The Department of Geoscience provides curricula in areas of natural science dealing with and related to the earth and its environment by offering courses in astronomy, geology, meteorology, and oceanography.
In addition to on-campus instruction, opportunities exist for summer coursework and research in geology and oceanography at the Marine Science Consortium located at Wallops Island, Virginia.
Degrees offered by the department are the Bachelor of Science in Geology/Geology Track, the Bachelor of Science of Geology/ Environmental Track, Bachelor of Science of Geology/Energy Resources Track, and the Bachelor of Science in Education with a major in Earth and Space Science Education. The first three degree programs are under the College of Natural Sciences and Mathematics, and the last is under the College of Education and Educational Technology. The department also offers a Minor in Geology.
The B.S. degree in Geology is, in a sense, a dual-purpose degree program. Not only is it designed to graduate well-trained, competent geologists able to compete for positions as professional geologists in the job market; it is also designed to provide the student with the necessary allied science and mathematics background to enable the good student to qualify for admission to the graduate school of his/her choice in geology.
The B.S. degree in Environmental Geoscience offers the student a broad-based science background. In addition to a firm foundation in geology-geoscience courses, the student will also acquire a background in biology and chemistry. This will provide thorough training for the rapidly growing field of environmental geoscience, both for students who plan to pursue postgraduate training in this field and for those who plan to enter directly into jobs in federal and state agencies and private consulting firms.
The B.S. in Geology/Energy Resources is designed for students who wish to pursue careers in the energy sector. As the world’s energy demands continue to grow, nations face the challenge of maintaining reliable energy supplies. Conventional oil, coal, and natural gas continue as mainstays of the energy industry, but renewable and/or carbon-neutral energy sources are gaining attention in response to growing concerns about climate change and finite reserves of fossil fuels. The Energy Resources Track will prepare students for direct entry into the energy industry with a focus on the discovery and development of energy resources and geophysical exploration techniques.
The department recognizes as one of its functions the role of serving the field of public education by the preparation of qualified and certified teachers of earth and space science. Also, because of the interdisciplinary nature of both the department and the requirements for preparing general science teachers, the department administers the program designed to lead to general science certification and includes majors of that category as department members.
