Bachelor of Arts in Geosciences
Bachelor of Science in Geosciences

A minimum of 54 credits are required for the B.A. degree and a minimum of 71 credits are required for the B.S. degree (in addition to the University's general curriculum requirements).  The B.A. and B.S. degrees differ only in the Chemistry, Physics, and Mathematics requirements as listed below.  Majors must achieve a 2.0 grade point average and grades of C- or better in all Geosciences courses.

Geology Course Requirements for both B.A. and B.S. degrees:

All majors must complete at least one introductory lecture and lab, to be selected from among the following courses.  Note that an additional introductory lecture course may be applied to the major as three elective credits.

Introductory lecture courses:

GEY 100K      Volcanoes, Earthquakes, & Moving Plates
GEY 103K      Floods, Glaciers, and Changing Climate
GEY 105K      Ocean Planet

Introductory lab courses:

GEY 101K      Laboratory Experiences in Geology
GEY 102K      Field Experiences in Geology
GEY 106K      Ocean Planet Laboratory

Introductory lecture/lab course:

GEY 109K      Field Geology of Maine

All majors must complete each of the following foundation courses:

GEY 202         Landscape Evolution and Analysis
GEY 203         Mineralogy
GEY 204         Crustal Deformation
GEY 205         Water Resources: Science and Issues

In addition to the above, 20 credits of Geoscience (GEY prefix) elective courses are required.  Three credits of these may be at the 100 level, and the rest must be at the 200 level or higher.  Students are encouraged to also explore relevant courses in other departments, depending on their interest.  In particular, GIS courses are recommended for those interested in mapping or consulting, and some Chemistry and Environmental Science courses are relevant to environmental consulting and regulation.

Original research is regarded as a significant component of liberal education.  We encourage a choice of either the Senior Thesis (GEY 490) or Undergraduate Research in Geology (GEY 498) as part of the degree program.

Suggested Geoscience elective courses for students interested in earth materials and resources:

GEY 201         Paleogeography and Global Change
GEY 240         X-ray Powder Diffraction Laboratory
GEY 302         Sedimentation and Stratigraphy
GEY 303         Igneous & Metamorphic Rock Origins
GEY 410         Introduction to Geophysics

Suggested Geoscience elective courses for students interested in environmental geology:

GEY 110K      Field Studies in Environmental Geology on the Island of Lesvos, Greece
GEY 207         Atmosphere:  Science, Climate, and Change
GEY 208         Environmental Geology
GEY 310         Glacial & Pleistocene Geology
GEY 420         Groundwater Flow and Quality

Suggested Geoscience elective courses for students interested in mapping technologies:

GEY 340         Digital Mapping
GEY 360         Field Mapping in the Island Environment: Data Collection to GIS

Non-Geoscience Course Requirements for the B.A. degree:

CHY 113K      Principles of Chemistry I
CHY 114K      Laboratory Techniques I
PHY 111K      Elements of Physics Laboratory I
PHY 114K      Introductory Physics Laboratory I
MAT 120D      Introduction to Statistics OR  MAT 152D  Calculus A

Non-Geoscience Course Requirements for the B.S. degree:

CHY 113K      Principles of Chemistry I
CHY 114K      Laboratory Techniques I
CHY 115         Principles of Chemistry II
CHY 116         Laboratory Techniques II
PHY 121K      General Physics I
PHY 114K      Introductory Physics Laboratory I
PHY 123         General Physics II
PHY 116         Introductory Physics Laboratory II
MAT 120D      Introduction to Statistics
MAT 152D      Calculus A
MAT 153         Calculus B

Minor in Geosciences:

A minimum of 17 credits of GEY courses is required, including an introductory lecture, an introductory lab, and 13 additional credits of GEY electives, 10 of which must be numbered 200 or higher.

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This page was last modified on 
11/11/2008