Geosciences, B.S.

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Requirements for the Major:

A minimum of eleven courses in the department including:

Choose an introductory offering (1):
ENS 100 - Introduction to Environmental Studies
GEO 106 - Introduction to Oceanography
GEO 109 - Geologic Perspectives on Global Warming
GEO 110 - Physical Geology
GEO 112 - Environmental Geology
GEO 117 - Natural Disasters
GEO 160 - Environmental Challenges in the Mohawk Watershed
Required core courses (7):
GEO 120 - The Story of Earth and Life
GEO 201 - Stratigraphy and Depositional Environments of New York
GEO 202 - Geomorphology
GEO 220 - Mineral Science
GEO 307 - Structural Geology
GEO 320 - Petrology of Igneous and Metamorphic Rocks
GEO 405 - Geosciences Senior Seminar
Senior Writing (WS) Requirement (1): (Choose one option below)
One-Term Option:
GEO 498 - Geosciences Research and Writing
Two-Term Option:
GEO 495 - Geosciences Thesis Research 1
GEO 496 - Geosciences Thesis Research 2
Required electives (4):

In addition to the required courses, students must take four electives from the Geosciences or other approved science courses. Two courses must be Geoscience courses (GEO>200), and two additional courses may be either GEO (<200) courses or closely aligned courses from other sciences. Depending on interest and potential career path, students may choose to pursue either the Dynamic Earth or Environmental Geoscience Track.

Dynamic Earth Geosciences Track

Environmental Geosciences Track

Additional Electives (2) - take two from the list below

ENS 204 - Geographic Information Systems
ENS 215 - Exploring Environmental Data
BIO 320 - Ecology
AST 150 - (105) Introduction to Planetary Science
CHM 231 - Organic Chemistry 1
CHM 240 - Analytical Chemistry
Of these, no more than one may be at the 100-level. Additional courses may be approved at the discretion of the department chair.

Also required are six terms of cognate courses in the following areas. *GEO courses taken to fulfill cognates cannot also count as electives in the major.

Data Analysis, Programming, Statistics and Mathematics (2)

Any two courses numbered 100 or higher, or equivalent such as:

Chemistry (2)

The following is required,

CHM 101 - Introductory Chemistry 1
And one of the following:
CHM 102 - Introductory Chemistry 2
GEO 207 - Stable Isotopes in Environmental Science
GEO 305 - Global Biogeochemical Cycles

Biology or Physics (2)

Two of the following courses are required (limit one GEO/BIO) course):

Note: Advanced work or a minor is encouraged in chemistry, physics, biology, mathematics, economics, or engineering.

Any BIO or PHY courses numbered 100 or higher.
GEO 208 - Paleontology, Paleobiology, and Paleoecology
GEO 303 - Earthquakes and the study of the Earth’s Interior
GEO 305 - Global Biogeochemical Cycles

All Geosciences courses at the 100 level are introductory and have no prerequisites. All serve as an entry point to the major. Preference will be given to first and second year students

Additional Requirements

Senior Geosciences majors may not take any introductory course for major credit. A senior thesis is required, and theses may either be 1 term (GEO 498 ) or 2-3 terms (GEO 495 , GEO 496 , GEO 497 ). Completion of a two-term senior thesis (GEO 495 and GEO 496) is required for honors, and only one senior level research credit may count toward the two geosciences electives. Students who intend on going to graduate school are strongly encouraged to do a research thesis and to take two courses in physics rather than biology, unless specifically interested in paleontology or geobiology, because most graduate programs require physics. A summer field course in the junior year is strongly recommended, particularly for those going on to graduate school or geological consulting work.