Typical Focus:

History::

In economic geology, uranium was "king" in the 1970's; now diamonds and gold reign. During recent history, the copper industry has been more stable than precious metals, but many new projects are on hold until the global economy improves. Many economic geologists work as consultants, and most work is overseas. Opportunities for fieldwork and foreign travel are prevalent. Entry-level opportunities exist internationally but have been somewhat limited in the U.S. during the last decade. Highly qualified geologists will always be in demand, especially due to increased interest in mineralogical characterization of ores to optimize extraction processes.

What You Need To Study:

Additional Fields That Can Be Useful

Environmental Geosciences

Typical Focus:

• protection and restoration of the environment
• sustainable development and management of water resources
• remediation of contaminated water and soils
• design and monitoring of waste disposal sites
• land-use planning
• detection and risk assessment of natural hazards
• governmental regulation

History:

Land-use planning and natural hazard assessment and abatement are the oldest components of this field. A major expansion in scope and size of the industry occurred in the 1980s due to increased societal concern about waste disposal and contaminants. Hydrogeology and contaminant geochemistry are now the dominant focus. The field is very inter-disciplinary and incorporates aspects of geology, physics, chemistry, engineering, and ecology. This industry is driven by regulatory compliance and its future is dependent on society's choices regarding the level of protection we wish versus the amount of money we are willing to spend on restoration.

The consulting arm of this industry identifies the scope of a problem and a solution. The governmental regulatory arm sets standards, and evaluates and approves solutions for specific sites. Focuses vary regionally depending on the relative roles of surface versus ground water.

Due to growing global populations, the environmental and hydro-geosciences are widely viewed as growth fields. Future job potential in the U.S., however, may not be as great as during the late 1980s to early 1990s. Downsizing and consolidation may effect many firms and employment opportunities will vary with business cycles. Future opportunities will require an increased level of technical skill and interdisciplinary training, thus a focus on the MS degree.

Ideally, What You Need To Study

Additional Fields That Can Be Useful

Engineering Geology

Typical Focus:

• engineered structures
• engineered solutions to contaminant problems

History:

Traditionally, this field focused on engineered structures, meaning an emphasis on foundations, roads, dams, hazard mitigation structures, mines, real estate, utilities, waste disposal, and water supply. More recently, the large firms have also moved into the environmental field. Engineering firms remain dominated by engineers and they approach problems with faith in an engineered solution. The geologist is often expected to detect geologic problems in the project design phase so as to avoid costly remedial actions in the construction phase.

Ideally, What You Need To Study:

Additional Fields That Can Be Useful

Applied Geophysics

Typical Focus:

• imaging & characterization of the subsurface
• petroleum and minerals industries

  • hazard assessment

• archaeological site characterizations

  • remote sensing

• environmental and engineering industries

History:

The application of geophysical methods to the imagining and characterization of the subsurface has long been central to the petroleum, minerals, and environmental industries. Demand for applied geophysics has thus followed business cycles in those industries. Borehole geophysics, reflection seismology, electrical resistivity, gravity, magnetics, and ground penetrating radar are all utilized. Employment is generally either with a contractor who supplies geophysical services to clients, or with large integrated companies that maintain their own geophysical staff.

There are also geophysical applications in remote sensing and natural hazard assessment. The latter monitors for floods, earthquakes, and volcanic activity. Remote sensing is used to image the earth's surface from airborne or satellite data, with applications ranging from mineral exploration to ecosystem monitoring.

All aspects of applied geophysics have a high potential for growth, in part because visualization technologies and computing capabilities make the data-rich, high-resolution geophysical image an increasingly powerful tool.

Ideally, What You Need To Study:

Additional Fields That Can Be Useful

K-12 Teaching

Typical Focus:

Earth Science & science education

History:

Since the 1950s, earth science education in the U.S. has generally been delivered as part of the middle school or junior high curriculum; it is an elective at best in most high schools. Recently though, new national and state science standards have been proposed that will elevate earth science's status. Testing at the 4th, 8th, and 11th grade levels means earth science education will have to occur throughout the K-12 curriculum. The proposed standards also call for earth science to be equal in status to chemistry, biology, and physics at the high school level. How these proposed standards are implemented, and how school administrators fill vacancies in their science departments, will ultimately determine if these new standards will drive an increase in demand for teachers with earth science degrees.

Ideally, What You Need To Study:

Additional Fields That Can Be Useful

Collegiate Teaching & Research

Typical Focus:

All aspects of the geosciences

History:

Academe has evolved into two general types of schools, those whose mission is primarily teaching, and those whose missions are a mixture of teaching and research. Teaching is the emphasis at community colleges and four-year schools, with the ability to teach more than one subdiscipline a must. The more prestigious four-year schools also expect faculty to maintain a research program as a vehicle for engaging students in the process of scientific research and discovery. Research universities typically have an equal division of effort between research and teaching, with the teaching including undergraduate through graduate education. For the last 25 years, external funding drove growth and faculty hiring in research institutions; a shift to a more balanced approach that weighs teaching and research potential is allegedly occurring and may influence hiring decisions in the future. All positions are very competitive--100 or more applicants typify searches at all schools.

Ideally, What You Need To Study:

Additional Fields That Can Be Useful

• Additional math, physics, chemistry, or biology well beyond basic requirements as appropriate to specific fields of interest

Museum Science (Paleontology)

Typical Focus:

• paleontological research
• curatorial duties
• public education and service

History:

Traditionally a very limited field occupied by paleontologists and a very small number of mineralogists. Most museums carry a small professional staff and utilize large numbers of unpaid volunteers. There has been an upswing of interest in the field related in part to the popularity of dinosaurs, evolution, and catastrophic extinctions, as well as a move in natural history museums to upgrade their displays to a more dynamic, interactive, and educational format. A related field that has recently developed is that of the independent fossil hunters who trades their finds on the open market.

Ideally, What You Need To Study:

Additional Fields That Can Be Useful

 • Museum science
• biology (ecology, botany,evolution, vertebrate biology)

Government Service

Typical Focus:

Very broad range from regulatory oversight to basic research and including all subdisciplines of the geoscientists.

History:

Most government positions have historically been with the Federal government, although all states have some type of geological survey. Major employers of geoscientists are the USGS, NOAA, NASA, DOE, EPA, BLM, Minerals Management Service, Forest Service, and Soil Conservation Service. Career tracks are primarily technical with a smaller percentage of managerial opportunities.

Near-term job opportunities with the federal government are expected to be minimal as supply exceeds demand by 5 to 1 and has since 1990. Layoffs have occurred in some agencies and the continued likelihood for down sizing of the federal government does not bode well for future job opportunities. Some new positions will occur, in part due to a shift in some agencies to more practical missions.

Ideally, What You Need To Study:

 • Due to the diversity of specialties employed by government, any undergraduate plan of study that provides a solid foundation for graduate studies is appropriate

 • An undergraduate research experience is invaluable; it gives the student insights into what scientific research involves, and shows graduates schools that the student has capabilities beyond the classroom.

Additional Fields That Can Be Useful

 • Additional math, physics, chemistry, or biology well beyond basic requirements as appropriate to specific fields of interest

References

• Abbot, D.M., ed., 1996, Reflections on a Geological Career: American Institute of Professional Geologists, Colorado Section: Student Day Symposium, Sept. 28, 1996, Colorado School of Mines, 23 pp. (unpublished).
• Anonymous, 1992, Careers in the Geosciences: Geological Society of America, Boulder, CO., 4 p.
• Fiske, P.S., 1996, To Boldly Go - A practical career guide for scientists: American Geophysical Union, Washington, D.C., 187p.
• Jordon, R.M., Petossian, R., and Murphy, W.J., 1996, Careers in Environmental Geoscience: American Association of Petroleum Geologists, Division Environmental Geosciences, Tulsa, OK, 54 p.

Prepared by :
University of Colorado at Boulder
Department of Geological Sciences
Campus Box 399
Boulder, Colorado 80309-0399

phone: (303) 492-8141
fax: (303) 492-2606