About the Department

The Earth and Environmental Geoscience major offers content and skills relevant for today’s issues -- and a lot of fun.

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Earth and Environmental Geoscience Department

Geoscience is about Earth, oceans, planets, climate, mountains, rivers, glaciers, soils, weather, and so much more. Because geoscience is interdisciplinary, many students with interests in environmental science, chemistry, biology, physics, and engineering appreciate applying their interests to the questions that geoscience studies.

About the Major

Geoscience is a dynamic, interdisciplinary field that studies the world around, under, and over us — rivers, climate, and planets as well as rocks, mountains, earthquakes, and more — and is highly relevant for providing answers for today’s needs and challenges. The major at W&L is flexible enough that you can take courses in several different areas of geosciences, from geophysics and tectonics to oceanography and climate change, GIS and remote sensing to hydrogeology and geomorphology.

Major Requirements

Students interested in pursuing a science-based career in the geosciences or going to graduate school in the geosciences would be well served to get a BS degree as it includes the science courses such employers and graduate programs often want you to have taken. There is also a comprehensive exam requirement in your senior year which not only serves as a review of your coursework to date but also prepares you for such exams in a graduate program. Students who earn a BA are also competitive candidates for graduate school.

Engineering Integrated with Earth and Environmental Geoscience

The Integrated Engineering degree offered through the Physics and Engineering Department gives students the opportunity to apply their science to the disciplines of geoscience, chemistry, biology, or computer science. Students are required to take four geoscience courses: an Introductory course and three courses that are 200 level or above, all of which is easy to fit into one’s schedule. Talk to an Earth and Environmental Geoscience professor and an engineering professor about your interests.

Course Offerings

Listing of course offerings for the Earth and Environmental Geoscience Department.

Department Awards

Each Spring the Earth and Environmental Geoscience faculty present several awards at an always fun BBQ party. All majors are eligible to be considered for appropriate awards. Some awards acknowledge the most engaged, responsible, and curious students; some awards support research projects. All awards listed below, other than the Departmental Award, were started and funded by geology alumni.