Bachelor of Science in Earth Sciences
Requirements
This BS degree is designed for students interested in pursuing graduate work or employment in areas related to Earth or Environmental Sciences, geology, geochemistry or geophysics. It provides the essential grounding in computational, analytical, and observational skills needed in the earth and environmental sciences. The program is interdisciplinary, emphasizing the integration of chemistry, physics, and mathematics to studying the Earth.
The BS in Earth Sciences requires completion of 124 credit hours of coursework, the equivalent of four years of full-time study. Of this, 48 credits are required in the ERTH curriculum, including one introductory level geology course with a lab, ten non-introductory level ERTH courses, a two-credit research seminar, and eleven credits of ERTH electives. With advice and consent of an undergraduate advisor, courses in other natural sciences, mathematics, or engineering can also be taken as electives. A mainland summer field course is an elective, which students are strongly encouraged to take. An undergraduate thesis is also encouraged but not required. The required supporting science classes (28-29 credits) include physics, chemistry, biological science, and college calculus, and should be taken as early as possible.
Earth Sciences Courses
Required ERTH Courses (37 credits)
- ERTH 101 Dynamic Earth (3), or ERTH 103 Geology of the Hawaiian Islands(3), or
ERTH 170 Physical Geology (4)
- ERTH 101L Dynamic Earth Laboratory (1) (unless ERTH 170 is taken)
- ERTH 200 Geological Inquiry (4)
- ERTH 250 Scientific Programming (3)
- ERTH 301 Mineralogy (4)
- ERTH 302 Igneous and Metamorphic Petrology (3)
- ERTH 303 Structural Geology (3)
- ERTH 304 Physics of the Earth and Planets (4) or ERTH 450 Geophysical Methods (4)
- ERTH 305 Geological Field Methods (3)
- ERTH 309 Sedimentology and Stratigraphy (4)
- ERTH 325 Fundamentals of Geochemistry (3)
- ERTH 410 Research Seminar (2)
Upper Division ERTH Electives (11 credits)
- See the Upper Division Science Electives listing under the BA program. With advice and consent of an undergraduate adviser, courses in other natural sciences, mathematics, or engineering may be substituted as electives.
Required Support Courses (28-29 credits)
- Chemistry (CHEM 161, 161L, 162, 162L)
- Calculus I and II (MATH 241 and 242)
- Physics (170, 170L, 272, 272L)
- Biological Sciences (BIO 171, 171L, or BIO 103, ZOO 101, or MICRO 130)
