Bachelor of Arts in Geology and Geophysics

The interdisciplinary department of Geoscience offers an undergraduate degree in geology and geophysics, with graduate degrees offered in both disciplines.

The Geology and Geophysics major offers unusual opportunities to integrate knowledge and technology from chemistry, biology, physics, engineering, space science, and other disciplines to understand processes that have shaped the Earth, its environments, and the life that it has sustained over billions of years. Geoscientists provide insight on surface and ground water resources and how to protect and preserve them. They probe the causes and potential risks associated with natural hazards including earthquakes, volcanoes, floods, hurricanes, landslides, climate change, and sea level rise. Sustainable exploration and extraction of key mineral resources needed to build and power a resilient and green society depends on well-trained geoscientists.

To explore Earth history, develop materials and energy resources, and to take the pulse of a dynamic planet, geoscientists use an extraordinary array of tools including satellites to measure changes of Earth’s surface, sensitive instruments to detect seismic waves for exploring resources underground, cutting-edge instrumentation to measure the composition of minerals and rocks at microscopic scales, and computational approaches to assemble and interrogate enormous sets of data acquired from rocks and fossils across the globe.

Applicant must have high school record should demonstrate both rigor and breadth in the types of course work you pursue. A competitive academic record should show some of the most challenging advanced-level work offered at or through your school in as many areas as possible, while maintaining a strong GPA. The following chart shows the number of years that most admitted students studied in each subject area; English 4 years, Math 4 years, Social Studies 3-4 years, Science 3-4 years, Single Foreign Language 3-4 years and Additional Academic/Fine Arts 2 years. Applicant must have ACT score of 30 and overall SAT score of 1395.

English Language Requirement

Applicant must have TOEFL score of 100 on internet based test, 603 on the paper-based test or IELTS score of 6.5