USC
University of Southern California
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Undergraduate Degrees

Department Major Requirements for the Bachelor of Science in Geological Sciences

Required coursesUnits
GEOL 105LPlanet Earth4
GEOL 215abLMineralogy and Petrology4-4
GEOL 320LSurficial Processes and Stratigraphic Systems4
GEOL 321LStructural Geology and Tectonics4
GEOL 333LPaleontology and the Evolution of Life4
GEOL 412Oceans, Climate, and the Environment4
GEOL 440Geophysics and Geoengineering4
GEOL 460LGeochemistry and Hydrogeology4
GEOL 465Summer Field Geology4
GEOL 485abSenior Seminar2-2
MATH 125Calculus I4
MATH 126Calculus II4
CHEM 105aLbLGeneral Chemistry, or
CHEM 115aLbLAdvanced General Chemistry4-4
PHYS 135abLPhysics for the Life Sciences, or4-4
PHYS 151LFundamentals of Physics I: Mechanics and Thermodynamics4
PHYS 152LFundamentals of Physics II: Electricity and Magnetism4

Department Major Requirements for the Bachelor of Arts in Earth Sciences

Required coursesUnits
GEOL 105LPlanet Earth4
GEOL 215abLMineralogy and Petrology4-4
GEOL 320LSurficial Processes and Stratigraphic Systems4
GEOL 321LStructural Geology and Tectonics4
GEOL 333LPaleontology and the Evolution of Life4

Any three of the following upper division courses in earth sciences:
GEOL 412Oceans, Climate, and the Environment4
GEOL 440Geophysics and Geoengineering4
GEOL 460LGeochemistry and Hydrogeology4
GEOL 465Summer Field Geology4
GEOL 485abSenior Seminar2-2

Lower division courses in other departments:
MATH 118xFundamental Principles of the Calculus, or
MATH 125Calculus I4

Any two of the following four courses:
CHEM 105aLbLGeneral Chemistry, or4-4
PHYS 135abLPhysics for the Life Sciences4-4

Undergraduate Honors Program

The department offers an honors program for students pursuing either a B.S. or a B.A. in Earth Sciences. Students wishing to participate in this program must complete GEOL 494x Senior Thesis. Honors will be awarded upon successful completion of the thesis and attainment of an overall GPA of 3.0 and a GPA of 3.5 in courses in the major.

Grade Point Average in Major Subject

A grade of C or higher is required in each course in the earth sciences courses used to complete the department or physical sciences major.

Requirements for the Bachelor of Science in Physical Sciences

Required coursesUnits
Lower division:
CHEM 105aLbLGeneral Chemistry, or
CHEM 115aLbLAdvanced General Chemistry4-4
GEOL 105LPlanet Earth4
PHYS 151LFundamentals of Physics I: Mechanics and Thermodynamics4
PHYS 152LFundamentals of Physics II: Electricity and Magnetism4
PHYS 153LFundamentals of Physics III: Optics and Modern Physics4

Upper division:
Astronomy elective*4
Chemistry elective* 4
Earth Sciences elective*4
Physics elective* 4
Three additional electives from these fields*12

Other courses:
MATH 125Calculus I4
MATH 126Calculus II4
MATH 226Calculus III4
Total units:64

*Upper division courses must be applicable to majors in their respective departments.