OHIO University Undergraduate Catalog 2024-25
Geological Sciences Major (B.S.) |
Major code BS3321
College of Arts and Sciences
Earth and Environmental Geosciences
Clippinger Laboratories 316
Athens, OH 45701
Phone: 740.593.1101
geological.sciences@ohio.edu
www.ohio.edu/cas/geology
Eung Seok Lee, Chair
leee1@ohio.edu
Greg Springer, Advising Coordinator
springeg@ohio.edu
Program Overview
The B.S. in geological sciences is the standard preparation for a professional career in the geological sciences or entry into a graduate program.
Admissions Information
Freshman/First-Year Admission
No requirements beyond University admission requirements.
Change of Program Policy
No selective or limited admission requirements.
External Transfer Admission
No requirements beyond University admission requirements.
Opportunities Upon Graduation
A degree in geological sciences prepares graduates for a variety of career opportunities. Upon graduation, students can pursue positions with employers in the petroleum industry, state and national government agencies, research laboratories, state highway departments, mining companies, civil engineering firms, surveying companies, consulting firms, museums, public and private K-12 schools, institutions of higher education, etc. Students are also adequately prepared to pursue graduate work in their field of interest.
Browse through dozens of internship opportunities and full-time job postings for Ohio University students and alumni on Handshake , OHIO’s key resource for researching jobs, employers, workshops, and professional development events.
Requirements
University-wide Graduation Requirements
Ohio University requires the completion of a minimum of 120 semester hours for the conferral of a bachelor’s degree. This program can be completed within that 120-hour requirement. For more information on the minimum hours requirement and other university-wide requirements, please review the Graduation Requirements – University-wide page.
Liberal Arts and Sciences Distribution Requirement
View the College and Liberal Arts and Sciences Distribution Requirements .
Geological Sciences (B.S.) Major Requirements
The major requirement for the (B.S.) degree in Geological Sciences requires 44 hours.
Introductory Geology Course
This requirement may be satisfied by taking one of the three following options.
Option 2
Complete the following course, plus an additional course as a prerequisite.
- GEOL 2020 - Introductory Geology Lab Credit Hours: 1
Plus one of the following courses:
- GEOL 1200 - The Mobile Earth Credit Hours: 3
- GEOL 1300 - Geology of the National Parks Credit Hours: 3
- GEOL 1350 - Natural Disasters Credit Hours: 3
- GEOL 1400 - Dinosaurs and the Mesozoic Credit Hours: 3
- GEOL 1700 - Metal, Stone, Energy, and Society Credit Hours: 3
- GEOL 2080 - Geology of the Solar System Credit Hours: 3
- GEOL 2110 - Introductory Oceanography Credit Hours: 3
- GEOL 2150 - Environmental Geology Credit Hours: 3
- GEOL 2170 - Water Resources and Sustainability Credit Hours: 3
- GEOL 2210 - Earth and Life History Credit Hours: 3
- GEOL 2310 - Water and Pollution Credit Hours: 3
- GEOL 2710 - Extreme Ancient Climates Credit Hours: 3
Geological Sciences Core Courses
Complete a total of 38 semester hours of GEOL coursework, including the following:
- GEOL 2550 - Historical Geology Credit Hours: 3
- GEOL 3150 - Mineralogy Credit Hours: 4
- GEOL 3201 - Igneous & Metamorphic Petrology Credit Hours: 4
- GEOL 3500 - Stratigraphy-Sedimentology Credit Hours: 3
- GEOL 3600 - Structural Geology Credit Hours: 4
- GEOL 4610 - Regional Field Geology Credit Hours: 3
- GEOL 4650 - Geologic Methods Credit Hours: 3
Geological Sciences Disciplinary Electives
Complete two of the following courses:
- GEOL 3300 - Principles of Geomorphology Credit Hours: 3
- GEOL 3400 - Principles of Paleontology Credit Hours: 3
- GEOL 3700 - Groundwater Fundamentals and Practices Credit Hours: 3
Statistics Course
Choose one of the following courses:
- GEOL 3050 - Statistical Methods in Geology Credit Hours: 4
- MATH 2500 - Statistics and Probability Credit Hours: 4
- GEOG 2710 - Introduction to Statistics in Geography Credit Hours: 3
- PSY 2110 - Statistics for the Behavioral Sciences Credit Hours: 4
-
Please note only GEOL 3050 will count toward GEOL required hours.
Geological Sciences Majors Extradepartmental Requirements
Complete the following three components.
Component 1: Calculus
Complete one of the following courses:
- MATH 1300 - Pre-Calculus Credit Hours: 4
- MATH 2301 - Calculus I Credit Hours: 4
Option 1: Principles of Chemistry
Complete the following courses:
- CHEM 1210 - Principles of Chemistry I Credit Hours: 4
- CHEM 1220 - Principles of Chemistry II Credit Hours: 4
Option 2: Principles of Chemistry
Complete the following courses:
- CHEM 1510 - Fundamentals of Chemistry I Credit Hours: 4
- CHEM 1520 - Fundamentals of Chemistry II Credit Hours: 4
Option 1: Physics
Complete the following courses:
- PHYS 2001 - Introduction to Physics Credit Hours: 4
- PHYS 2002 - Introduction to Physics Credit Hours: 4
Option 2: Physics
Complete the following courses/sequences:
- PHYS 2051 - General Physics Credit Hours: 5
-
or
- PHYS 2054 - General Physics 1 classical mechanics and thermodynamics Credit Hours: 3
-
and
- PHYS 2055 - General Physics 1 laboratory course Credit Hours: 1
- PHYS 2052 - General Physics Credit Hours: 5
-
or
- PHYS 2056 - General Physics 2 electricity and magnetism Credit Hours: 3
-
and
- PHYS 2057 - General Physics 2 laboratory course Credit Hours: 1
Option 3: Physics
Complete the following courses:
- PHYS 2051 - General Physics Credit Hours: 5
- PHYS 2002 - Introduction to Physics Credit Hours: 4
Option 4: Biology
Complete the following courses:
- BIOS 1700 - Biological Sciences I: Molecules and Cells Credit Hours: 3
- BIOS 1705 - Biological Sciences I Laboratory Credit Hours: 1
- BIOS 1710 - Biological Sciences II: Ecology, Evolution, Animal Body Systems Credit Hours: 3
- BIOS 1715 - Biological Sciences II Laboratory Credit Hours: 1
Option 5: Plant Biology
- PBIO 1140 - Foundations of Plant Biology Credit Hours: 4
- PBIO 1150 - Plant Structure and Development Credit Hours: 4