Overview of the Major:
Geology is a science concerned with the Earth -- its relationship to the solar system, its origin and developmental history, its structure and composition, its dynamic processes, and its evolution. Geology also relates to human endeavors and needs, including the use of natural resources, the preservation of the environment, global change, and the mitigation of geologic hazards. Geology draws its data from firsthand field observations and laboratory analyses of minerals, sediments, rocks, fossils, natural fluids and gases, and landforms. Interpretation of the Earth's physical, chemical, and biological systems and their evolution requires that scientists who study the Earth interact with mathematicians, physicists, astronomers, chemists, geographers, climatologists, biologists, and engineers.

The University of Colorado at Boulder is ideally suited to the study of geological sciences. At the junction of the high plains and the Rocky Mountains, the Boulder area represents a natural outdoor laboratory where you can study geological features of all ages in diverse settings, and observe Earth processes firsthand. Field work in the Rocky Mountain region is an essential part of instruction and research.

The major in geology offers three options, each leading to a Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) degree. The Geology Option offers in-depth training in the traditional areas of the geosciences, including a broad scientific and analytical background based on chemistry, physics, and mathematics. The Environmental Geoscience Option is designed for majors who wish a broader, less traditional curriculum. It allows a greater variety of courses to be taken, representing the diverse sub-disciplines of the geosciences, especially those relating to earth hazards, resources, and environmental change. The Geophysics Option is especially designed for those students who wish to pursue a career focusing on the materials, structure, and processes of the Earth's interior, as well as the deformation and dynamics of the Earth. Students who are uncertain as to which option best suits his/her needs should consult a Department advisor. All options provide a strong preparation for graduate study.

If you're interested in a degree in Computer Science Applications in Geological Sciences, there is a program offered through the Department of Computer Sciences. Students who would like to acquire a basic knowledge of geology while majoring in some other field should consider a minor program in Geological Sciences.

Career Possibilities
The B.A. degree with a major in Geological Sciences can lead to various entry-level positions in the energy and economic-minerals industry, environmental evaluation and regulation, industrial relations, reclamation, resource evaluation, research, surveying, and numerous other areas. The degree is also excellent preparation for later professional work in such fields as journalism, law, and economics.

If you are interested in professional work in the earth sciences, graduate school is generally necessary. You can then specialize in fields such as geochemistry, paleobiology, tectonics, remote sensing, paleoclimatology, geohydrology, petroleum geology, global change, paleoceanography, environmental geology, sedimentation, basin analysis, structural geology, mineralogy, ore deposits, petrology, geophysics, surficial and glacial geology, and soils.

Energy and mining companies, consulting firms, land development corporations, environmental analysis firms, research organizations, federal agencies, and academic institutions are among those organizations that commonly employ professional earth scientists.

The Department has also produced a Guide to career possiblities in the Geosciences.

Facilities and Programs
The department considers the diverse opportunities for field studies in the high plains and central Rocky Mountains of Colorado a particular strength of its undergraduate program. In addition, the department has research laboratories for studying rock and mineral deformation, soils, sedimentation, petrology and mineralogy, paleomagnetism, paleobiology, geophysics, geochemistry, geochronology, and isotope geochemistry. Research is facilitated by in-house personal computers, workstations, and links with the University's main computing center.

Additional research oppportunities are provided through connections with the University of Colorado Museum, the Cooperative Institute for Research in Environmental Sciences (CIRES), the Institute of Arctic and Alpine Research (INSTAAR), the Energy and Minerals Applied Research Center ( EMARC), and the Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics (LASP), all of which have their own research facilities. These groups are involved in interdisciplinary research relevant to the region, to global change issues, and to geological and geophysical topics throughout the world.

The department offers an internship program providing students the opportunity for academically supervised work with public or private organizations.

You may choose to seek honors in geology, which results in the designation of cum laude, magna cum laude, or summa cum laude at graduation. Contact your departmental advisor during your junior year.

Travel and study abroad lends perspective to the student interested in the Earth and how different cultures interface with the environment. The Office of International Education offers more than 35 study abroad programs around the world. Specific courses in geology can be taken at some of western Europe's outstanding institutions of higher learning, including the University of East Anglia and Lancaster University in England. Programs are also available in the Middle East, Africa, Latin America, and Asia. You can choose to spend from a few weeks to a full academic year abroad, depending on the program selected. Language study is a prerequisite for participation in many of the programs, so early planning for study abroad is essential.

For More Information:
Please call or stop by the department office for consultation. We're located in the Benson Earth Sciences building, Room 285, 492-8141. Or email us at geolinfo@colorado.edu. Designated faculty and staff advisors can help you determine if Geological Sciences is the right major for you, and help advise you on degree requirements.

Be sure to check the University of Colorado at Boulder Catalog for college policies, procedures, and course listings. Degree requirements and course listings are also provided elsewhere here. You may also want to consult each semester's Registration Handbook and Schedule of Courses as well as the Professor Performance Guide for further information about course offerings and faculty.

Although this page was prepared on the basis of all available information, course requirements are subject to change. Check with a departmental advisor for final program approval.