Geosciences, Geology Concentration (Earth Science), B.S.

Geosciences
Mark Abolins, program coordinator
615-494-7986
Mark.Abolins@mtsu.edu

This Earth Science career pattern is designed for students who plan to become professional earth scientists or who wish to pursue graduate study in earth science.

Academic Map

Following is a printable, suggested four-year schedule of courses:

Geoscience, Geology (Earth Science), B.S., Academic Map

Degree Requirements

True Blue Core (TBC)	41 hours
Major Requirements	60 hours
Major Core	42 hours*
Math/Science Cognate	18 hours*
Electives	19-26 hours
TOTAL	120 hours

*This program requires courses that can also fulfill requirements of the True Blue Core curriculum. If program requirements are also used to fulfill True Blue Core requirements, the number of elective hours will increase.

True Blue Core (41 hours)

True Blue Core (TBC) requirements (shown in curricular listings below) include courses in the Foundational Skills areas of Written Communication (WC), Information Literacy (Info Lit), Non-Written Communication (NWC), and Quantitative Literacy (Quant Lit). Knowledge Domains include Human Society and Social Relationships (HSSR), Scientific Literacy (Sci Lit), Creativity and Cultural Expression (CCE), and History and Civic Learning (HCL), which include Discovery and Explorations categories. Students must choose at least one course from each Discovery category.

The following courses required by the major meet True Blue Core requirements:

GEOL 1030 /GEOL 1031 or GEOL 1040 /GEOL 1041 (Sci Lit)
MATH 1530 (Quant Lit) required in major or MATH 1730 (Quant Lit) required in cognate

Major Requirements (42 hours)

GEOL 1030 - Introduction to Earth Science 3 credit hours AND
GEOL 1031 - Introduction to Earth Science Lab 1 credit hour
OR
GEOL 1040 - Physical Geology 4 credit hours AND
GEOL 1041 - Physical Geology Lab 0 credit hours
GEOL 1050 - Historical Geology 4 credit hours
GEOL 3000 - Mineralogy 5 credit hours
GEOL 3010 - Oceanography 3 credit hours
GEOL 3050 - Field Methods in Geology 3 credit hours
GEOL 4020 - Geomorphology 4 credit hours
GEOL 4050 - Meteorology 3 credit hours
MATH 1530 - Applied Statistics 3 credit hours
Geoscience electives from any GEOL or PGEO course or any Geosciences mentor-approved math or science electives 13 credit hours

Math/Science Cognate (18 hours)

PLSO 3340 - Fundamentals of Soil Science 3 credit hours
PGEO 4530 - Geographic Information Systems 3 credit hours
MATH 1730 - Pre-Calculus 4 credit hours (3 credit hours may be counted in the True Blue Core)
Additional MATH/SCI electives to be approved by Geosciences mentor; 4 hours must be from the True Blue Core Scientific Literacy area 8 credit hours

Electives (19-26 hours)

Approved by Geosciences mentor

Curriculum: Geoscience, Geology Concentration (Earth Science)

Following is a suggested pattern of study for the first two years; however, consultation with the assigned advisor is necessary before registration.

Freshman

Written Communication 3 credit hours
Information Literacy 3 credit hours
Human Society and Social Relationships 6 credit hours
History and Civic Learning 6 credit hours
GEOL 1050 - Historical Geology 4 credit hours
MATH 1730 - Pre-Calculus 4 credit hours (Quant Lit)
MATH 1530 - Applied Statistics 3 credit hours
GEOL 1030 - Introduction to Earth Science 3 credit hours (Sci Lit) AND
GEOL 1031 - Introduction to Earth Science Lab 1 credit hour
OR
GEOL 1040 - Physical Geology 4 credit hours (Sci Lit) AND
GEOL 1041 - Physical Geology Lab 0 credit hours

Subtotal: 33 Hours

Sophomore

Creativity and Cultural Expression Literature 3 credit hours
Non-Written Communication 3 credit hours
General elective 3 credit hours
Geoscience elective 3 credit hours
PLSO 3340 - Fundamentals of Soil Science 3 credit hours
GEOL 3000 - Mineralogy 5 credit hours
GEOL 3010 - Oceanography 3 credit hours
GEOL 4020 - Geomorphology 4 credit hours
GEOL 4050 - Meteorology 3 credit hours

Subtotal: 30 Hours

Junior

GEOL 3050 - Field Methods in Geology 3 credit hours
Creativity and Cultural Expression 6 credit hours
Geoscience electives 6 credit hours
Math/Sci cognate electives 8 credit hours
General electives 8 credit hours

Subtotal: 31 Hours

Senior

PGEO 4530 - Geographic Information Systems 3 credit hours
Scientific Literacy 4 credit hours
Scientific Literacy/Elective 4 credit hours
Geosciences elective 4 credit hours
General electives 11 credit hours