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.
All candidates seeking this degree must fulfill the Core Curriculum
requirements and the degree requirements, which are listed below.
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 9-13 of this catalog.
Degree Requirements
A. 45 semester credit hours of geology:
1. 33 semester credit hours of required courses:
GEO 1103, 1111
Introduction to Earth Systems and Laboratory
GEO 1123, 1131
Earth History and Laboratory
GEO 3063, 3071
Paleontology and Laboratory
GEO 3123, 3131
Sedimentary Geology and Laboratory
GEO 3163 Oceanography
GEO 3203, 3211
Introduction to Rocks and Minerals and Laboratory
GEO 4063 Principles of Environmental Geology
GEO 4113, 4121
Geomorphology and Laboratory
ES 4043 Introduction to Geographic Information
Systems (GIS)
2. 12 additional semester credit hours selected from the following (a
maximum of 3 hours from either GEO 4911-3
or 4953 may apply to this requirement):
GEO 3083, 3091
Stratigraphy and Laboratory
GEO 3103, 3111
Structural Geology and Laboratory
GEO 3113 Geological Field Investigations
GEO 3143, 3151
Economic Geology and Laboratory
GEO 3323, 3331
Global Tectonism and Geologic Processes and Laboratory
GEO 3163 Oceanography
GEO 3374 Geochemistry
GEO 4023 Engineering Geology
GEO 4623 Ground-Water Hydrology
GEO 4911-3 Independent Study
GEO 4951-3 Special Studies in Geology
GEO 4993 Honors Research
B. 20 to 22 semester credit hours in the College of Sciences:
CHE 1103 General Chemistry I
CHE 1303 General Chemistry II
CHE 1312 General Chemistry II Laboratory
Either
CHE 1312 General Chemistry II Laboratory
or
GEO 3374 Geochemistry
MAT 1214 Calculus I
PHY 1603, 1611
General Physics I and Laboratory
PHY 1623, 1631
General Physics II and Laboratory
C. 22 semester credit hours of electives, three of which must be at
the upper-division level to meet UTSA's minimum of 39 upper-division
hours.
