PDF version of this chapterUndergraduate Degrees
Department Major Requirements for the Bachelor of Science in Geological Sciences
| Required courses | Units | |
|---|---|---|
| GEOL 105L | Planet Earth | 4 |
| GEOL 215abL | Mineralogy and Petrology | 4-4 |
| GEOL 320L | Surficial Processes and Stratigraphic Systems | 4 |
| GEOL 321L | Structural Geology and Tectonics | 4 |
| GEOL 333L | Paleontology and the Evolution of Life | 4 |
| GEOL 412 | Oceans, Climate, and the Environment | 4 |
| GEOL 440 | Geophysics and Geoengineering | 4 |
| GEOL 460L | Geochemistry and Hydrogeology | 4 |
| GEOL 465 | Summer Field Geology | 4 |
| GEOL 485ab | Senior Seminar | 2-2 |
| MATH 125 | Calculus I | 4 |
| MATH 126 | Calculus II | 4 |
| CHEM 105aLbL | General Chemistry, or | |
| CHEM 115aLbL | Advanced General Chemistry | 4-4 |
| PHYS 135abL | Physics for the Life Sciences, or | 4-4 |
| PHYS 151L | Fundamentals of Physics I: Mechanics and Thermodynamics | 4 |
| PHYS 152L | Fundamentals of Physics II: Electricity and Magnetism | 4 |
Department Major Requirements for the Bachelor of Arts in Earth Sciences
| Required courses | Units | |
|---|---|---|
| GEOL 105L | Planet Earth | 4 |
| GEOL 215abL | Mineralogy and Petrology | 4-4 |
| GEOL 320L | Surficial Processes and Stratigraphic Systems | 4 |
| GEOL 321L | Structural Geology and Tectonics | 4 |
| GEOL 333L | Paleontology and the Evolution of Life | 4 |
Any three of the following upper division courses in earth sciences: | ||
| GEOL 412 | Oceans, Climate, and the Environment | 4 |
| GEOL 440 | Geophysics and Geoengineering | 4 |
| GEOL 460L | Geochemistry and Hydrogeology | 4 |
| GEOL 465 | Summer Field Geology | 4 |
| GEOL 485ab | Senior Seminar | 2-2 |
Lower division courses in other departments: | ||
| MATH 118x | Fundamental Principles of the Calculus, or | |
| MATH 125 | Calculus I | 4 |
Any two of the following four courses: | ||
| CHEM 105aLbL | General Chemistry, or | 4-4 |
| PHYS 135abL | Physics for the Life Sciences | 4-4 |
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 courses | Units | |
|---|---|---|
| Lower division: | ||
| CHEM 105aLbL | General Chemistry, or | |
| CHEM 115aLbL | Advanced General Chemistry | 4-4 |
| GEOL 105L | Planet Earth | 4 |
| PHYS 151L | Fundamentals of Physics I: Mechanics and Thermodynamics | 4 |
| PHYS 152L | Fundamentals of Physics II: Electricity and Magnetism | 4 |
| PHYS 153L | Fundamentals of Physics III: Optics and Modern Physics | 4 |
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 125 | Calculus I | 4 |
| MATH 126 | Calculus II | 4 |
| MATH 226 | Calculus III | 4 |
| Total units: | 64 | |
*Upper division courses must be applicable to majors in their respective departments.