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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 and another GEOL-G course must be taken.

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; BIOL-K341 / BIOL-K342; and two Life and Physical 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 22100 / MATH 22200; 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 (or GEOL-G 300 level or GEOL-G400 level course if GEOL-G205 is used as a second composition course), GEOL-G335, GEOL-G221, GEOL-G222, GEOL-G334, GEOL-G323, 12 credits of 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. Forty-six (46) 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
SCI-I120 Windows on Science 1
GEOL-G110 Physical Geology/GEOL-G120 Laboratory   4
ENG-W131 Reading,Writing & Inquiry I 3
CHEM-C105 Principles of Chemistry I 3
CHEM-C125 Experimental Chemistry I 2
Arts & Humanities Course (choose from list) 3
Total 16
Second Semester  
COMM-R110 Fundamentals of Speech Communication    3
CHEM-C106 Principles of Chemistry II    3
CHEM-C126 Experimental Chemistry II  2
MATH 22100 Calculus for Technology I  3
CSCI-N207 or other approved computer course 3
Total 14


Sophomore Year  
Third Semester
Second Composition Course (GEOL-G205 recommended) 3
GEOL-G221 Introductory Mineralogy  5
MATH 22200 Calculus for Technology II 3
Social Sciences Course (choose from list)   3
Total 14
Fourth Semester  
PHYS-P201 General Physics I 5
GEOL-G222 Introductory Petrology  5
GEOL-G335 Evolution of Earth and Life 4
STAT 30100 Elementary Statistical Methods 3
Total 17


Junior Year  
Fifth Semester
PHYS-P202 General Physics II 5
GEOL-G323 Structural Geology 5
GEOL-G334 Sedimentology and Stratigraphy 5
Total 15
Sixth Semester  
BIOL-K341 Ecology and Evolution Lecture/BIOL-K342 Laboratory 5
GEOL-G300/GEOL-G400 elective  3
300-400 level Science or Geography course 3
Elective 3
Total 14


Senior Year   
Seventh Semester
GEOL-G300/GEOL-G400 elective   3
GEOL-G300/GEOL-G400 elective 3
Arts & Humanities or Social Sciences (choose from list) 3
Cultural Understanding Course (choose from list) 3
Elective 3
Total 15
Eighth Semester   
GEOL-G300/GEOL-G400 elective 3
GEOL-G300/GEOL-G400 elective 3
300-400 level Science or Geography course 3
Elective 3
GEOL-G420 Regional Geology Field Trip (Summer) 3
Total 15