The Geology Curriculum - Geophysics Track is intended for students seeking to enter careers in private industry or public service emphasizing the applications of physics to geosciences issues, and who intend to pursue graduate degrees in geophysics and related disciplines. It is designed to meet the requirements of industry, graduate school, and government. For the B.S. degree, the students are required to complete introductory geology and physics requirements (39 credits) and upper-level requirements including depth options, context options, and breadth options (30 - 35 credits) in addition to the General Education Program requirements and the completion of at least 120 credits in total. In order to receive a degree in Geophysics, the department requires that students must have a grade of C- or better in the required geology courses.
REQUIREMENTS EFFECTIVE AUGUST 2023
GenEd Program: Minimum 40 credits (for freshmen entering in Fall 2012 and after.)
Or CORE Program: 46 credits
Departmental Requirements: 69-73 credits
REQUIRED INTRODUCTORY PHYSICS AND GEOLOGY:
- One of the following: 4 credits
- GEOL 110 - Introductory Geology Laboratory
- MATH 140 - Calculus I (4)
- MATH 141 - Calculus II (4)
- MATH 241 - Calculus III (4)
- One of the following:
- PHYS 161 - General Physics: Mechanics and Particle Dynamics (3)
- PHYS 171 - Introductory Physics: Mechanics and Relativity (3)
- PHYS 165 - Introduction to Programming for the Physical Sciences (3)
- PHYS 272 - Fields (3)
- PHYS 273 - Waves (3)
- PHYS 275 - Experimental Physics I: Mechanics, Heat, and Fields (2)
- PHYS 276 - Experimental Physics II: Electricity and Magnetism (2)
- One of the following:
- PHYS 274 - Mathematical Methods for Physics I (3) and GEOL 351 (3): Statistics for Geoscientists
- MATH 240 - Linear Algebra (3) and MATH 246 - Differential Equations for Scientists and Engineers (3)
Total credits: 39
GEOPHYSICS UPPER LEVEL REQUIREMENTS:
- GEOL 393 - Senior Thesis I - Proposal (3)
- GEOL 394 - Senior Thesis II - Research (3)
- GEOL 446 - Geophysics (3)
Total credits: 9
DEPTH REQUIREMENTS: Choose three of the following:
- GEOL 412 - Geology of Terrestrial Planets (3)
- GEOL 447 - Observational Geophysics (3)
- GEOL 455 - Marine Geophysics (3)
- GEOL 456 - Engineering Geology (3)
- GEOL 457 - Seismology (3)
- GEOL 460 - Field Geophysics (3)
Total credits: 9
CONTEXT REQUIREMENTS: Choose two of the following:
- AOSC 400 - Physical Meteorology of the Atmosphere (3)
- AOSC 424 - Remote Sensing of the Atmosphere and Ocean (3)
- AOSC 431 - Atmospheric Thermodynamics (3)
- AOSC 432 - Dynamics of the Atmosphere and Ocean (3)
- GEOL 322 - Mineralogy (4)
- GEOL 340 - Geomorphology (4)
- GEOL 341 - Structural Geology (4)
- GEOL 342 - Sedimentation and Stratigraphy (4)
- GEOL 423 - Optical Mineralogy (4)
- GEOL 443 - Petrology (4)
- GEOL 451 - Groundwater (3)
- GEOL 463 - Economic Geology (3)
- GEOL 472 - Tectonics (3)
- Any upper level (300 or higher) Geology course with the approval of the undergraduate director not used to satisfy above requirements.
Total credits: 6 - 8
BREADTH REQUIREMENTS: Choose two of the following:
- PHYS 371 Modern Physics (3)
- PHYS 373 Mathematical Methods for Physics II (3)
- PHYS 401 Quantum Physics I (4)
- PHYS 402 Quantum Physics II (4)
- PHYS 410 Classical Mechanics (4)
- PHYS 411 Intermediate Electricity and Magnetism (4)
Total credits: 6 - 8
RECOMMENDED COURSES: Choose one of the following:
- CHEM131- Chemistry I – Fundamentals of General Chemistry (3) and CHEM132 -General Chemistry I Laboratory (1)
- CHEM135 - General Chemistry for Engineers (3) and CHEM136 - General Chemistry Laboratory for Engineers (1)
OVERALL Total credits: 69 - 73
RESOURCES AND ANCILLARY PROGRAMS