Department website: https://www.atu.edu/bioearthsciences/geology

Geosciences seek to develop an understanding of the Earth’s physical and chemical processes, environmental systems, and natural resources. Geoscientists work in a variety of areas, including discovering new sources of energy, and economically important minerals. Human impacts on the environment, volcanoes, earthquakes, landforms, surface and subsurface water, earth history, and fossils are all subjects for study.

Geoscientists may work as members of an interdisciplinary team in planning construction projects, landfills, mine reclamation, and other environmentally-oriented projects. Employment opportunities for geoscientists exist in private industry and both state and federal government agencies.

Geoscience students may follow programs designed to prepare them for entry into graduate school, employment in the geotechnical field, or secondary school earth science teaching. Excellent employment opportunities are available in the environmental geotechnical field, where geoscientists work with other scientists and engineers to solve complex environmental issues.

The geoscience major will study for a bachelor of science degree. This degree requires a minimum of 120 semester hours with a minimum of 50 semester hours in geosciences (professional option), or a minimum of 36 semester hours in geosciences (environmental option).  Additional departmental courses and related courses may be specified for geoscience majors following particular emphasis programs. Strongly recommended are calculus and/or statistics.

The geoscience program is fully interdisciplinary allowing the student and their advisor to "build" an academic program through selection of appropriate electives to suit the special needs and interests of the student.

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See appropriate alternatives or substitutions in "General Education Requirements". A specific general education core course does not have to be taken in the semester listed, any other part of the general education core at any time is acceptable as well.

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Electives in Physical or Life Sciences and Mathematics (Geology, Biology, Chemistry, and Math).

Students who complete the Bachelor of Science in Geosciences - Environmental option, will be able to:

1. Demonstrate competency and understanding of the basic concepts found in physical and historical geology, mineralogy, petrology, structure, geomorphology, hydrogeology, environmental geology, and field geology.
2. Utilize the scientific method for formal investigation and to demonstrate competency with experimental methods that are used to discover and verify the concepts related to content knowledge.
3. Demonstrate skills necessary for conducting environmentally-themed geologic investigations and research related to content knowledge and laboratory skills.
4. Be employed in a geology-related job or enrolled in a graduate program.
5. Effectively conduct environmentally-themed geological investigations.
6. Produce and present oral and written communication (including graphs, maps, stratigraphic sections, geological cross sections, and subsurface diagrams) of activities associated with the discipline.
7. Demonstrate they have acquired the analytical, mathematical, laboratory and field observational, and computer skills necessary for solving problems that are related to objectives (1) and (2).