Geology is the study of the Earth, including its water and atmosphere, and its relationship to humans and other living things. Geology applies chemistry, physics, mathematics and biology to answer questions about the Earth. Geologists conduct studies in the field, in the laboratory using advanced analytical equipment, and in the office using specialized computer software. Geology is particularly focused on the Earth’s history, resources, hazards and resources including groundwater. Sub-disciplines of geology include economic geology, geochemistry, geologic hazards, geomorphology, hydrogeology, petrology, and tectonics. A B.S. in geology is preparation for a variety of career paths, including hazard assessment with government or private companies, ground and surface water monitoring and development, oil and gas, mining, and many other careers that draw on a background in the natural earth, including law, public policy, and public health; the program is also excellent preparation for graduate school.
Total Program Credits: 120
| General Education Requirements: | 27 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 | |||
| Biology* | |||
| Physical Science* | |||
| Additional Biology or Physical Science* | |||
| Humanities Distribution | 3 | ||
| Fine Arts Distribution | 3 | ||
| Social/Behavioral Science | 3 | ||
| Discipline Core Requirements: | 93 Credits | ||
| BIOL 1010 | General 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 | |
| ENVT 3790 | Hydrology I | 4 | |
| GEOG 3600 | Introduction to Geographic Information Systems | 4 | |
| 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 | 3 | |
| GEO 3085 | Earth Materials Laboratory | 1 | |
| GEO 3200 | Geologic Hazards | 4 | |
| GEO 3700 | Structure and Tectonics | 4 | |
| GEO 4500 | Sedimentary Geology | 4 | |
| GEO 4600 | Field Experience | 6 | |
| MATH 1210 | Calculus I | 5 | |
| MATH 1220 | Calculus II | 5 | |
| STAT 2040 | Principles of Statistics | 4 | |
| GEO 480R | Earth Science Seminar (Must be taken twice) | 1 | |
| PHYS 2210 | Physics for Scientists and Engineers I | 4 | |
| PHYS 2220 | Physics for Scientists and Engineers II | 4 | |
| Complete 19 credits from the following list (at least 12 credits must be Upper Division) | 19 | ||
| BIOL 3800 | Conservation Biology (3.0) | ||
| ENVT 2730 | Introduction to Soils (4.0) | ||
| ENVT 3280 | Environmental Law (3.0) | ||
| ENVT 3290 | Environmental Permits and Reports (3.0) | ||
| ENVT 4790 | Hydrology II (4.0) | ||
| GEO 202R | Science Excursion (1.0) | ||
| GEO 3000 | Environmental Geochemistry (3.0) | ||
| GEO 3100 | Isotope Geochemistry (3.0) | ||
| GEO 3105 | Isotope Geochemistry Laboratory (1.0) | ||
| GEO 3400 | Forensic Geology (4.0) | ||
| GEO 3500 | Geomorphology (4.0) | ||
| GEO 4080 | Petrology (4.0) | ||
| GEO 4510 | Paleontology (4.0) | ||
| GEO 482R | Geologic/Environmental Internship (1.0) | ||
| GEO 489R | Student Research (1.0) | ||
| GEOG 3400 | Environmental Remote Sensing (3.0) | ||
| GEOG 3650 | Advanced Geographic Information Systems (4.0) | ||
| GEOG 3700 | Wetland Studies (3.0) | ||
| GEOG 4100 | Geospatial Field Methods (3.0) | ||
| METO 1010 | Introduction to Meteorology (3.0) | ||
| METO 3100 | Climate and the Earth System (3.0) | ||
| PHYS 2215 | Physics for Scientists and Engineers I Lab (1.0) | ||
| PHYS 2225 | Physics for Scientists and Engineers II Lab (1.0) | ||
| Or other advisor-approved electives | |||
Graduation Requirements:
Note: *This requirement is satisfied within the discipline core requirements.
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 |
| MATH 1050 or MATH 1055 | College Algebra or College Algebra with Preliminaries | 4 |
| ENGL 1010 | Introduction to Academic Writing | 3 |
| GEO 1010 | Introduction to Geology | 3 |
| GEO 1015 | Introduction to Geology Lab | 1 |
| You Choose | American Institutions | 3 |
| Semester total: | 14 | |
| Semester 2 | Course Title | Credit Hours |
| MATH 1060 | Trigonometry | 3 |
| GEO 1220 | Historical Geology | 3 |
| GEO 1225 | Historical Geology Lab | 1 |
| ENGL 2010 | Intermediate Writing Academic Writing and Research | 3 |
| BIOL 1010 | General Biology | 3 |
| You Choose | Fine Art | 3 |
| Semester total: | 16 | |
| Semester 3 | Course Title | Credit Hours |
| MATH 1210 | Calculus I | 5 |
| CHEM 1210 | Principles of Chemistry I | 4 |
| CHEM 1215 | Principles of Chemistry I Lab | 1 |
| HLTH 1100 or | Personal Health and Wellness or | 2 |
| PES 1097 | Fitness for Life | |
| You Choose | Geology Elective | 3 |
| Semester total: | 15 | |
| Semester 4 | Course Title | Credit Hours |
| MATH 1220 | Calculus II | 5 |
| CHEM 1220 | Principles of Chemistry II | 4 |
| CHEM 1225 | Principles of Chemistry II Lab | 1 |
| You Choose | Geology Elective | 3 |
| PHIL 205G | Ethics and Values (And Global Intercultural) | 3 |
| Semester total: | 16 | |
| Semester 5 | Course Title | Credit Hours |
| GEO 3080 * and 3085* | Earth Materials and Earth Materials Laboratory | 4 |
| GEO 3200 | Geologic Hazards | 4 |
| PHYS 2210* | Physics for Scientists and Engineers I | 4 |
| STAT 2040 | Principles of Statistics | 4 |
| Semester total: | 16 | |
| Note: *Co-requisites are required to be taken. Please see the advisor. | ||
| Semester 6 | Course Title | Credit Hours |
| GEO 3700 | Structure and Tectonics | 4 |
| GEOG 3600 | Introduction to Geographic Information Systems | 4 |
| PHYS 2220* | Physics for Scientists and Engineers II | 4 |
| GEO 480R | Earth Science Seminar | 0.5 |
| You Choose | Humanities | 3 |
| Semester total: | 15.5 | |
| Note: *Co-requisites are required to be taken. Please see the advisor. | ||
| Semester 7 | Course Title | Credit Hours |
| ENVT 3790 | Hydrology I | 4 |
| You Choose | Geology Elective | 3 |
| You Choose | Geology Elective | 3 |
| You Choose | Geology Elective | 3 |
| Semester total: | 13 | |
| Semester 8 | Course Title | Credit Hours |
| GEO 4500 | Sedimentary Geology | 4 |
| You Choose | Geology Elective | 1 |
| You Choose | Social/Behavioral Science Course | 3 |
| GEO 480R | Earth Science Seminar | 0.5 |
| Semester total: | 8.5 | |
| Summer Semester | Course Title | Credit Hours |
| GEO 4600 | Field Experience | 6 |
| Degree total: | 120 | |
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Name: |
Earth Science |
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Location: |
PS 207 |
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Telephone: |
801-863-6964 |
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Email: |
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Web Address: |
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Chair: |
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 and a certificate of completion in Water and Wastewater Operations). We have excellent laboratory and classroom facilities and we 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 that 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:
Earth Science
Department: Earth Science
Faculty
Department: Earth Science
Faculty
Department: Earth Science
Faculty
Department: Earth Science
Faculty
Department: Earth Science
Faculty
Department: Earth Science
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Department: Earth Science
Faculty
Department: Earth Science
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Department: Earth Science
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Department: Earth Science
Department Chair, Faculty
Department: Earth Science
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Department: Earth Science
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Department: Earth Science
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| Careers: | ||
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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. More specific information on career opportunities related to each degree is provided below. A bachelor of science in Geology is excellent preparation for a wide range of careers, including geology and closely allied fields, as well as a variety of opportunities that draw upon a graduate’s broad and rigorous education in the physical and environmental sciences. Job prospects for graduates are excellent, and work may be largely be field-based, office-based or a combination. Many students continue to graduate school before entering the labor market, while many others take employment upon graduation. Large employers of geologists include the oil and gas industry, mineral exploration and extraction, geologic consulting, and government agencies. In the oil and gas and mining industries many geologists are involved with exploration for additional resources and development of existing resources. Geologic consulting involves work such as assessing and mitigating hazards including landslides, earthquakes and flooding; evaluating slope stability and compaction; and evaluating and protecting surface and ground water resources. Geologists working for government agencies perform interesting tasks ranging from field mapping to land use analysis, investigations of water resources, and working with geographic information systems. However, many graduates have shown that a degree in geology is an effective stepping-stone to a variety of career paths including public policy, law, public health, humanitarian work, and more, particularly when the endeavors involve issues related to the environment. |
Follow the links below to view current, detailed Utah Department of Workforce Services occupational information for that career.