IUPUI Bulletins » Schools » purdue-science » Departments & Programs » Department of Earth Sciences » Bachelor of Science in Geology

Departments & Programs

Department of Earth Sciences
Bachelor of Science in Geology

(Granted by Indiana University)

Degree Requirements

First-Year Experience Course  Beginning freshmen and transfer students with less than 19 credit hours are required to take SCI-I120 Windows on Science (1 cr.) or an equivalent first-year experience course.

Area I English Composition and Communication Competency  See the School of Science requirements under “Undergraduate Programs” in this bulletin. The second semester of English composition may be satisfied by ENG-W270, ENG-W231, ENG-W230 or ENG-W350. GEOL-G205 may satisfy the second writing course requirement in Area I, but the 3 credit hours cannot then also be counted as part of the geology credit hours required in Area IV.

Area II World Language Competency  No world language proficiency is required for a Bachelor of Science degree.

Area IIIA Arts and Humanities, Social Sciences, and Cultural Understanding Competencies  See the School of Science requirements under “Undergraduate Programs” in this bulletin.

For the most current list of courses in the areas of Arts and Humanities, Social Sciences and Cultural Understanding, please refer to the IUPUI General Education Curriculum.

Area IIIC Life and Physical Sciences Competency  CHEM-C105 / CHEM-C125, CHEM-C106 / CHEM-C126; PHYS-P201 / PHYS-P202 or PHYS 15200 / PHYS 25100; two courses with labs in biological sciences, approved by the Department of Earth Sciences and two science courses or certain geography courses (see advisor), outside the Department of Earth Sciences at the 300 or 400-level approved by the Department of Earth Sciences. No grade below C- will be accepted in any of these courses.

Area IIID Analytical Reasoning Competency  MATH 16500 / MATH 16600; CSCI-N207 or another CSCI course approved by the Department of Earth Sciences; and STAT 30100 or another statistics course approved by the Department of Earth Sciences. No grade below C- will be accepted in any of these courses.

Note: Computer Science CSCI-N100 level courses and CIT 10600 do not count for credit toward any degree in the School of Science. Also, CSCI-N241 and CSCI-N299 do not count in Area IIID, but may count as an elective.

Area IV Geology Concentration Requirements  GEOL-G110, GEOL-G120, GEOL-G205, GEOL-G335, GEOL-G221, GEOL-G222, GEOL-G334, GEOL-G323, three 300-level or 400-level geology courses, and GEOL-G420 or another field camp of at least 3 credit hours approved by the Department of Earth Sciences. Thirty-nine (39) credit hours in GEOL-G course work required. Geology majors cannot earn credit for both GEOL-G221/GEOL-G222 and GEOL-G306. Other 100-level courses, and 1 - 2 credit courses do not count toward the geology concentration requirement, but may be applied as electives toward the university-required total of 120 credit hours. No grade below C- will be accepted in any of these courses.

Other Requirements  See the School of Science requirements under Undergraduate Programs, Baccalaureate Degree, General Requirements in this bulletin. GEOL-G420 satisfies the School of Science capstone requirement.

Bachelor of Science Sample Program (120 cr. required)
Freshman Year   
First Semester
GEOL-G110 Physical Geology 3
GEOL-G120 Physical Geology Laboratory   1
MATH 16500 Analytic Geometry and Calculus I 4
CSCI-N207 Data Analysis Using Spreadsheets 3
ENG-W131 Reading, Writing and Inquiry 3
SCI-I120 Windows on Science   1
Total 15
Second Semester  
COMM-R110 Fundamentals of Speech Communication    3
CHEM-C105 Principles of Chemistry I    3
CHEM-C125 Experimental Chemistry I  2
MATH 16600 Analytic Geometry and Calculus II   4
2nd English composition course 3
Total 15


Sophomore Year  
Third Semester
GEOL-G335 Evolution of the Earth and Life 4
GEOL-G221 Introductory Mineralogy  4
CHEM-C106 Principles of Chemistry II  3
CHEM-C126 Experimental Chemistry II   2
PHYS-P201 General Physics I   5
Total 18
Fourth Semester  
GEOL-G205 Reporting Skills in Geoscience 3
GEOL-G222 Introductory Petrology  4
PHYS-P202 General Physics II 5
Cultural Understanding (choose from list) 3
Total 15


Junior Year  
Fifth Semester
GEOL-G323 Structural Geology 4
GEOL-G334 Principles of Sedimentation and Stratigraphy 4
Approved Biology course with laboratory 5
Arts and Humanities (choose from list) 3
Total 16
Sixth Semester  
GEOL-G300/G400 level elective 3
300-400 level Science or Geography course 3
Approved Biology course with laboratory 5
STAT 30100 Elementary Statistical Methods 3
Total 14


Senior Year   
Seventh Semester
GEOL-G300/G400 level electives    6
Arts and Humanities/Social Sciences (choose from list) 6
Total 12
Eighth Semester   
GEOL-G420 Regional Geology Field Trip (SUM) 3
GEOL-G300/G400 level elective 3
300-400-level Approved Science Elective  3
Electives 6
Total 15