Geosciences B.S.

Bachelor of Science - Geosciences

College Humanities & Sciences

Catalog Year: 2015-2016

Degree Specific Credits: 62

Required Cumulative GPA: 2.0

Note: This option is designed for students who seek post-graduate employment as a professional geoscientist or preparation for graduate study in geosciences.

Lower Division Core

Rule: Must complete all of the following courses

Note: .

Show All Course Descriptions Course Credits
Show Description GEO 101N - Intro to Physical Geology
Offered autumn and spring. General geology including the work of wind, flowing water, glacial ice, gravity, earthquakes, volcanoes and plate tectonics in shaping the earth. 
 3 Credits
Show Description GEO 102N - Intro to Physical Geology Lab
Offered autumn and spring. Prereq. or coreq., GEO 101N (preferred) or 105N or 108N. A series of laboratory and field experiences designed around basic geologic processes and materials. Familiarization with common minerals, rocks, land forms, and structures. Intended to provide laboratory experience primarily with GEO 101N, but can be taken with or following any of the other freshman GEO courses listed above.
 1 Credits
Show Description GEO 211 - Earth's History and Evolution
Offered autumn and spring. Prereq., GEO 101N and GEO 102N. Traces the history of the Earth since its inception 4.6 billion years ago. Presents scientific theories for the origin of the Earth and the nature of important earth shaping events of the past, including the development of the oceans, atmosphere, and climate.
 4 Credits
Minimum Required Grade: C- 8 Total Credits Required

Degree Electives

Rule: Must complete 24 credits from the following list of courses

Show All Course Descriptions Course Credits
Show Description GEO 225 - Earth Materials
Offered autumn. Prereq., any geoscience 100 level lecture course, GEO 102N, CHMY 121N or 141N. Study of minerals and rocks utilizing an Earth Systems approach; mineral identification and paragenesis; survey of the distribution of minerals from the interior to the surfaces of planets and the processes that led to their formation.
 4 Credits
Show Description GEO 305 - Igneous & Metamorph Petrology
Offered spring. Prereq., GEO 225, CHMY 143N. Igneous rock associations, igneous processes and origins; metamorphic minerals and phase relationships, metamorphic zones, facies, and conditions; metamorphic environments, metallic minerals and mineral deposits.
 4 Credits
Show Description GEO 309 - Sedimentation/Stratigraphy
Offered spring. Prereq. GEO 211, 225. Origins of sediments and sedimentary rocks; climate, weathering, and weathering products; transport, deposition, and depositional environments of sediments; concepts and methods of stratigraphy including correlation of sedimentary rocks and an introduction to basin analysis.  
 4 Credits
Show Description GEO 311 - Paleobiology
Offered spring. Prereq. GEO 101N or equiv. level Biology. Survey of the major groups of organisms in the geologic record and hands-on study of fossils; application of geologic and biologic data and principles to solve problems in geoscience and bioscience.
 3 Credits
Show Description GEO 315 - Structural Geology
Offered autumn. Prereq., GEO 211, 225. Structures of deformed rocks; mechanical principles; graphical interpretation of structural problems, tectonic principles.
 4 Credits
Show Description GEO 318 - Surface Processes
Offered spring. Prereq., GEO 101/102, GEO 211, M 162 or M 171, and PHSX 205/206 or PHSX 215/216. This course will introduce students to the study of the earth using the laws and principles of physics. The course will describe the mechanisms underlying the processes that shape the earth and drive its evolution, including climate, tectonics, hydrology, glaciers, and geomorphology. The course will combine lectures, field data collection, data analysis, and lab activities.
 4 Credits
Show Description GEO 320 - Global Water
Offered autumn. Prereq. one semester of college chemistry, WRIT 101 or equiv., and completion of one writing course. Fulfills the Upper Division Writing Requirement. Water is necessary for life. Without it, life as we know it cannot exist. This course discusses the chemistry of water as it moves through the hydrological cycle. We discuss how water chemistry evolves through atmospheric water, rain water, ground water, surface water, and sea water. Students will have an understanding of the chemical attributes of water in major water reservoirs. Class discussions, formal and informal writing assignments, a short laboratory experiment, and a field trip highlight examples of water chemistry. Students will use excel to solve problems and will learn citation conventions relevant for scientific writing.
 4 Credits
Show Description GEO 327 - Geochemistry
Offered alternate years. Prereq. one year of college chemistry, one semester of calculus, and one semester of physical geology, or consent of instructor. One semester of mineralogy recommended. The chemical properties of elements control their geological distribution and underlie the basic physical properties of rocks. An understanding of geochemistry will help students understand water chemistry, sediment geochemistry, and igneous petrology. The course covers chemical principles applied to geologic materials and processes, including the origin and chemical composition of earth, atmosphere, and hydrosphere. Principles of stable and radiogenic isotope geochemistry are discussed. Students will use excel to solve problems. Class discussions, problems sets, and exams are used to assess student performance.
 4 Credits
Show Description GEO 420 - Hydrogeology
Offered spring. Prereq., GEO 101N-102N; PHSX 205N/206N or PHSX 215N/216N ; M  162 or 171 strongly recommended or consent of instr. Occurrence, movement, quality, and methods of quantification of groundwater. Geological framework and physics of groundwater flow. Supply, contamination, and management problems.
 4 Credits
Show Description GEO 421 - Hydrology
Offered autumn. Prereq. one semester college calculus and physics or consent of instructor. Introduction to the physical mechanisms that drive the water cycle at different scales. The course covers heat, momentum and mass transfer and storage mechanisms in turbulent systems and their role in the global and local climates. At the local scale, the equations that govern surface and subsurface water flows are studied. Along with the overarching goals, students will improve their quantitative skills, will gain experience accessing and reading the professional literature and will improve their capabilities to acquire knowledge independently.
 3 Credits
Show Description GEO 433 - Global Tectonics
Offered autumn. Prereq., GEO 315, M 162, and 2.25 or better overall GPA in geosciences courses. Geodynamics and tectonics of the Earth and other planets.  Course material includes methods of observing tectonic processes and tectonic phenomena, both at the surface and in the deep earth, over a wide range of time scales.
 3 Credits
Show Description GEO 443 - Prin of Sedimentary Petrology
Offered autumn. Prereq., GEO 225 or graduate standing. Field, hand specimen and thin section petrology of siliciclastic and carbonate rocks, emphasis on tectonic and diagenetic interpretation of siliciclastic rock and environments of deposition and diagenesis of carbonate rocks.
 4 Credits
Show Description GEO 460 - Process Geomorphology
Offered autumn. Prereq., one semester college calculus and physics. Quantitative examination of landforms, runoff generation, weathering, mechanics of soil erosion by water and wind, mass wasting, glacial and periglacial processes and hillslope evolution.
 4 Credits
Show Description GEO 482 - Global Change
Offered Spring. Same as CCS 482. Prereq., upper division/higher standing in Geosciences or consent of instructor. Lectures, readings, discussions and practicum on the complexity of global climate. Emphasizes the physical, geochemical and geologic processes affecting climate change over geologic and recent time scales.
 3 Credits
Show Description GEO 488 - Snow, Ice and Climate
Offered spring.  Prereq., M 121.  Study of basic physical processes occurring in snow and ice, and how these processes govern the interaction between frozen water and the climate system.  The first half of the course focuses in snow, with special attention to snow formation in the atmosphere, snow metamorphism, water flow through snow, and basic avalanche mechanics.  The second half of the course focuses on ice and includes glacier and ice sheet flow dynamics, glacier hydrology, and ice age theory.  Graduate students will be required to complete additional problem sets requiring higher level math; perform additional reading assignments; perform at a higher level on assignments and exams where students are asked to outline and describe various physical processes; submit a well researched and reference research proposal that is able to synthesize previous research and provide a sophisticated research plan.
 3 Credits
Show Description GEO 491 - Special Topics
(R-8) Offered intermittently. Experimental offerings of  visiting professors, experimental offerings of new courses or one-time offerings of current topics.
 1 To 8 Credits
Minimum Required Grade: C- 24 Total Credits Required

Cognate Sciences

Rule: In addition to completing course work in Geosciences, a minimum of 30 credits in cognate science classes must be completed.

Note: More advanced courses in Chemistry, Computer Science, Math, and Physics may be used to meet the 30 credit minimum total in cognate sciences. Biology 100N or above is also appropriate. Course substitutions for the 30 credit minimum in cognate sciences must be approved by a departmental advisor.

Physics

Rule: Must complete 1 of the following sequences

10 Total Credits Required

Physics

Rule: May complete the following sequence

Show All Course Descriptions Course Credits
Show Description PHSX 205N - College Physics I
Offered autumn and spring.  Prereq., M 122 or 151 or equivalent, and prereq. or coreq. PHSX 206N.  Mechanics, sound, and heat.  For non-physical science majors.  This course satisfies the lecture portion of medical school requirements in general physics.  Credit not allowed for both PHSX 205N-207N and 215N-217N.
 4 Credits
Show Description PHSX 206N - College Physics I Laboratory
Offered autumn and spring.  Prereq. or coreq., PHSX 205N.  Mechanics, sound, and heat.  For non-physical science majors.  This course satisfies the laboratory portion of medical school requirements in general physics.  Credit not allowed for both PHSX 206N-208N and 216N-218N.
 1 Credits
Show Description PHSX 207N - College Physics II
Offered autumn and spring.  Prereq. PHSX 205N and prereq. or coreq., PHSX 208N.  Electricity, magnetism, light, and modern physics.  For non-physical science majors.  This course satisfies the lecture portion of medical school requirements in general physics.  Credit not allowed for both PHSX 205N-207N and 215N-217N.
 4 Credits
Show Description PHSX 208N - College Physics II Laboratory
Offered autumn and spring.  Prereq., PHSX 206N, prereq, or coreq., PHSX 207N.  Electricity, magnetism, light and modern physics.  For non-physical science majors.  This course satisfies the laboratory portion of medical school requirements in general physics.  Credit not allowed for both PHSX 206N-208N and 216N-218N.
 1 Credits
Minimum Required Grade: C- 10 Total Credits Required

Physics with Calculus

Rule: May complete the following sequence

Show All Course Descriptions Course Credits
Show Description PHSX 215N - Fund of Physics w/Calc I
Offered autumn. Prereq. or coreq., PHSX 216N and M 171 or equiv. This course satisfies the lecture portion of medical and technical school requirements in general physics. Mechanics, fluids, waves and sound. Credit not allowed for both PHSX 215N-216N-217N-218N and 205N-206N-207N-208N.
 4 Credits
Show Description PHSX 216N - Physics Laboratory I w/Calc
Offered autumn. Coreq., PHSX 215N. This course satisfies the laboratory portion of medical and technical school requirements in general physics. Mechanics, fluids, waves, and sound. Credit not allowed for both PHSX 215N-216N-217N-218N and 205N-206N-207N-208N.
 1 Credits
Show Description PHSX 217N - Fund of Physics w/Calc II
Offered spring. Prereq., PHSX 215N, and prereq. or coreq. PHSX 218, and prereq. or coreq., M 172 or equivalent. This course satisfies the lecture portion of medical and technical school requirements in general physics. Heat, electricity, magnetism, and light. Credit not allowed for both PHSX 215N-216N-217N-218N and 205N-206N-207N-208N.
 4 Credits
Show Description PHSX 218N - Physics Laboratory II w/Calc
Offered spring. Prereq., PHSX 215N, coreq., PHSX 217N. This course satisfies the laboratory portion of medical and technical school requirements in general physics. Heat, electricity, magnetism, and light. Credit not allowed for both PHSX 215N-216N-217N-218N and 205N-206N-207N-208N.
 1 Credits
Minimum Required Grade: C- 10 Total Credits Required

Chemistry

Rule: Must complete the following courses

Show All Course Descriptions Course Credits
Show Description CHMY 141N - College Chemistry I
Offered autumn and spring. Prereq., ALEKS Placement Level 4 or M 095 Intermediate Algebra w/ C- or better. For science majors and other students intending to take more than one year of chemistry. Properties of elements, inorganic compounds, liquid solutions, chemical equilibria and chemical kinetics. Includes laboratory.
 5 Credits
Show Description CHMY 143N - College Chemistry II
Offered spring and summer. Prereq., "C-" or better in CHMY 141N or consent of instr. A continuation of CHMY 141N. Includes Laboratory.
 5 Credits
Minimum Required Grade: C- 10 Total Credits Required

Math

Rule: Must complete 1 of the following subcategories

7-8 Total Credits Required

Math Option 1

Rule: May complete the following 2 courses

Show All Course Descriptions Course Credits
Show Description M 162 - Applied Calculus
Offered autumn and spring. Prereq., ALEKS placement >= 5 or one of M 121, 122 or 151. Introductory course surveying the principal ideas of differential and integral calculus with emphasis on applications and computer software. Mathematical modeling in discrete and continuous settings. Intended primarily for students who do not plan to take higher calculus.
 4 Credits
Show Description M 274 - Intro to Differential Equation
Offered spring. Prereq., one of M 162, 171 or 181 and knowledge of basic trigonometry. Solution of ordinary differential equations and systems with emphasis on applications, numerical methods and computer software.
 3 Credits
Minimum Required Grade: C- 7 Total Credits Required

Math Option 2

Rule: May complete the following 2 courses

Show All Course Descriptions Course Credits
Show Description M 171 - Calculus I
Offered autumn and spring. Prereq., M 122 or 151 or ALEKS placement >= 5.  Differential calculus, including limits, continuous functions, Intermediate Value Theorem, tangents, linear approximation, inverse functions, implicit differentiation, extreme values and the Mean Value Theorem.  Integral Calculus including antiderivatives, definite integrals, and the Fundamental Theorem of Calculus.
 4 Credits
Show Description M 172 - Calculus II
Offered autumn and spring. Prereq., M 171 or 181. Techniques of Integration. Area computations. Improper integrals. Infinite series and various convergence tests. Power series. Taylor's Formula. Polar coordinates. Parametric curves.
 4 Credits
Minimum Required Grade: C- 8 Total Credits Required

Computer Science

Rule: Must complete 1 course in Computer Science (Programming or Modeling)

Note: These courses are recommended to complete the Computer Science requirement. Credit may be received for only 1 of these 4 courses for the 30 credit minimum cognate science requirement.

Show All Course Descriptions Course Credits
Show Description CSCI 172 - Intro to Computer Modeling
Offered autumn and spring. Problem solving and data modeling using computer productivity software. Emphasis using spreadsheets and database for data analysis. Credit not allowed for CSCI 172, CRT 172, and CS 172.
 3 Credits
Show Description CSCI 250 - Computer Mdlng/Science Majors
Offered autumn. Prereq., basic computer and spreadsheet literacy; coreq., M 162 or 171.  An introduction to programming in Python with an emphasis on problems arising in the sciences, including: function plotting, data fitting, file input/output, solving ordinary differential equations, matrix manipulation, and sensor networks. A student can take at most one of CSCI 172, CSCI 250, CRT 280, and CRT 281 for credit.
 3 Credits
Show Description GPHY 284 - Intro to GIS and Cartography
Offered every term. Open to sophomores or juniors or with Consent of Instructor. This course is designed as a practical introduction to the use of Geographic Information Systems (GIS) for storing, retrieving, analyzing and displaying spatial data. It will also cover the history of cartography and the conventions of the modern map-making process. Students need to register for a required lab section.
 3 Credits
Show Description STAT 216 - Introduction to Statistics
Offered autumn and spring. Prereq., M 115 (preferred), or one of M 121, 132, 151, 162 or 171, or ALEKS placement >= 4. Introduction to major ideas of statistical inference. Emphasis is on statistical reasoning and uses of statistics.
 4 Credits
Minimum Required Grade: C- 3 Total Credits Required

Upper Division Writing

Rule: Must complete 1 upper division writing course

Note: These courses are recommended to complete the upper division writing requirement in Geosciences but students may also select from the university-approved list of upper division writing courses to fulfill this requirement.

Show All Course Descriptions Course Credits
Show Description GEO 320 - Global Water
Offered autumn. Prereq. one semester of college chemistry, WRIT 101 or equiv., and completion of one writing course. Fulfills the Upper Division Writing Requirement. Water is necessary for life. Without it, life as we know it cannot exist. This course discusses the chemistry of water as it moves through the hydrological cycle. We discuss how water chemistry evolves through atmospheric water, rain water, ground water, surface water, and sea water. Students will have an understanding of the chemical attributes of water in major water reservoirs. Class discussions, formal and informal writing assignments, a short laboratory experiment, and a field trip highlight examples of water chemistry. Students will use excel to solve problems and will learn citation conventions relevant for scientific writing.
 4 Credits
Show Description GEO 499 - senior thesis / capstone
(R–10) Offered every term. Prereq., 18 credits in geosciences. Independent research project in any geosciences topic supervised by faculty member, and leading to completion of baccalaureate degree.
 3 To 10 Credits
Minimum Required Grade: C- 3 Total Credits Required

Languages

Rule: Must complete 1 of the following courses

Note: Students graduating in Geosciences may substitute one of these courses in place of the Modern and Classical Language requirement.

Show All Course Descriptions Course Credits
Show Description M 162 - Applied Calculus
Offered autumn and spring. Prereq., ALEKS placement >= 5 or one of M 121, 122 or 151. Introductory course surveying the principal ideas of differential and integral calculus with emphasis on applications and computer software. Mathematical modeling in discrete and continuous settings. Intended primarily for students who do not plan to take higher calculus.
 4 Credits
Show Description M 171 - Calculus I
Offered autumn and spring. Prereq., M 122 or 151 or ALEKS placement >= 5.  Differential calculus, including limits, continuous functions, Intermediate Value Theorem, tangents, linear approximation, inverse functions, implicit differentiation, extreme values and the Mean Value Theorem.  Integral Calculus including antiderivatives, definite integrals, and the Fundamental Theorem of Calculus.
 4 Credits
Minimum Required Grade: C- 3 Total Credits Required