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.

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.

Geology Major Requirements:   Download a copy here

Requirements for Track 1: Geology (GEOL unless noted)

____    1010-3 Intro to Geology 1
____    1030-3 Intro to Geology Lab
____    1020 OR 1040 OR 1060-3 (Intro Earth History/Geol. Colorado/Global Change)
    The above 2 classes are prerequisites for all GEOL courses below

____    2700-2 Intro to Field Geology
____    3010-3 Intro to Mineralogy (prereq. CHEM 1113+1114)
____    3020-3 Petrology (prereq. GEOL3010)
____    3120-4 Structural Geology
____    3320-3 Intro to Geochemistry (prereq. MATH1300, CHEM1113+1114)
____    3430-4 Sedimentology and Stratigraphy
____    4130-3 Principles of Geophysics (prereq. MATH1300, PHYS1110)

    One of the following water-related courses:
____    3030-3 OR 3820-3 OR 4060-4 (Hydrogeology/Fluid Earth/Oceanography)

    Two of the following advanced field courses:
____/____ 4711/4712/4714/4715/4716/4717 (or 4700 with advisor approval)-2

____    One additional 3000 or higher GEOL course with the exception of: 3040, 3070,
3500, 3520, 3620, 3630, 3720, 3950, 4080, 4500. List course taken:

Math and science courses in other departments:
____/_____ CHEM 1113-4 AND 1133-4 General Chemistry 1 and 2
____/_____ CHEM 1114-1 AND 1134-1 General Chemistry 1 and 2 lab
____/_____ MATH 1300 AND 2300 (or APPM 1350/1360) Calculus 1 and 2
____/_____ PHYS 1110-4 AND 1120-4 General Physics 1 and 2
____    PHYS 1140-1 Experimental Physics 1

Requirements for Track 2: Environmental Geosciences

____    1010 OR 2100-3 (Intro to Geology/Environmental Geology)
____    1030-3 Intro to Geology Lab
____    2001-4 Planet Earth (prereq. GEOL1010 or 2100)
____    3230-3 Earth Materials (prereq. GEOL2001)
____    3320-3 Intro to Geochemistry (prereq. MATH1300, CHEM1113+1114)

Two of the following water-related courses:
____/____ 3030-3 OR 3820-3 OR 4060-4 (Hydrogeology/Fluid Earth/Oceanography)

    One of the following courses in biogeochemistry:
____    4160 OR 4270-3 (Biogeochemistry/Marine Chemistry and Geochemistry)

    One of the following climate-related courses:
____    GEOL 4040-3 OR ATOC 3600-3 (Paleoclimatology/Principles of Climate)

    One of the following advanced field courses:
____    GEOL 4711/4714/4715/4716/EBIO4630/EVEN4100-2

Four of the following courses (that were not used above to fulfill a different
major requirement). Two of the four must be from GEOL:
____/____ GEOL 3023/3030/3050/3410/3820/4040/4060/4093/4130/4160/4241/
____/____ 4270/4670
____/____ Water-related: CVEN 3454/4718/EBIO 4030/GEOG 4251/4260/4321
    Biogeochemistry: GEOG 4401/EBIO 4060/4570/MCDB 4350
    Climate-related: ATOC 4720/ENVS-GEOG 4201
    Policy-related: ENVD 4023/ECON 3403/PSCI 4183/ATOC 4800

Math and science courses in other departments:
____/_____ CHEM 1113-4 AND 1133-4 General Chemistry 1 and 2
____/_____ CHEM 1114-1 AND 1134-1 General Chemistry 1 and 2 lab
____/_____ MATH 1300 AND 2300 (or APPM 1350/1360) Calculus 1 and 2
____/_____ PHYS 1110-4 AND 1120-4 General Physics 1 and 2
____    PHYS 1140-1 Experimental Physics 1

Requirements for Track 3: Geophysics

____    1010-3 Intro to Geology 1
____    1030-3 Intro to Geology Lab
____    1020 OR 1040 OR 1060-3 (Intro Earth History/Geol. Colorado/Global Change)
    The above 2 classes are prerequisites for all GEOL courses below

____    2700-2 Intro to Field Geology
____    3010-3 Intro to Mineralogy (prereq. CHEM 1113+1114)
____    3020-3 OR 3320-3 Petrology (prereq. GEOL3010) OR
               Intro to Geochemistry (prereq. MATH 1300, CHEM 1113+1114)
____    3120-4 Structural Geology
____    4130-3 Principles of Geophysics (prereq. MATH 1300, PHYS 1110)
____    4714-2 Field Geophysics (prereq. GEOL2700, MATH 1300, PHYS 1110)

PHYS requirements:
____/_____ PHYS 1110-4 and 1120-4 General Physics 1 and 2
____    PHYS 1140-1 Experimental Physics 1
____    PHYS 2130-3 OR 2170-3 General Physics 3
____    PHYS 2210-3 (co-requisite is APPM 2360) Classical Mechanics

MATH requirements:
____/_____ MATH 1300 AND 2300 (or APPM 1350/1360) Calculus 1 and 2
____    MATH 2400-4 OR APPM 2350-4 Calculus 3
____    APPM 2360-4 Differential Equations w/ Linear Algebra

Two of the following MATH or PHYS courses:
____/____    PHYS 3210/3310/MATH 4470/APPM 4350-3 Mech 2/ E&M/Part Diff Eq

CHEMISTRY requirements:
____/_____ CHEM 1113-4 AND 1133-4 General Chemistry 1 and 2
____/_____ CHEM 1114-1 AND 1134-1 General Chemistry 1 and 2 lab

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.

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.

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. Click Here for more information on CU's honors program.

Travel and study abroad lends perspective to the student interested in the Earth and how different cultures interface with the environment. The Study Abroad Programs office offers more than 300 study abroad programs around the world, including numerous options for Geology majors. Specific courses in geology are available in Europe, Middle East, Africa, Latin America, Oceania and Asia. You can choose to spend from a few weeks to a full academic year abroad, depending on the program selected.

For more information about studying abroad, please attend Study Abroad 101: Your First Step! This 30-minute session is offered multiple times each week and covers the basics of studying abroad as a CU-Boulder student. Times and locations can be found on the Study Abroad Programs website below (click on Getting Started)
http://studyabroad.colorado.edu.

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.

CU Honors Program