The Department of Earth Science offers degree programs in both Geography and Geology. Both programs feature a strong emphasis on understanding the natural world, and human management of its natural resources. Both degrees also include a thorough component of experiences in the field, where students gain a wide exposure to natural features and environmental issues through an ambitious set of off-campus experiences in natural and constructed environments. The field experiences are integrated across many of the courses in the curricula, and produce graduates with a unique perspective on earth science and the natural environment. For this reason, both degrees are denoted by the university catalog as Earth & Environment Options. Thus, students pursue the B.A. Geography: Earth & Environment Option or the B.S. Geology: Earth & Environment Option.

Our faculty and staff include human and physical geographers, geologists, earth scientists, and experts in geospatial techniques. For this reason, a certificate in Geotechniques is also offered, intended for students from other majors desiring acknowledgement for this specific set of technical skills. The Earth Science Department also provides minors in Earth Science and Geography.

For an explanation of the courses in each program, as well as career opportunities for graduates, please refer to the detailed descriptions within the Degree Programs link at the left.