The Undergraduate Geology Program

Why Geology?

Beyond the introductory level, Geology courses tend to be small. The "core courses" typically include 20-25 students who get to know each other quite well through field trips and lab work. It is not unusual for upper level courses to have, perhaps, 10 students with a mix of graduate and undergraduate students. Coursework is often collaborative and cooperative. This promotes an attitute of mutual support rather than competitiveness. All Geology courses are taught by regular faculty, most on a first name basis with their students, sometimes assisted by graduate students. Many courses involve field work, either on campus making use of the Nature Preserve, or through short or extended field trips througout the region. Geology is "hands-on" science, so students can expect to get a bit dirty or wet, to be cold or hot, and to be tired. It's a bonding experience. Most Geology students love it.

Students contemplating a major in Geology should discuss their interests with the Director of Undergraduate Studies, Jeff Barker in Science I, room G-60C.

Students interested in majoring in Environmental Studies should visit the Environmental Studies Program webpage and consult the Director of the Environmental Studies program, Peter Knuepfer in Science I, room 161.

For an official listing of current degree requirements and course descriptions, please refer to the University Bulletin. Note, however, due to an editorial error, the BS Geology track requirements have not been included in the 2005-06 Bulletin. The information below is official and correct.

Which Geology degree is right for me?

Most careers in Geology, like the other physical sciences, require a graduate degree. The BS in Geology is designed to provide a rigorous and complete basis in Geology and the cognate sciences, to satisfy the entrance requirements and expectations of the top graduate schools in the country. It involves a core sequence of courses, a choice of three specialist tracks, a year each of Physics, Chemistry and Calculus, and a summer field experience course taken at another university. The BS is also the appropriate choice for students seeking immediate employment as a geologist.

The BA in Geology is designed to be more flexible. It is the appropriate choice for those desiring a good liberal arts education in the physical sciences. It is often combined with other interests, such as science journalism or Political Science. It is sometimes chosen as a second major, for example with Environmental Studies or Biology. In some cases, it is the choice for students who do not appreciate (or are not appreciated by) Chemistry, Physics or Calculus, although this limits the career options for those students. Its flexibility sometimes makes it the choice of transfer students or students who change their major.

In addition to the Geology BS and BA majors, there are Minors in Geology, Geophysics and Geochemistry. The Department of Geological Sciences is working with the School of Education and Human Development and the Graduate School to institute a combined degree program leading to a bachelors degree (BS or BA) in Geology and a Masters of Arts in Teaching (MAT) in Earth Science. This would involve early admission to the graduate program in education, completing the Geology course requirements with graduate-level courses. Please contact the Geology Undergraduate Program Director, Jeff Barker for further information and updates on this combined degree program.

BS in Geology

Students begin with an introductory survey course, choosing any one of the 100-level GEOL courses. Some of these also satisfy the General Education Laboratory Science (L) requirement. Then, typically in the sophomore year, students take a series of four "core" courses which cover the fundamental concepts, the theoretical basis, and the techniques and methods needed by every well-educated student in the Geological Sciences. Two of these courses (GEOL 211 and 213) are offered in the Fall and the other two (GEOL 212 and 214) are offered in the Spring. After this, students select one of three "tracks" of advanced courses designed for those who wish to specialize in either Geology, Environmental Geology, or Geophysics. (Note: the Geology track information was mistakenly omitted from the 2005-06 Bulletin, but it is available, as listed on the course sequence page below.) Finally, usually during the summer following the junior year, students pursuing the BS degree take a field experience course offered through another university. This can be a traditional field geology course or a field based course in Hydrology, Environmental Geology or Geophysics, etc. Geophysics track students can opt for an on-campus field course.

A suggested course sequence for the BS in Geology

Course sequence for students entering Harpur College prior to Fall 2005

Students are encouraged to learn a computer language such as Fortran, C++ or Java. Students are also encouraged to participate in a research project supervised by a member of the faculty. Successful completion of such a project may qualify the student for departmental honors upon graduation.

Field Experiences for BS Geology majors

Sometimes the best suggestions for field experiences come from previous students. Recently we have begun surveying our graduate and senior graduate students to gather information and opinions on field camps they've attended. The compiled survey results to date can be found here: Field Camp Survey Results. Note that our definition of "field experience" is broader than that of some other programs, and broader than the previous requirements here. Therefore past student experience is likely to emphasize traditional Geology field camps.

BA in Geology

The BA degree in Geology is designed as a flexible, liberal arts degree which allows the student to gain an appreciation of the Earth sciences. This program may be suitable as a preparation for some graduate programs or professional careers.

Students begin with an introductory survey course, choosing any one of the seven 100-level courses. Some of these also satisfy the General Education Laboratory (L) requirement. Then, typically in the sophomore year, students take a series of four "core" courses which cover the fundamental concepts, the theoretical basis, and the techniques and methods needed by every well-educated student in the Geological Sciences. In the final two years, in consultation with their advisor, students choose four courses which define an area of specialization. These must be approved by the Undergraduate Program Director no later than the sixth semester. In addition, students select three advanced geology courses, and three courses from the cognate sciences.

A typical sequence for the BA in Geological Sciences

Students are encouraged to participate in a research project supervised by a member of the faculty. Successful completion of such a project may qualify the student for departmental honors upon graduation.

Undergraduate Research

How do you decide what research opportunities are available and get started? A good first step is to attend the Wednesday Noon Seminars in the Fall, where faculty members present an overview of their current research. Next, you can visit any of the faculty in their office, and the sooner in your degree program you start this process, the more likely you are to find a project that fills both your and the faculty member's needs. Finally, and obviously, you can talk with other students.

Here is a list of some recent undergraduate research projects. This list is not complete and can be expected to grow through time. It is included to provide some examples.

• Joshua Sandberg (2004) - "A quantitative study of the water content in layered and chain silicates" (David Jenkins).  This work was presented at the 12th Annual Honors Day and Undergraduate Showcase, April 23rd, 2004.
• Maria Fokin (2001) - "A study of the effects of changes in P-T and bulk composition on the triple chain structure of clinojimthompsonite" (David Jenkins). This research  helped establish the background for a future NSF grant.
• Susan deLeonardo (2000) - "Senior Thesis: A wavelet analysis of the Markowitz wobble" (Steve Dickman). A novel form of data analysis was used to elucidate the properties and, more important, the possible causes of this small, enigmatic 30-year perturbation of Earth's rotation axis. The thesis was printed & archived in the library but no journal publication appeared from it.
• Ellen Rosenshein (1999) - "Aubrite mineralogy:  Titanium partitioning between iron and manganese sulfides" (David Jenkins).  This research project was an extension of work that Ellen had done as an intern at the Smithsonian Institution the summer of 1998.
• Andrea Cicero (1997) - On the salinity of ancient seawater determined from fluid inclusions in Devonian calcite, Harz Mountains, Germany (Tim Lowenstein).
• Dannie Hidayat (1995) - "Modeling the seismic source and tsunami generation of the December 12, 1992 Flores Island, Indonesia, Earthquake" (Jeff Barker). Published in Pure and Applied Geophysics.

Honors

In addition, the faculty may designate graduating seniors for the following awards. The Ralph Digman Prize is awarded to the academically most outstanding senior geology major. The Glenn G. Bartle Class of '52 Award is made to an outstanding graduating senior in Geological Sciences who best emulates Glenn Bartle's ideal of academic excellence and service to the department.