Bachelor of Arts Degree in Geology
The Bachelor of Arts degree in Geology provides opportunities to prepare for careers in fields such as earth science education, law, insurance, financial services, and environmental management. It is not recommended for students planning to pursue careers as professional geologists or graduate studies in geology or related fields.
The minimum number of semester credit hours required for this degree, including the Core Curriculum requirements, is 120, at least 39 of which must be at the upper-division level.
All candidates seeking this degree must fulfill the Core Curriculum requirements and the degree requirements, which are listed on the following pages.
Core Curriculum requirements: Students seeking the Bachelor of Arts degree in Geology must fulfill University Core Curriculum requirements in the same manner as other students. The courses listed in the table below satisfy both degree requirements and Core Curriculum requirements; however, if these courses are taken to satisfy both requirements, then students will need to take additional courses in order to meet the minimum number of semester credit hours required for this degree. For a complete listing of courses that satisfy the Core Curriculum requirements see pages 5–9 of this catalog.
| Core Curriculum Component Area | Courses that Satisfy Core Curriculum and Degree Requirements |
|---|---|
Communications |
English Rhetoric/Composition (6 semester credit hours) |
Mathematics |
Mathematics (3 semester credit hours) |
Natural Sciences |
Science (6 semester credit hours) |
Humanities & Visual and Performing Arts |
Literature (3 semester credit hours) |
Social and Behavioral Sciences |
United States History and Diversity (6 semester credit hours) |
World Society and Issues |
(3 semester credit hours) |
Degree Requirements
- 43 semester credit hours of geology courses:
- 28 semester credit hours of required courses:
GEO 1103, 1111 Introduction to Earth Systems and Laboratory GEO 1123, 1131 Earth History and Laboratory GEO 2003, 2012 Mineralogy and Laboratory GEO 3153, 3162 Paleontology and Stratigraphy and Laboratory GEO 3163 Oceanography GEO 4063 Principles of Environmental Geology
- 15 semester credit hours at the upper-division level selected from among the remaining GEO course offerings. Students should meet with the College of Sciences Advising Center and/or a member of the Department of Geological Sciences to verify that they have taken the necessary prerequisites.
- 28 semester credit hours of required courses:
- 23 to 25 semester credit hours in the College of Sciences:
CHE 1103 General Chemistry I CHE 1113 General Chemistry II CHE 1132 General Chemistry II Laboratory or GEO 3374 Geochemistry GEO 2113 Fundamentals of Geographic Information Systems (GIS) MAT 1214 Calculus I PHY 1603, 1611 Algebra-based Physics I and Laboratory PHY 1623, 1631 Algebra-based Physics II and Laboratory
- 19 to 21 semester credit hours of electives to meet the 120 semester credit hour degree minimum, 9 of which must be at the upper-division level to meet the UTSA minimum of 39 upper-division hours