Undergraduate DegreeS
	BS, BA in Geoscience from the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences
Minor
	Geoscience
Four-year Graduation Plan
	Yes
Links
	Web Site Courses General Catalog

Did you search for fossils or collect rocks as a child? Did you enjoy earth sciences in school? Have these interests evolved into curiosity about the workings of earth’s natural systems and geological time? The geoscience major allows you to learn about earth and can prepare you for a career working with Earth’s materials and the processes that shape them.

Teaching and research in the Department of Geoscience emphasize a unique combination of field and analytical approaches. Students study the earth’s origin, appearance, and internal and surface characteristics; its evolution through geologic time; location of mineral and energy resources; and how humans are changing the earth for future generations.

• Why Study Geoscience at Iowa?
• BS in Geoscience
• BA in Geoscience
• Minor
• Honors
• Field Work
• Careers
• Scholarships

Why Study Geoscience at Iowa?
Geoscience at Iowa is a nationally ranked program recognized for state-of-the-art equipment, an enthusiastic faculty, and abundant opportunities for undergraduate research projects. The specialization area of paleontology is ranked No. 5 in the nation among graduate programs of its kind by U.S. News & World Report.

Geoscience faculty work in many specialized areas, including earth surface processes, geochemistry, geochronology, geomorphology, glacial geology, hydrogeology, paleoclimatology, paleoecology, paleontology, petrology, planetary geology, sedimentology, stratigraphy structural geology, tectonics, and volcanology. Other highlights of Iowa’s research infrastructure are its clean laboratory, ICP-OES, alpha and gamma spectrometers, SEM, computer facilities, and world-class paleontology collection. An ICP-MS and laser sampler is scheduled for installation during the summer of 2009.

Undergraduates in geoscience at the University do not spend all their time inside. The curriculum includes many courses with field trips to the region around Iowa City and other areas of North America. Geoscience majors commonly visit local outcrops for hands-on study of the rich sedimentary and evolutionary history recorded here. They also gain a broader understanding of the earth and its processes by conducting field work in locations such as the Wasatch Mountains in Utah, the Rocky Mountains of southwest Montana, California’s Death Valley and Mojave Desert, the Grand Canyon, and Hawaii. Recent international excursions include Ireland and China.

A degree in geoscience prepares students for the job market or graduate study. Students also can earn a Certificate in Sustainability or Museum Studies, opening an even broader spectrum of possibilities.

BS in Geoscience
The BS degree program is designed to prepare students for immediate employment after graduation or a graduate program in geological sciences. It requires a minimum of 38 semester hours (s.h.) of departmental course work:

• Introduction to Geology (preferred) or Earth History and Resources
• Evolution and the History of Life
• Mineralogy
• Petrology
• Structural Geology
• Geologic Field Methods
• Summer Field Course
• At least two elective geology courses

One of these:

• Principles of Paleontology
• Elements of Geochemistry
• Hydrogeology
• Survey of Geophysical Methods

And the following outside the department:

• At least 10 s.h. of college-level mathematics (including a calculus course)
• 8 s.h. of college-level chemistry and a chemistry laboratory course
• 8 s.h. of college-level physics
• At least one biological science course that includes a laboratory

BA in Geoscience
The BA degree is designed to provide students with a varied background in geology and a broader choice of electives than is practical in the BS program. The BA is intended for students interested in the fundamentals of geology, interdisciplinary environmental programs, or earth science teaching (which requires enrolling in the Teacher Education Program). Completing the minimum requirements for this degree may not adequately prepare a student for an entry-level professional job in geology.

The BA requires a minimum of 35 s.h. of departmental work, including one of these:

• Earth History and Resources
• Introduction to Geology

• Mineralogy
• Petrology
• Undergraduate Geoscience Colloquium

• Evolution and the History of Life
• Principles of Paleontology

• Structural Geology
• Sedimentology
• Soil Genesis and Geomorphology
• Fluvial Geomorphology
• Stratigraphy
• Hydrogeology

You'll also take 10 s.h. in mathematics, which may include computer science or statistics; and college-level chemistry, including a laboratory course.

Minor
You’ll qualify for a geoscience minor with 15 s.h. of credit and a grade-point average (GPA) of at least 2.00. At least 12 of the 15 s.h. must be completed in upper-level courses.

Honors
In order to graduate with honors in geoscience, you must complete a senior thesis and maintain a cumulative GPA of at least 3.33.

Field Work
Students must take at least 4 s.h. in field work. Field trip courses include Geology Field Trip, Selected National Parks, Geologic Field Methods, Summer Field Course, and Natural Science Session at Iowa Lakeside Laboratory.

Careers
Career opportunities are readily available for geoscience graduates. Professional geologists work in resource companies, environmental corporations, educational institutions, conservation agencies, urban planning, state and federal geological surveys, and government resource and research organizations. Companies such as ExxonMobil routinely recruit Iowa graduates on campus.

About 30 percent of geoscience graduates find entry-level jobs in geoscience following graduation. Another 30 percent find other kinds of employment, and 40 percent continue on to graduate school.

An undergraduate degree in geoscience provides solid preparation for graduate school in law, business, environmental studies, engineering, archaeology, science education, or oceanography.

Scholarships
Consult multiple sources for scholarship information, including the Office of Admissions, the Office of Student Financial Aid, and departmental web sites.

Awards to help defray the cost of expenses for outstanding students in field geology courses include the Lowden Prize in Geoscience, the Cedar Valley Rocks and Minerals Society Scholarships, and the Geoscience Alumni Field Program Award.

Other scholarships are merit-based awards for academic performance, leadership, and service, including the W.A. Tarr Award from SGE, the Bill Vosper Award, the Waldo Edward and Martha Althaus Smith Award, the L. Austin Weeks Award, the Cornelia C. Cameron Award, and the Matt Blanche Memorial Scholarship.