The options available in the undergraduate program in geological sciences are geology and geophysics and lead to the BA degree. Both options provide a strong basis for understanding the functioning of the Earth system. Students who are uncertain as to which option best suits their needs should contact a departmental advisor or faculty member. In each option, the undergraduate program emphasizes coursework in theoretical, laboratory and field-oriented aspects of the geological sciences. The nearby Rocky Mountains provide a natural laboratory for many of these courses.   

Students interested in the geological sciences may also wish to consider the Baker Residential Academic Program. Students who do not wish to pursue a career in the geosciences, or who would like to combine a basic knowledge of geologic sciences with that of some other field, should consider using geological sciences as one subject in a distributed studies major or as a minor. Students who intend to pursue graduate study in the geological sciences are encouraged to consider developing an honors thesis as part of their undergraduate studies.  

The two options available in the undergraduate major offer different focus areas of instruction. Both options offer excellent preparation for students interested in pursuing professional careers, or graduate study, in the geological sciences.

Each option emphasizes knowledge in:

  • The ways in which Earth responds to internal and external forces; the physical, chemical and biological evolution of Earth; and the nature of the materials of which the Earth is made.
  • The role of physics, chemistry, mathematics and biology in understanding geological processes.
  • The history of discoveries and ideas that have contributed to our current knowledge of Earth and the planetary system.

Program Tracks

Geology Track

The geology option emphasizes processes that function both in the solid earth and at Earth's surface:

  • The mineralogy and petrology of igneous, metamorphic and sedimentary rocks.
  • The processes of sedimentation and the applications of stratigraphy and paleobiology in the reconstruction of Earth history.
  • The role of geophysics and geochemistry in understanding the nature of Earth and its history.
  • The study of faults, folds and other rock structures and the tectonic processes that create those structures.
  • The methods used in the field to map and interpret the diverse variety of rock types and structures. 
  • The function of the integrated Earth system including the atmosphere, hydrosphere, biosphere and geosphere.
  • The fundamental controls on surface Earth processes including energy balance, hydrology, geomorphology, geochemistry and biogeochemistry.
  • The role of humans in the Earth system.

Geophysics Track

The geophysics option emphasizes:

  • Applications of fundamental mathematical formulations and physical principles to an understanding of the Earth.
  • Methods utilized to map and characterize those portions of the planet that lie below the surface, from just beneath our feet down to the core.

Requirements

Required Courses and Credits

Students must complete the general requirements of the College of Arts and Sciences and the required courses listed below.

All required major courses and all required ancillary courses must be passed with a C- or better and cannot be taken pass/fail. Students must have a grade point average of at least 2.000 in the major in order to graduate.

Students in either the geology option or the geophysics option must take the following coursework in GEOL. For more information, view the Program Tracks section.

Required Courses
One of the following introductory GEOL courses3
GEOL 1010Exploring Earth3
or GEOL 1012 Exploring Earth for Scientists
or GEOL 1020 Dodos, Dinos, and Deinococcus: The History of a Habitable Planet
or GEOL 1040 Geology of Colorado
or GEOL 1060 Global Change: An Earth Science Perspective
or GEOL 1150 Water, Energy and Environment: An Introduction to Earth Resources
or GEOL 1170 Our Deadly Planet
or GEOL 1180 Our Microbial Planet
GEOL 1030Introduction to Geology Laboratory 11
GEOL 2001Planet Earth4
GEOL 2005Introduction to Earth Materials4
GEOL 2700Introduction to Field Geology2
Total Credit Hours17

Ancillary Coursework

Students in either the geology option or the geophysics option must take the following coursework from outside GEOL.

Select one of the following Calculus 1 & 2 sequences:8-10
Calculus 1
and Calculus 2
Calculus 1 for Engineers
and Calculus 2 for Engineers
Complete a calculus-based general physics sequence with lab:9
General Physics 1
General Physics 2
Experimental Physics 1
Total Credit Hours17-19

Additional information on required courses and other departmental requirements may be obtained from the departmental office. Students should contact the department for a list of current major requirements.

Transfer students must satisfactorily complete a minimum of 12 credit hours of advanced work (3000-level or above) in the Department of Geological Sciences in Boulder if they wish to obtain a degree in geology from CU Boulder. Before registering for the first time, or within the first week of the semester, such students must see a geological sciences department undergraduate advisor to have previous coursework in geology, math and allied sciences evaluated.

Graduating in Four Years

Consult the Four-Year Guarantee Requirements for information on eligibility. The concept of "adequate progress" as it is used here refers only to maintaining eligibility for the four-year guarantee; it is not a requirement for the major. To maintain adequate progress in geology, students should meet all college requirements plus specific departmental requirements. These departmental requirements vary slightly between the two major options. Detailed information is available from the department office, but in general these requirements include:

  • Declare a geology major and begin coursework in the major during the first semester freshman year.
  • Meet with a departmental advisor prior to the second and fifth semesters and during the seventh semester.
  • Complete at least 33 credit hours (geology option; 44 credit hours for geophysics option) required for the major by the end of the fourth semester.
  • Complete at least 47 credit hours (geology option; 63 credit hours for geophysics option) required for the major by the end of the sixth semester.
  • Complete the remaining requirements for the major by the end of the eighth semester.
  •  

Program Tracks

Geology Option

Students electing the geology option are required to take the following additional courses:

Tier 3 Courses
Select one of the following Solid Earth courses: 33-4
Introduction to Mineralogy
Petrology
Structural Geology
Introduction to Geochemistry
Principles of Geophysics
Sedimentology and Stratigraphy
Select one of the following Surface Processes courses: 33-4
Introduction to Hydrogeology
Introduction to Geochemistry
Paleobiology
Sedimentology and Stratigraphy
The Fluid Earth
Oceanography
Introduction to Biogeochemistry
Earth Surface Processes
Select one of the following Quantitative Geoscience courses: 33
Introduction to Mineralogy
Introduction to Hydrogeology
Principles of Geophysics
The Fluid Earth
Earth Surface Processes
Select two of the following advanced-field modules:4-5
Planetary Field Geology
Igneous and Metamorphic Field Geology
Structural Field Geology
Field Geophysics
Field Techniques in Hydrogeology
Environmental Field Geochemistry
Field Seminar in Geology and Tectonics
Field Analysis and Tectonics of Crystalline Rocks
Field Methods in Active Tectonics
Field Studies in Sedimentology
Field Based Special Topics in Geoscience
Field Geobiology
Environmental Sampling and Analysis
Upper-division electives
Sufficient additional upper-division coursework from following list to total 27 upper-division credits. (Of these 27, a minimum of 18 upper-division credits must be GEOL.) 114
Any GEOL 3000- to 4000-level course (with exceptions, see footnote) 2
Or approved non-GEOL courses from following list:
Scientific Computing in Matlab
Formation & Dynamics of Planetary Systems
Planets and Their Atmospheres
Planets, Moons, and Rings
Space Science: Practice and Policy 1
Atmospheric Dynamics
Policy Implications of Climate Controversies 1
Physical Chemistry 1
Water Chemistry
Mechanics and Dynamics of Glaciers
Evolutionary Biology
Animal Diversity: Invertebrates
Limnology
Landscape Ecology
Ecosystem Ecology
Biological Statistics
Plant Biodiversity and Evolution
International Economics and Policy 1
Environmental Impact Assessment 1
Introduction to Applied Ecology
Environmental Sampling and Analysis
Biometeorology
River Systems and Landforms
Glaciers and Permafrost
Snow Hydrology
Soils Geography
Microbial Diversity and the Biosphere
Museum Practicum in Geology
International Law
Total Credit Hours27-30
Additional Ancillary Coursework for Geology Option:
Complete a general chemistry sequence with labs:
CHEM 1113General Chemistry 14
CHEM 1114Laboratory in General Chemistry 11
CHEM 1133General Chemistry 24
CHEM 1134Laboratory in General Chemistry 21
Total Credit Hours10

Geophysics Option

Students electing the geophysics option are required to take the following additional courses:

Geophysics track courses
GEOL 3120Structural Geology4
GEOL 3330Principles of Geophysics3
GEOL 4714Field Geophysics2
One Surface Processes course3-4
GEOL 3030Introduction to Hydrogeology3-4
or GEOL 3320 Introduction to Geochemistry
or GEOL 3410 Paleobiology
or GEOL 3430 Sedimentology and Stratigraphy
or GEOL 3820 The Fluid Earth
or GEOL 4060 Oceanography
or GEOL 4070 Paleoclimatology
or GEOL 4160 Introduction to Biogeochemistry
or GEOL 4241 Earth Surface Processes
One additional Tier 3 approved GEOL course not used to satisfy Surface Processes course requirement.3-4
Select two of the following non-GEOL Geophysics Advanced Elective courses: 16
Methods in Applied Mathematics: Fourier Series and Boundary Value Problems
Partial Differential Equations
Classical Mechanics and Mathematical Methods 2
Principles of Electricity and Magnetism 1
Total Credit Hours24-27
Additional Ancillary Coursework for the Geophysics Option:
CHEM 1113General Chemistry 14
CHEM 1114Laboratory in General Chemistry 11
APPM 2350Calculus 3 for Engineers4-5
or MATH 2400 Calculus 3
MATH 2130
MATH 3430
Introduction to Linear Algebra for Non-Mathematics Majors
and Ordinary Differential Equations
4-6
or APPM 2360 Introduction to Differential Equations with Linear Algebra
PHYS 2130Introduction to Quantum Mechanics and Its Applications3
PHYS 2210Classical Mechanics and Mathematical Methods 13
One computing course3-4
Introduction to Computational Thinking
Computer Science 1: Starting Computing
CSCI 1320
Scientific Computing in Matlab
Total Credit Hours22-26

Recommended Four-Year Plans of Study

Geology Track

Through the required coursework for either track of the major, students will fulfill all 12 credits of the Natural Sciences area of the Gen Ed Distribution Requirement including the Lab Requirement, as well as the QRMS area of the Gen Ed Skills area.

Plan of Study Grid
Year One
Fall SemesterCredit Hours
GEOL 1012 Exploring Earth for Scientists (Preferred, or any other GEOL 1000-level except GEOL 1030) 3
GEOL 1030 Introduction to Geology Laboratory 1 1
CHEM 1113
CHEM 1114
General Chemistry 1
and Laboratory in General Chemistry 1
5
Gen. Ed. Skills course (example: Lower-Division Written Communication) 3
Gen. Ed. Distribution/Diversity course (example: Arts & Humanities/US Perspective) 3
 Credit Hours15
Spring Semester
GEOL 2005 Introduction to Earth Materials 4
CHEM 1133
CHEM 1134
General Chemistry 2
and Laboratory in General Chemistry 2
5
MATH 1300
Calculus 1
or Calculus 1 for Engineers
4-5
Elective/MAPS 3
 Credit Hours16-17
Year Two
Fall Semester
GEOL 2001 Planet Earth 4
GEOL 2700 Introduction to Field Geology 2
MATH 2300
Calculus 2
or Calculus 2 for Engineers
4-5
Gen. Ed. Distribution course (example: Arts & Humanities) 3
Gen. Ed. Distribution/Diversity course (example: Social Sciences/Global Perspective) 3
 Credit Hours16-17
Spring Semester
GEOL Surface Processes course 3-4
GEOL Solid Earth course 3-4
PHYS 1110 General Physics 1 4
Elective 3
Elective 3
 Credit Hours16-18
Year Three
Fall Semester
PHYS 1120 General Physics 2 4
PHYS 1140 Experimental Physics 1 1
Elective approved for GEOL major - Upper-division 3-4
Gen. Ed. Distribution course (example: Social Sciences) 3
Upper-division Elective 3
 Credit Hours14-15
Spring Semester
GEOL Quantitative Geoscience course 3-4
GEOL 4000-level Field Geology course 2-3
Gen. Ed. Skills course (example: Upper-division Written Communication) 3
Gen. Ed. Distribution course (example: Arts & Humanities) 3
Upper-division Elective 3
 Credit Hours14-16
Year Four
Fall Semester
GEOL 4000-level Field Geology course 2
Elective approved for GEOL major - Upper-division 3-4
Gen. Ed. Distribution course (example: Social Sciences) 3
Gen. Ed. Distribution course (example: Arts & Humanities) - Upper-division 3
Upper-division Elevtive 3
 Credit Hours14-15
Spring Semester
Elective approved for GEOL major - Upper-division 3-4
Elective approved for GEOL major - Upper-division 3-4
Elective approved for GEOL major - Upper-division 3-4
Gen. Ed. Distribution course (example: Social Sciences) 3
Upper-division Elective 3-0
 Credit Hours15
 Total Credit Hours120-128

Geophysics Track

Through the required coursework for either track of the major, students will fulfill all 12 credits of the Natural Sciences area of the Gen Ed Distribution Requirement including the Lab Requirement, as well as the QRMS area of the Gen Ed Skills area.

Plan of Study Grid
Year One
Fall SemesterCredit Hours
GEOL 1012 Exploring Earth for Scientists (Preferred, or any other GEOL 1000-level except GEOL 1030) 3
GEOL 1030 Introduction to Geology Laboratory 1 1
MATH 1300
Calculus 1
or Calculus 1 for Engineers
4-5
Gen. Ed. Skills course (example: Lower-Division Written Communication) 3
Gen. Ed. Distribution/Diversity course (example: Arts & Humanities/US Perspective) 3
 Credit Hours14-15
Spring Semester
GEOL 2001 Planet Earth 4
MATH 2300
Calculus 2
or Calculus 2 for Engineers
5
CHEM 1113
CHEM 1114
General Chemistry 1
and Laboratory in General Chemistry 1
5
Elective/MAPS 3
 Credit Hours17
Year Two
Fall Semester
GEOL 2005 Introduction to Earth Materials 4
CSCI 1200
Introduction to Computational Thinking
or Computer Science 1: Starting Computing
3-4
PHYS 1110 General Physics 1 4
Gen. Ed. Distribution/Diversity course (example: Social Sciences/Global Perspective) 3
 Credit Hours14-15
Spring Semester
GEOL 2700 Introduction to Field Geology 2
GEOL 3330 Principles of Geophysics 3
APPM 2350
Calculus 3 for Engineers
or Calculus 3
4-5
PHYS 1120 General Physics 2 4
PHYS 1140 Experimental Physics 1 1
 Credit Hours14-15
Year Three
Fall Semester
GEOL 3120 Structural Geology 4
GEOL 4714 Field Geophysics 2
PHYS 2130 Introduction to Quantum Mechanics and Its Applications 3
APPM 2360 Introduction to Differential Equations with Linear Algebra 4
Gen. Ed. Distribution course (example: Social Sciences) - Upper-division 3
 Credit Hours16
Spring Semester
GEOL surface processes course 3-4
Tier 3 approved GEOL course 3-4
PHYS 2210 Classical Mechanics and Mathematical Methods 1 3
Gen. Ed. Skills course (example: Upper-division Written Communication) 3
Gen. Ed. Distribution course (example: Arts & Humanities) - Upper-division 3
 Credit Hours15-17
Year Four
Fall Semester
Geophysics Advanced Elective 3
Geophysics Advanced Elective 3
Gen. Ed. Distribution course (example: Social Sciences) 3
Gen. Ed. Distribution course (example: Arts & Humanities) 3
Gen. Ed. Distribution course - Upper-division 3
 Credit Hours15
Spring Semester
Geophysics Advanced Elective 3
Gen. Ed. Distribution course (example: Social Sciences) 3
Upper-division Elective 3
Upper-division Elective 3
Elective or Upper-division Elective (if needed) 3
 Credit Hours15
 Total Credit Hours120-125

Learning Outcomes 

Upon completing the program, students will be able to:

  • Make and record observations (e.g., in the field, from experiments, etc.).
  • Analyze data.
  • Interpret data.
  • Reason through problems to derive solutions.
  • Design a research study.