The study of geology includes natural hazards, the processes responsible for Earth's internal structure and external landforms, Earth resources, a geologic perspective on Earth's dynamic climate, and geologic time. Geology explains why a landscape looks the way it does and shows that Earth is dynamic and changes both gradually and catastrophically. Understanding these changes provides opportunity to prepare for them and to design a resilient society.
Geology is unique among the sciences in that it uses concepts and laws from other fields to understand the complexities of the real world. Textbooks provide foundational information but cannot capture geologic landscapes' intricate puzzles. This means students must explore the outstanding geology in our backyard via field trips. Furthermore, the study of the Earth and how humans interact it with it leads to a deeper understanding of Sustainability, so every class in the Geology majors sequence (G201-202-203) has a Sustainability focus.
A bachelor's degree in geology prepares students for entry-level geoscience jobs and graduate school. For most geoscience careers, a Master of Science is considered the professional degree, while a doctorate is typically only necessary for research and higher education jobs. Fortunately, a master's or doctorate degree is almost always funded, meaning students get paid a living stipend and receive a tuition waiver and therefore do not have to take student loans.
See the Geology page for program and contact information.
