Required Credit Hours: 36

(or more, depending on options)

Major Computing Requirement:

Fulfilled by completing the Research requirement outlined below.

Major Writing Requirement:

Fulfilled by completing the Research requirement outlined below.

Introductory Sequence:

Select one of the following options:

• GEOL 101 - The Dynamic Earth: Physical Geology Credits: (3) and GEOL 160 - Investigating the Earth: Introductory Geology Laboratory  Credits: (1)

• or

• GEOL 110 - Earth’s Environmental Systems: Physical Geography Credits: (3) and GEOL 160 - Investigating the Earth: Introductory Geology Laboratory  Credits: (1)

• or

• GEOL 150 - First-Year Seminar Credits: (4) and GEOL 160 - Investigating the Earth: Introductory Geology Laboratory  Credits: (1)

• OR

• GEOL 250 - Geologic Evolution of Virginia Credits: (4)

Research:

• GEOL 404 - Introduction to Geological Research Credits: (1)

• One of the following options:

•  

• GEOL 491 - Senior Research Credits: (3) and GEOL 492 - Senior Research  Credits: (1)
• GEOL 495 - Honors Credits: (3) and GEOL 496 - Honors  Credits: (3)

Elective courses:

Nine credits to be taken from the following options:

• GEOL 203 - Age of Dinosaurs Credits: (3) or GEOL 207 - Planetary Geology  Credits: (3) or GEOL 212 - Global Climate Change  Credits: (3)
• GEOL 305 - Environmental Geology Credits: (3)
• GEOL 310 - Regional Field Geology Credits: (1-3)
• GEOL 311 - Field Methods in the Earth Sciences Credits: (3)
• GEOL 314 - Watershed Dynamics Credits: (4) (cannot be applied to major if GEOL 315 applies to major)
• GEOL 421 - Marine Geology: Environments, Processes, and Records Credits: (3)
• GEOL 424 - Sedimentology Seminar Credits: (1-3)
• GEOL 425 - Structural Geology Seminar Credits: (1-3)
• GEOL 426 - Paleobiology Seminar Credits: (1-3)
• GEOL 427 - Surface Processes Seminar Credits: (1-3)
• GEOL 428 - Geochemistry Seminar Credits: (1-3)
• GEOL 429 - Hydrology Seminar Credits: (1-3)
• GEOL 437 - Special Topics Seminar Credits: (1-3)
• GIS 201 - Introduction to Geographic Information Systems and Spatial Analysis Credits: (3)
• MSCI 401C - Fundamentals of Marine Geology Credits: (2)
• MSCI 401R - Fundamentals of Marine Science Recitation Credits: (1) (cannot be applied to major if GEOL 421 applies to major)

• Additional courses from Group A and B can also be used for elective credits. Only one of the following courses can be used to count towards the major: GEOL 203 - Age of Dinosaurs  or GEOL 207 - Planetary Geology  or GEOL 212 - Global Climate Change .

Additional Information:

Geology majors are required to choose two courses and associated laboratories from the following list of five choices:

• CHEM 103 - General Chemistry I Credits: (3) and
• CHEM 103L - General Chemistry Laboratory I Credits: (1)

•  

• CHEM 206 - Organic Chemistry I Credits: (3) and
• CHEM 206L - Organic Chemistry Laboratory I Credits: (1)

•  

• CHEM 208 - General Chemistry II and Introduction to Inorganic Chemistry Credits: (3) and
• CHEM 254 - General Chemistry Laboratory II Credits: (1)

•  

• PHYS 101 - General Physics I Credits: (3) and
• PHYS 101L - General Physics I Laboratory Credits: (1)

•  

• PHYS 102 - General Physics II Credits: (3) and
• PHYS 102L - General Physics II Laboratory Credits: (1)

• These courses are required but do not count towards the minimum 36 credits in Geology.  Geology majors, especially those planning on pursuing advanced degrees, are strongly recommended to take one year of calculus, one year of chemistry, one year of physics, and a field camp.