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Undergraduate Studies

DEPARTMENT OF EARTH SCIENCES

The Department of Earth Sciences offers two degree programs at the Undergraduate level, each with several concentration tracks.

B.A. in Geography

B.S. in Earth Sciences

Our undergraduate programs provide the perfect spring board for job opportunities in education, government, earth and environmental professions, and earth science research, as well as preparing the student for graduate school.  Professional job positions in Geography and Earth Sciences generally require at least a Masters degree for full advancement opportunities. 

GEOGRAPHY


Geography Major (B.A.)
Program objectives are: (a) to acquire knowledge of geographical concepts and their applications; (b) to solve geographical problems; (c) to obtain preparation for entry level employment in the field or advanced study.

A. University General Education Program (41 hours)
 See Graduation from the University link for the University General Education Program requirements.

B. College and Degree (B.A.) Requirements (18-19 hours)
The College and Bachelor of Arts requirements are in addition to the University General Education Program requirements and are listed above.

C. The Major (35 hours)
1. Core Requirements (20 hours):
a. Environmental and Earth Science: ESCI 1010/1011, 1020/1021 (8)
b. Human: ESCI 1401 or 3430 (3)
c. Regional: ESCI 1301 or any 43_numbered course (3)
d. Geographic Techniques: ESCI 4502 (3)
e. ESCI 4801(3) [I, W]
2. Concentration (15-16 hours):
a. Geography: Choose 15 semester hours of geography with a minimum of 12 upper division hours.
b. Environmental and Earth Science: 15 semester hours, with a minimum of 12 hours selected from ESCI 3221, 4120, 4122, 4201, 4214, 4231, 4241, 4251.
c. Geographic Techniques: 15 semester hours, with a minimum of 12 hours selected from ESCI 4511 (4), 4515, 4521 [C], 4525, 4531.
d. Urban Planning: (1) Required core (9 semester hours): ESCI 3451, 4431, 4551; (2) Guided electives (6 semester hours): two of the following: ESCI 3430, 4201, 4231, 4443, 4531, 4700.

D. Electives
 Electives may be chosen to bring the total number of hours to 120.

Typical 4-Year Geography (B.A.) Sequence

Freshman Year

Humanities* Nat. Sci./Math/B.A 3-4
MATH*  3-4  Fine Arts/B.A. 3
ENGL 1010  ENGL 1020  3
Elective  3 Social/Behavioral Science* 3
Foreign Language/B.A. Foreign Language/B.A. 3
Semester Totals 15-16 hrs 15-16 hrs

Sophomore Year

ESCI 1301  ESCI 1020/1021 4
ENGL 2201 or 2202 COMM 2381  3
ESCI 1010/1011 UD elective 3
Humanities* History*  3
Elective Elective 3
Semester Totals  16 hrs 16 hrs

Junior Year

ESCI 1401 or 3430 History* 3
ESCI 4502  UD ESCI  3
UD ESCI 3 UD elective 3
UD elective  Humanities/B.A.  3
Elective Social Science/B.A. 3
Semester Totals  15 hrs 15 hrs

Senior Year

UD ESCI  ESCI 4801 3
UD ESCI  UD ESCI  3
UD elective  UD elective  3
UD elective Elective 4
Elective
Semester Totals  15 hrs  13 hrs
Total Hours: 120-122
Total Hours Required for Graduation: 120
*Must satisfy University General Education Program Requirement

Geography Minor
Completion of 20 semester hours in geography courses, at least 9 of which must be upper division hours.

EARTH SCIENCES

Earth Sciences Major (B.S.)
Program objectives for a B.S. in Earth Sciences are: (a) to attain knowledge of earth science concepts and their applications; (b) to be capable of solving earth science problems involving observations and measurements; (c) to be well prepared for entry level employment or for entering a graduate program in fields related to Earth Science.

A. University General Education Program (41 hours)
 See Graduation from the University link for the University General Education Program requirements. Note that MATH 1830 or MATH 1910 is required for the B.S. degree.

B. College and Degree Requirements (15-16 hours)
The College and Bachelor of Science requirements are in addition to the University General Education Program requirements and are listed above.

C. The Major ( 40-52)* hours in addition to University General Education Program and B.S. degree requirements
*The Geophysics concentration requires an additional 11 hours of MATH.
1. Core Requirements (28 hours): Completion of ESCI 1020/1021 or 1040, 1010/1011 or 1050, MATH 1920* or COMP 1800, BIOL 1020/1021 or CHEM 1120/1121 or PHYS 2020/2021 (4 hours of these courses are included in the B.S. degree requirements); ESCI 2001 or 3311**, ESCI 4120 or 4202 or 4252; two courses from ESCI 4502, 4515, and 4521.
* Required for Geophysics concentration; ** Required for Geology concentration.
2. Concentrations:
a. Geoarchaeology (12 hours): ESCI 4301, 4325, 4352, and additional upper division hours approved by the advisor to total 42 semester hours in Earth Sciences.
b. Geography (15 hours): ESCI 3430, 4201, 4304, 4541, 4801, and additional upper division hours approved by the advisor to total 42 semester hours in Earth Sciences.
c. Geology (14 hours): ESCI 3512, 3712, 4622, and additional upper division hours as approved by the advisor to a total of 42 semester hours in Earth Sciences.
d. Geophysics (24 hours): ESCI 4101, 4201, 4401, and additional upper division hours approved by the advisor to total 42 semester hours in Earth Sciences; MATH 1920, 2110, 3120.

D. Electives
 Electives may be chosen to bring the total number of hours to 120.

Earth Sciences Minor
A minimum of 18 semester hours in geology courses, including ESCI 1050 or ESCI 1103. Six of these hours must be selected from upper division courses.

Typical 4-Year Geology Concentration Sequence

Freshman Year

Elective ESCI 1050 4
ESCI 1040  MATH 1910 4
ENGL 1010  ENGL 1020  3
Elective Foreign Language/B.S. 3
Foreign Language/B.S.
Semester Totals  15 hrs 14 hrs

Sophomore Year

CHEM 1110/1111 CHEM 1120/1121 4
ESCI 3311  ESCI 4515 3
COMM 2381  ENGL 2201 or 2202 3
Humanities* Social/Behavioral Sciences* 3
Humanities* 3
Semester Totals  14 hrs 16 hrs

Junior Year

History* History* 3
PHYS 2010** 4 ESCI 4502 3
ESCI 3712  ESCI 3512 [C]   4
Humanities/B.S.  Social/Behavioral Sciences*  3
Semester Totals  14 hrs 13 hrs

Summer

ESCI 4622   6 hrs

Senior Year

UD ESCI Social Science/B.S. 3
ESCI 4202 3 UD ESCI 4
Elective  Elective 3
UD ESCI UD elective 4
Semester Totals  14 hrs 14 hrs

Total Hours: 120
Total Hours Required for Graduation: 120
*Must satisfy University General Education Program Requirement
** Choose: PHYS 2010/2011 and 2020/2021 or 2110/2111 and 2120/2121

Last updated: 03/20/2008 15:34:23