Program: B.S., Geology
Geology
Overview
This Option provides the most flexibility, preparing students for a full range of technical careers in geoscience and for advanced studies in graduate school. It can be specialized toward different branches of geosciences by the appropriate choices of elective courses. The B.S. Honors Program is available for this option.
Program Requirements
1. Lower Division Required Courses (38-39 units)
CHEM 101/L General Chemistry I and Lab (4/1)
CHEM 102/L General Chemistry II and Lab (4/1)
GEOL 101/102 Geology of Planet Earth and Lab (3/1)
GEOL 110/112 Earth and Life Through Time and Lab (3/1)
GEOL 207/L Mineralogy and Lab (3/1)
GEOL 235 Introduction to Field Methods (2)
MATH 255A Calculus for the Life Sciences I (3)*
MATH 255B Calculus for the Life Sciences II (3)*
or MATH 140 Introductory Statistics (4)
PHYS 100A/L General Physics I and Lab (3/1)**
PHYS 100B/L General Physics II and Lab (3/1)**
or MATH 150A and 150B*
or PHYS 225, 226, 220AL or 220BL**
2. Upper Division Required Courses (28 units)
GEOL 307/L Petrology and Lab (3/1)
GEOL 310/L Structural Geology and Lab (3/1)
GEOL 341/L Sedimentary Geology and Lab (3/1)
GEOL 351/L Fundamentals of Paleontology and Lab (3/1)
GEOL 430A Summer Field Geology (2)
GEOL 430B Summer Field Geology (2)
GEOL 443/L Principles of Stratigraphy and Lab (3/1)
GEOL 464/L Applied Geophysics and Lab (3/1)
3. Electives (9 units)
These should be selected from any Upper Division Geology courses, excluding 300 and 301. Other electives might qualify, but they require approval of the Departmental undergraduate advisor. Note: Students in the Honors Program must take GEOL 497 (1 unit) and 498 (3 units), plus 5 units of electives.
Total Units in the Major, Option I: 75-76
General Education: 36
(Basic Skills Mathematics and the entire section of Natural Sciences are met by required courses in the major)
Additional Units: 8-9
Total Units Required for the B.S. Degree, Option I: 120
More information
If you would like more information about this program, please contact geology@csun.edu.
Contact
Chair: Vicki Pedone
Live Oak Hall (LO) 1202
(818) 677-3541
www.csun.edu/geology
Student Learning Outcomes
Undergraduate majors will receive instruction of sufficient breadth, depth and currency to prepare them for successful appointment to entry-level professional work or graduate school. At the time of graduation, they will be able to:
- Demonstrate conceptual understanding of different earth materials and the processes that shape them throughout their history;
- Identify geologic problems and develop testable hypotheses that aid in their solution, both independently and in collaboration with others;
- Demonstrate skills in standard data-gathering and data-analysis methods in both lab and field settings; and
- Present polished summaries, both written and oral, of their geological discoveries.