Undergraduate Study - BA in Geology

Requirements

The BA degree in geology is appropriate for students interested in Earth science but not necessarily intending to pursue graduate work or employment in traditional geological sciences. It is more flexible than the BS program and is suitable for students who are considering, for example, a double major, teaching, or fields related to, but not necessarily focused only in geological science.

The BA degree requires completion of 124 credit hours of coursework, the equivalent of four years of full-time work. The BA program requires 35 credits in the geology and geophysics curriculum. This includes one introductory level GG course with a lab, seven non-introductory GG courses, a two-credit research seminar, and at least five credits of approved upper division electives. With advice and consent of an undergraduate adviser, courses in other natural sciences, mathematics, or engineering may be substituted as electives. A mainland summer field course is an elective that students are strongly encouraged to take. Required support classes include physics, chemistry, biological sciences, and one semester of college calculus; these total 23-24 credits and should be taken as early as possible.

Geology and Geophysics Courses

· Required GG Courses (30 credits)

• GG 101 Dynamic Earth (3), or GG103 Geology of the Hawaiian Islands(3), or GG170 Physical Geology (4)
• GG 101L Dynamic Earth Laboratory (1) (unless GG 170 is taken)
• GG 200 Geological Inquiry (4)
• GG 250 Scientific Programming (3)
• GG 301 Mineralogy (4)
• GG 302 Igneous and Metamorphic Petrology (3)
• GG 303 Structural Geology (3)
• GG 305 Geological Field Methods (3)
• GG 309 Sedimentology and Stratigraphy (4)
• GG 410 Research Seminar (2)

· Upper Division Science Electives (5 credits)

• GG 300 Volcanology (3)
• GG 304 Physics of Earth and Planets (4)
• GG 312 Geomathematics (3)
• GG 313 Geological Data Analysis I (3)
• GG 325 Fundamentals of Geochemistry (3)
• GG 399 Directed Reading (V)
• GG 401 Introductory to Mineral Physics (3)
• GG 402 Hawaiian Geology (3)
• GG 407 Energy and Mineral Resources (3)
• GG 420 Sea Levels, Ice Ages and Global Change (3)
• GG 421 Geologic Record of Climate Change (3)
• GG 423 Marine Geology (3)
• GG 425 Environmental Geochemistry (3)
• GG 444 Plate Tectonics (3)
• GG 450 Geophysical Methods (4)
• GG 451 Earthquakes (3
• GG 454 Engineering Geology (3)
• GG 455 Hydrogeology (4)
• GG 460 Geological Remote Sensing (3)
• GG 466 Planetary Geology (3)
• GG 491 Teaching Geology (4)
• GG 499 Undergraduate Thesis (3)

· Required Support Courses (23-24 credits)

• General Chemistry (CHEM 161, 161L, 162, 162L)
• Calculus I (MATH 241)
• College Physics (PHYS 151, 151L, 152, 152L)
• Biological Sciences (BIO 171, 171L, or BIO 103, ZOO 101, or MICRO 130)