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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: 121

Matriculation Requirements:
  1. Complete the following courses: GEO 1010, GEO 1015, MATH 1050 or MATH 1055, 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 with no grade lower than a C in content area courses.
  3. Completion of all General Education requirements and the majority of content area courses.
  4. Pass LiveScan Criminal Background Check.
General Education Requirements: 30 Credits
  ENGL 1010 Introduction to Academic Writing 3
or ENGH 1005 Literacies and Composition Across Context (5.0)  
  ENGL 2010 Intermediate Writing Academic Writing and Research 3
  MATH 1050 College Algebra 4
or MATH 1055 College Algebra with Preliminaries  (5.0)  
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
  BIOL 1010 General Biology 3
  Physical Science*
  Additional Biology or Physical Science*
  Humanities Distribution 3
  Fine Arts Distribution 3
  Social/Behavioral Science 3
Discipline Core Requirements: 88 Credits
  ASTR 1040 Elementary Astronomy 3
  GEOG 3700 Wetland Studies 3
 or BIOL 2500 Environmental Biology (3.0)  
  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 3700 Structure and Tectonics 4
  GEO 3080 Earth Materials 3
 and GEO 3085 Earth Materials Laboratory 1
  GEO 4200 Teaching Methods in Science 3
  GEO 4500 Sedimentary Geology 4
  GEO 480R Earth Science Seminar   (.5) (must be taken twice) 1
  METO 1010 Introduction to Meteorology 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 Literacies 3
  EDSC 445G Multicultural Instruction ESL 3
  EDSC 4550 Secondary Curriculum Instruction and Assessment 3
  EDSC 4850 Student Teaching--Secondary 8
  EDSC 4990 Teacher Performance Assessment Project 2
  EDSP 340G Exceptional Students 2
Elective Requirements: 3 Credits
Any 3 credit hours from the following list 3
  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 3000 Environmental Geochemistry (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 1020 Introduction to Meteorology Laboratory  (1.0)
  Or other advisor-approved electives

Graduation Requirements:

  1. Completion of a minimum of 121 semester credits.
  2. Overall GPA of 3.0 (B) or above with no grade lower than a C in major required content courses and no grade lower than a B- in Licensure and Methods courses. (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 a sample plan and is intended to be a guide. Your specific plan may differ based on your Math and English placement and/or transfer credits applied. You are encouraged to meet with an advisor and set up an individualized graduation plan in Wolverine Track.

Milestone courses (pre-requisites for a course in one of the subsequent semesters) are marked in red and Italicized.

Semester 1 Course Title Credit Hours
ENGL 1010 or ENGH 1005 Introduction to Academic Writing or  Literacies and Composition Across Context  3
MATH 1050 or MATH 1055
 		College Algebra or College Algebra with Preliminaries 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 or Fitness for Life 2
  Semester total: 16
Semester 2 Course Title Credit Hours
ENGL 2010 Intermediate Writing Academic Writing and Research 3
GEO 480R Trigonometry 1
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: 14
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 I 4
PHYS 2015 College Physics I 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 and GEO 3085
Earth Materials and Earth Materials Laboratory 4
ASTR 1040 Elementary Astronomy  3
Geology Elective Choose from: GEO 1080, GEO 1085, GEO 202R, GEO 204R, GEO 3000, GEO 3100, GEO 3200, GEO 3500, GEO 4510, METO 1020 or other advisor-approved electives 3
PHIL 2050 or
PHIL 205G		 Ethics and Values 3
Social/Behav Science Distribution See General Education List 3
  Semester total: 16
Note: *Co-requisites are required to be taken. Please see the advisor.   
Semester 6 Course Title Credit Hours
BIOL 2500 or GEO 3700 Environmental Biology or Wetland Studies 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 Literacies 3
EDSC 445G Multicultural Education ESL 3
EDSC 4550 Secondary Curriculum Instruction 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 8
EDSC 4990 Teacher Performance Assessment Project 2
  Semester total: 12
  Degree total: 121

Department

Name:

Earth Science

Location:

PS 207

Telephone:

801-863-6964

Email:

Nathan.Toke@uvu.edu

Web Address:

www.uvu.edu/earthscience/

Chair:

Nathan Toke

 
 

Mission Statement

The Department of Earth Science’s mission is to provide students with a dynamic educational experience that will prepare them for rewarding lives and careers in a large variety of professions in private industry, governmental agencies at all levels, non-governmental organizations, and education. Our department strives to create an inviting and safe learning environment for students from diverse backgrounds with a wide range of educational goals. We offer four bachelor’s degree programs (B.S. in Earth Science Education, B.S. in Environmental Science and Management, B.S. in Geography, and B.S. in Geology), an associate’s degree (A.S. in Physical Science), and two certificate programs (a certificate of proficiency in Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and a certificate of completion in Water and Wastewater Operations). We have excellent laboratory and classroom facilities, but we also take pride in being able to offer opportunities for students to learn outside of the classroom with service learning projects, internships, field work, study abroad experiences, and through research collaborations with faculty. Research experiences offer opportunities for personalized mentorship by faculty and lead our students to become deeply involved with their discipline of study. Thus, our graduates are skilled and creative thinkers who are well-prepared to step into professions that contribute toward understanding and solving Earth, societal, and environmental challenges faced by communities 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:

  • Biogeography
  • Earth Science Education
  • Environmental Health
  • Environmental monitoring and sustainability
  • Environmental Science and Management
  • Geochemistry
  • Geographic Information Systems
  • Geologic hazards
  • Geomorphology
  • Human geography
  • Hydrology
  • Land use and water resource management
  • Paleoclimatology
  • Paleontology
  • Petrology
  • Pollution monitoring and prevention
  • Remote Sensing
  • Sedimentary Rocks and straitigraphy
  • Tectonics
  • Urban geography
  • Water treatment
  • Wetland Studies
 
 

Earth Science

  • Administrative Support: Brandi Pacchiega
  • Office: PS REC
  • Telephone: 801-863-6964
  • Email:    BPacchiega@uvu.edu
  • Advisor: Sean Meyer
  • Office: PS 201d
  • Telephone: 801-863-8616
  • Email:   sean.meyer@uvu.edu
  • Advisor: Nick Wilbur (for Earth Science Education majors)
  • Office: PS 201g
  • Telephone: 801-863-5259
  • Email:   NWilbur@uvu.edu
 
 

Faculty

Joel Bradford(1993)

Associate Professor

Department: Earth Science
Faculty



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

Directory Page >>

 

Michael Bunds(2001)

Associate Professor

Department: Earth Science
Faculty



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.

Directory Page >>

 

Eddy Cadet(1993)

Associate Professor

Department: Earth Science
Faculty



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

Directory 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.

Directory Page >>

 

Charles Doug Czajka(2019)

Assistant Professor

Department: Earth Science
Faculty



B.Sc., Geology, North Carolina State University, M.S., Marine, Earth and Atmospheric Sciences, North Carolina State University, PhD, Marine, Earth, and Atmospheric Sciences, North Carolina State University,

Directory 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.

Directory Page >>

 

Hilary Hungerford(2015)

Assistant Professor

Department: Earth Science
Faculty



B.A., Geography, University of Northern Colorado; M.A., Ph.D., Geography, University of Kansas.

Directory Page >>

 

R. Kelly(2015)

Lecturer

Department: Earth Science
Faculty



B.S., Geology, Brigham Young University; M.S., Geology, Idaho State University.

Directory Page >>

 

Daren T. Nelson(2019)

Assistant Professor

Department: Earth Science
Faculty



B.S., Geology, Utah State University, M.S., Hydrology, University of Idaho, PhD, Geology, University of Utah,

Directory Page >>

 

Lee Qiao(2018)

Lecturer

Department: Earth Science
Faculty



B.S., Geology, Lanzhou University, China, M.S., Marine Geology, Ocean University of China, Ph.D., Geophysics, Saint Louis University.

Directory Page >>

 

Michael Stearns(2017)

Assistant Professor

Department: Earth Science
Faculty



B.A., Geology and Geography, Michigan State University; M.S., Geology and Geophysics, University of Utah; Ph.D., Earth Science, University of California.

Directory Page >>

 

Daniel Stephen(2003)

Associate Professor

Department: Earth Science
Faculty



B.S., M.S., Geology, Univesity of Arkansas; Ph.D., Geology (Invertebrate Paleontology), Texas A & M University.

Directory Page >>

 

Nathan Toke(2011)

Associate Professor

Department: Earth Science
Department Chair, Faculty



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

Directory 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.

Directory Page >>

 

Justin White(2018)

Assistant Professor

Department: Earth Science
Faculty



B.S., Geographic Sciences, James Madison University; M.S., Geography, Virginia Tech; Ph.D., Geography, University of Nevada.

Directory Page >>

 

Alessandro Zanazzi(2011)

Associate 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.

Directory 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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