Geological Science
The Geological Sciences program provides students with a strong background in geology, astronomy, and oceanography. It enables them to study and understand processes that have shaped the Earth and the solar system over the last 4.6 billion years.
Students will learn about both the internal and surface processes acting on the earth, including the forces behind plate tectonics and its surface manifestations, earthquakes and volcanoes. The Geological Sciences student will take advantage of new and developing technologies such as the use of global positioning systems and geographic information systems (GIS) in the mapping of geologic, soil, water and other environmental features.
The major leads to a BS degree that prepares students for graduate study in any of the geological sciences, for students who wish to qualify for a teaching certificate in Earth Science, or for students interested in the study of geology or astronomy as part of an undergraduate liberal arts education.
Prerequisites to the Major
| Code | Title | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|
| BIOL 130 | Intro Org and Environ Biology | 4 |
| CHEM 134 | General Chemistry IA | 4 |
| or CHEM 144 | Gen Chemistry IB | |
| CHEM 136 | General Chemistry IIA | 4 |
| or CHEM 146 | General Chemistry IIB | |
| GEOL 118 | Physical Geology | 4 |
| GEOL 218 | Historical Geology | 4 |
| Select one from the following: | 8 | |
| Calc I for Biology & Life Sci and Calc II for Biology & Life Sci | ||
| Calculus I and Calculus II | ||
| Select one from the following: | 8 | |
| Introductory Physics I and Introductory Physics II | ||
| General Physics I and General Physics II | ||
| ASTR 130 | Introduction to Astronomy | 3 |
| ASTR 131 | Introductory Astronomy Lab | 1 |
| Total Credit Hours | 40 | |
Dearborn Discovery Core Requirement
The minimum passing grade for a Dearborn Discovery Core (DDC) course is 2.0. The minimum GPA for the program is 2.0. In addition, the DDC permits any approved course to satisfy up to three credit hours within three different categories. Please see the General Education Program: The Dearborn Discovery Core section for additional information.
Foundational Studies
Written and Oral Communication (GEWO) – 6 Credits
Upper Level Writing Intensive (GEWI) – 3 Credits
Quantitative Thinking and Problem Solving (GEQT) – 3 Credits
Critical and Creative Thinking (GECC) – 3 Credits
Areas of Inquiry
Natural Science (GENS) – 7 Credits
- Lecture/Lab Science Course
- Additional Science Course
Social and Behavioral Analysis (GESB) – 9 Credits
Humanities and the Arts (GEHA) – 6 Credits
Intersections (GEIN) – 6 Credits
Capstone
Foreign Language Requirement
Complete a two-semester beginning language sequence.
| Ancient Greek I and II | MCL 105 and MCL 106 |
| Arabic I and II | ARBC 101 and ARBC 102 |
| Armenian I and II | MCL 111 and MCL 112 |
| French I and II | FREN 101 and FREN 102 |
| German I and II | GER 101 and GER 102 |
| Latin I and II | LAT 101 and LAT 102 |
| Spanish I and II | SPAN 101 and SPAN 102 |
Major Requirements
Minimum 35 credit hours required
| Code | Title | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Required Core | ||
| CHEM 344 | Quantitative Analysis | 4 |
| GEOL 303 | Geodesy & Cartog. Principles | 3 |
| GEOL 313 | Earth Materials | 4 |
| GEOL 350 | Geomorphology | 4 |
| GEOL 377 | Field Methods 1 | 1-3 |
| or GEOL 478 | Geology of the National Parks | |
| Research/Internship 2 | ||
| Select 3 credit hours from the following: | 3 | |
| Independent Study in Geology | ||
or GEOL 499 | Laboratory and Field Research | |
| Environmental Internship and Seminar in Environ Topics | ||
| Electives in Geological Sciences | ||
| Select a minimum of 14 or 16 credit hours upper level, whichever is needed, to reach a total of 35 credit hours for the major (14 hrs. if GEOL 478 is taken in the core, 16 hrs. if GEOL 377 is taken) from the following: | 14-16 | |
| CHEM 325 | Principles of Organic Chem | 3 |
| ESCI 330 | Land Use Planning and Mgmt | 4 |
| ESCI 390 | Topics in Environmental Sci | 1-3 |
| ESCI 485 | Spatial Analysis | 3 |
| GEOG 390 | Topics in Geography | 1-3 |
| GEOL 300+ level, any courses that have not been used elsewhere in the major | ||
| PHYS 390 | Current Topics in Physics | 3 |
| PHYS 421 | Astrophysics | 3 |
| PHYS 490 | Topics in Physics | 1-3 |
| 1 | May be repeated. |
| 2 | The research or internship must culminate in an oral or poster presentation. |
Graduate level (500+ level) courses in Geology (GEOL) can be taken for upper-level credit to satisfy major requirements by Petition.
Notes:
- At least 12 of the 35 upper level credit hours in the major must be elected at UM-Dearborn.
- A maximum of 6 hrs. of independent study/research in any Dept. of Natural Sciences discipline may count towards the 120 hours required to graduate.
