Young University; Ph.D., Watershed Management, University of Arizona.

Professional Page >>

 

Steven Emerman(2008)

Associate Professor

Department: Earth Science
Faculty



B.S., Mathematics, Ohio State University; M.A., Geology, Princeton University; Ph.D., Geophysics, Cornell University.

Professional Page >>

 

Steve Fellows(2013)

Assistant Professor

Department: Earth Science
Faculty



B.S., Geology, Weber State University; Ph.D., Igneous Petrology, University of Victoria BC.

Professional Page >>

 

Daniel Stephen(2003)

Associate Professor

Department: Earth Science
Faculty

Department: Interdisciplinary Studies Program
Coordinator, Environmental Studies

Ph.D., Geology (Invertebrate Paleontology), Texas A & M. University.

Professional Page >>

 

Paul Tayler(1983)

Professor

Department: Earth Science
Faculty



B.A., Physics, Ph.D., Physical Metallurgy, University of Utah.

Professional Page >>

 

Nathan Toke(2011)

Assistant Professor

Department: Earth Science
Faculty



B.S., Geology, University of Vermont; M.S., Ph.D., Geological Sciences, Arizona State University.

Professional Page >>

 

Suzanne Walther(2011)

Assistant Professor

Department: Earth Science
Faculty



B.A., Political Science, University of California; M.S., Environmental Studies, University of Virginia; M.S., Geology, Ph.D., Geography, University of Oregon.

Professional Page >>

 

Weihong Wang(2012)

Assistant Professor

Department: Earth Science
Faculty



B.Sc., Geophysics, M.Sc., Environmental Geology, Jianghan Petroleum University; M.Sc., Geology, Iowa State University; Ph.D., Marine Science, University of South Carolina.

Professional Page >>

 

Alessandro Zanazzi(2011)

Assistant Professor

Department: Earth Science
Faculty



B.S., M.S., Geology, University of Padua, Italy; M.S., Geology, Iowa State University; Ph.D., Geology, University of South Carolina.

Professional Page >>

 

Careers

Careers:

The three degree programs offered by the Department of Earth Science (B.S. in Geology, B.S. in Environmental Science and Management, and B.S. in Earth Science Education) provide a wide range of skills and knowledge that are applicable to today's earth science job markets, as well as a broad science education that's ideal for students planning to continue to graduate programs in law, education, business, or health fields. Our Department graduates professionals who are skilled and creative and who are well prepared to contribute toward solving earth and environmental science challenges faced here in Utah and worldwide.

The Earth Science Education degree prepares K-12 science teachers. The degree emphasizes earth science curriculum, but many students gear their program to qualify them to teach other physical sciences and/or geography. Job prospects for graduates are outstanding, and many UVU-educated earth science teachers are making a difference in young people’s lives through their work in Utah’s K-12 school system.

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