Earth Science
Students may earn the Earth Science, B.S. or the Earth Science Education and Studies, B.A.
The B.S. program emphasizes an interdisciplinary approach to Earth system processes at multiple temporal and spatial scales. The degree is suitable for students interested in identifying and monitoring interactions between the lithosphere, hydrosphere, atmosphere, and human activities. It prepares students for consulting and geotechnical careers in the private and government sectors.
The Earth Sciences Education and Studies, B.A. emphasizes an interdisciplinary field and, in combination with a secondary major in education, prepares the student primarily for a career in secondary education.
Student Learning Outcomes
Upon graduation, students should be able to:
- Demonstrate the ability to think critically;
- Exhibit a broad understanding of Earth systems and processes;
- Demonstrate scientific literacy and its application to scientific inquiry and societal concerns;
- Demonstrate proficiency in data collection, management, and analysis including understanding sources of error and/or uncertainty;
- Demonstrate competency with geoscience-specific techniques and field methods.
- Read and critically evaluate relevant literature and information;
- Use appropriate tools from chemistry, physics, biology, mathematics, and data science to solve discipline-specific problems;
- Present information effectively in written and oral forms;
- Work in a team environment in alignment with the ISU principles of community;
- Work independently;
- Attain employment in the geosciences or related fields or pursue graduate studies.
EARTH SCIENCE, B.S.
Required courses for the B.S. include:
| GEOL 1000 | How the Earth Works | 3 |
| or GEOL 1010 | Environmental Geology: Earth in Crisis | |
| or GEOL 2010 | Geology for Engineers and Environmental Scientists | |
| GEOL 1000L | How the Earth Works: Laboratory | 1 |
| GEOL 3020 | Summer Field Studies | 6 |
| GEOL 3150 | Mineralogy and Earth Materials | 3 |
| GEOL 3150L | Laboratory in Mineralogy and Earth Materials | 1 |
| GEOL 3560 | Global Tectonics | 3 |
| GEOL 3570 | Geological Mapping and Field Methods | 1 |
| GEOL 3680 | Sediments and Depositional Environments | 3 |
| GEOL 4020 | Watershed Hydrology | 3 |
| GEOL 4110 | Hydrogeology | 4 |
| GEOL 4520 | Intro GIS for Geoscientists | 3 |
| GEOL 4790 | Surficial Processes | 3 |
| And 9 credits of Earth Science electives in agronomy, environmental science, meteorology, or other approved areas. | 9 | |
| Total Credits | 43 | |
Required supporting courses for the B.S. include:
| CHEM 1770 | General Chemistry I | 4 |
| CHEM 1770L | Laboratory in General Chemistry I | 1 |
| CHEM 1780 | General Chemistry II | 3 |
| CHEM 1780L | Laboratory in College Chemistry II | 1 |
| MATH 1600 | Survey of Calculus | 4 |
| PHYS 1310 | General Physics I | 4 |
| PHYS 1310L | General Physics I Laboratory | 1 |
| PHYS 1320 | General Physics II | 4 |
| PHYS 1320L | General Physics II Laboratory | 1 |
| STAT 1040 | Introduction to Statistics | 3 |
| STAT 3201 | Intermediate Statistical Concepts and Methods | 4 |
| Total Credits | 30 | |
Communication Proficiency requirement: According to the university-wide Communication Proficiency Grade Requirement, students must demonstrate their communication proficiency by earning a grade of C or better in ENGL 2500. The department requires a grade of C or better in the below communication courses.
| ENGL 1500 | Critical Thinking and Communication | 3 |
| ENGL 2500 | Written, Oral, Visual, and Electronic Composition | 3 |
| or ENGL 2500H | Written, Oral, Visual, and Electronic Composition: Honors | |
| ENGL 3090 | Proposal and Report Writing | 3 |
| or ENGL 3140 | Technical Communication | |
| or ENGL 3020 | Business Communication | |
| or JLMC 3470 | Science Communication | |
| Total Credits | 9 | |
Earth Science Undergraduate Majors (B.A. or B.S.) may not earn a Geology Undergraduate Minor.
As majors in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, Earth Science students must meet College of Liberal Arts and Sciences and University-wide requirements for graduation in addition to those stated above for the major.
Students in all ISU majors must complete a three-credit course in U.S. Cultures and Communities and a three-credit course in International Perspectives. Check (http://www.registrar.iastate.edu/courses/div-ip-guide.html) for a list of approved courses.
LAS majors require a minimum of 120 credits, including a minimum of 45 credits at the 3000/4000 level in addition to the LAS world language and cultures and career preparation requirement (LAS 2030 Professional Career Preparation). At least 8 credits in the major from 3000+ courses must earn grade C or better. The average grade of all courses in the major must be 2.0 or higher.
Earth Science Education and Studies, B.A.
Earth Science Education and Studies, B.A. students are required to fulfill either the Earth Science Teacher Preparation Focus along with the Secondary Major in Education or another secondary area of expertise (Minor, Certificate, Additional Major, Secondary Major). Suggested secondary areas of expertise include Geographic Information Systems Undergraduate Minor, Environmental Studies Secondary Major, Sustainability Undergraduate Minor, Science Communication Certificate; this list provides examples but is not comprehensive. Earth Science Undergraduate Majors (B.A. or B.S.) may not earn a Geology Undergraduate Minor.
Required courses for the B.A. include:
| GEOL 1120 | Geoscience Orientation | 1 |
| GEOL 1000 | How the Earth Works | 3 |
| or GEOL 1010 | Environmental Geology: Earth in Crisis | |
| or GEOL 2010 | Geology for Engineers and Environmental Scientists | |
| GEOL 1000L | How the Earth Works: Laboratory | 1 |
| GEOL 2020 | History of the Earth | 3 |
| GEOL 2020L | History of the Earth: Laboratory | 1 |
| MTEOR 2060 | Introduction to Weather and Climate | 3 |
| ASTRO 1200 | The Sky and the Solar System | 3 |
| or ASTRO 1500 | Stars, Galaxies, and Cosmology | |
| ENSCI 2500 | Environmental Geography | 3 |
| Climate/Human Impacts (Choose one course) | ||
| ENSCI 3180 | Introduction to Ecosystems | 3 |
| or MTEOR 4040 | Global Change | |
| or GEOL 3240 | Energy and the Environment | |
| or GEOL 4110 | Hydrogeology | |
| Astronomy (Choose one course) | ||
| ASTRO 1200 | The Sky and the Solar System | 3 |
| or ASTRO 1500 | Stars, Galaxies, and Cosmology | |
| Geology (Choose two courses, minimum 6 credits) | 6-8 | |
| Any 3000- or 4000-level GEOL courses not used above | ||
| Total Credits | 30-32 | |
Required supporting courses for the B.A. include:
| Choose one Chemistry and Lab combination: | 5 | |
| College Chemistry and Laboratory in College Chemistry | ||
| General Chemistry for Engineering Students and Laboratory in General Chemistry for Engineering | ||
| General Chemistry I and Laboratory in General Chemistry I | ||
| PHYS 1310 & 1310L | General Physics I and General Physics I Laboratory | 5 |
| MATH 1510 | Calculus for Business and Social Sciences | 3 |
| or MATH 1600 | Survey of Calculus | |
| or MATH 1650 | Calculus I | |
| Total Credits | 13 | |
Communication Proficiency requirement: According to the university-wide Communication Proficiency Grade Requirement, students must demonstrate their communication proficiency by earning a grade of C or better in ENGL 2500. The department requires a grade of C or better in ENGL 3090 or ENGL 3140.
| ENGL 1500 | Critical Thinking and Communication | 3 |
| ENGL 2500 | Written, Oral, Visual, and Electronic Composition | 3 |
| or ENGL 2500H | Written, Oral, Visual, and Electronic Composition: Honors | |
| One of the following: | ||
| ENGL 3090 | Proposal and Report Writing | 3 |
| or ENGL 3140 | Technical Communication | |
| Total Credits | 9 | |
As majors in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, Earth Science students must meet College of Liberal Arts and Sciences and University-wide requirements for graduation in addition to those stated above for the major.
Students in all ISU majors must complete a three-credit course in U.S. Cultures and Communities and a three-credit course in International Perspectives. Check (http://www.registrar.iastate.edu/courses/div-ip-guide.html) for a list of approved courses.
LAS majors require a minimum of 120 credits, including a minimum of 45 credits at the 3000/4000 level in addition to the LAS world language and cultures and career preparation requirement (LAS 2030 Professional Career Preparation). At least 8 credits in the major from 3000+ courses must earn grade C or better. The average grade of all courses in the major must be 2.0 or higher.
Teacher Preparation Focus
Earth Science Education and Studies majors seeking certification to teach Earth Science in secondary schools follow the requirements of the B.A. In addition, they must take the complementary coursework listed below and meet all of the requirements of the Secondary Major in Education. Some of these courses, and some of the required coursework for the Secondary Major in Education, may also apply to LAS general education requirements.
| Complementary Coursework | ||
| PSYCH 2300 | Developmental Psychology | 3 |
| EDUC 4180 | Secondary Science Methods I | 3 |
| EDUC 4190 | Secondary Science Methods II | 3 |
| One course in American History or Government | ||
Notes: Teacher license requirements are established by the Iowa Department of Education and the Iowa Board of Educational Examiners and are subject to change. Recent changes may not be reflected in this catalog, but advisers and faculty will be aware. Some students pursuing the Earth Science decide to complete the Earth Science major and continue their studies as graduate students in Iowa State’s Science Education, Masters of Teaching (M.A.T.) program.
EARTH SCIENCE, B.S.
Below is a suggested pathway for new majors. This plan is an example only; students should discuss their graduation plan with their advisor.
| Freshman | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fall | Credits | Spring | Credits | ||
| ENGL 1500 | 3 | CHEM 1780 | 3 | ||
| GEOL 1000 or 1010 | 3 | CHEM 1780L | 1 | ||
| GEOL 1000L | 1 | STAT 1040 | 3 | ||
| CHEM 1770 | 4 | Arts-and-Humanities Choice | 3 | ||
| CHEM 1770L | 1 | Elective | 3-4 | ||
| LIB 1600 | 1 | ||||
| MATH 1600 | 4 | ||||
| 17 | 13-14 | ||||
| Sophomore | |||||
| Fall | Credits | Spring | Credits | ||
| ENGL 2500 | 3 | Arts-and-Humanities Choice | 3 | ||
| GEOL 3150 | 3 | PHYS 1320 | 4 | ||
| GEOL 3150L | 1 | PHYS 1320L | 1 | ||
| PHYS 1310 | 4 | World Language | 3 | ||
| PHYS 1310L | 1 | STAT 3201 | 4 | ||
| LAS 2030 | 1 | ||||
| World Language | 3-4 | ||||
| 16-17 | 15 | ||||
| Junior | |||||
| Fall | Credits | Spring | Credits | Summer | Credits |
| GEOL 3680 | 3 | GEOL 4520 | 3 | GEOL 3020 | 6 |
| GEOL 3570 | 1 | Social-Science Choice | 3 | ||
| Elective | 6-7 | GEOL 3560 | 3 | ||
| Arts-and-Humanities Choice | 3 | Elective | 3-4 | ||
| 13-14 | 12-13 | 6 | |||
| Senior | |||||
| Fall | Credits | Spring | Credits | ||
| GEOL 4020 | 3 | Electives | 3 | ||
| Social Science Choice | 3 | Arts-and-Humanities Choice | 3 | ||
| ENGL 3090, 3020, 3140, or JLMC 3470 | 3 | Social-Science Choice | 3 | ||
| GEOL 4790 | 3 | GEOL 4110 | 4 | ||
| Elective | 3 | ||||
| 15 | 13 | ||||
| Total Credits: 120-124 | |||||
Earth Science Education and Studies, B.A.
Below is a suggested pathway for the B.A. major in Earth Science Education and Studies with a secondary major in Education. This plan is an example only; students should discuss their graduation plan with their advisor.
| Freshman | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Fall | Credits | Spring | Credits |
| ENGL 1500 | 3 | EDUC 2040 | 3 |
| LIB 1600 | 1 | GEOL 2020 | 3 |
| GEOL 1000 | 3 | GEOL 2020L | 1 |
| GEOL 1000L | 1 | MTEOR 2060 | 3 |
| CHEM 1770, 1630, or 1670 | 4 | MATH 1510 | 3 |
| CHEM 1770L, 1630L, or 1670L | 1 | PSYCH 2300 | 3 |
| GEOL 1120 | 1 | ||
| EDUC 2190 | 1 | ||
| 15 | 16 | ||
| Sophomore | |||
| Fall | Credits | Spring | Credits |
| ENGL 2500 | 3 | PSYCH 3330 (social science) | 3 |
| PHYS 1310 | 4 | Arts and Humanities Option 1 | 3 |
| PHYS 1310L | 1 | Climate/Human impacts choice | 3 |
| LAS 2030 | 1 | Geology choice (3000-4000 level) | 3 |
| EDUC 2020 | 3 | Astronomy choice | 3 |
| EDUC 2800L | 0.5 | ||
| ENSCI 2500 | 3 | ||
| Apply/Accepted to Educator Preparation Program | |||
| 15.5 | 15 | ||
| Junior | |||
| Fall | Credits | Spring | Credits |
| EDUC 4180 | 3 | EDUC 4190 | 3 |
| EDUC 3950 | 3 | ENGL 3090 or 3140 | 3 |
| EDUC 3800J | 1-2 | EDUC 4800J | 2 |
| HIST 2800 or 2810 (humanities) | 3 | COMST 2110, SPCM 2120, or THTRE 3580 | 3 |
| ASTRO 1200 | 3 | World Language | 3-4 |
| Geology choice (3000-4000 level) | 3 | Arts and Humanities Option1 | 3 |
| Apply for student teaching | |||
| 16-17 | 17-18 | ||
| Senior | |||
| Fall | Credits | Spring | Credits |
| SPED 4010 | 3 | EDUC 4170J | 8 |
| EDUC 4060 | 3 | EDUC 4170J | 8 |
| World Language | 3-4 | ||
| Arts and Humanities Option | 3 | ||
| Social Science Option1 | 3 | ||
| Apply for graduation | |||
| 15-16 | 16 | ||
| Total Credits: 125.5-128.5 | |||
Students must take an American History (counts as humanities) or American Government (counts as social science).
- 1
Choose from list of approved courses available from an advisor.
Graduate Programs
The department offers programs leading to the Master of Science and Doctor of Philosophy with majors in Geology, Earth Science, and Meteorology. Students desiring a major in the above fields normally will have a strong undergraduate background in the physical and mathematical sciences. Individuals desiring to enter a graduate program are evaluated by considering their undergraduate preparation and performance along with their expressed goals in the statement of purpose. All prospective students should reach out to individual faculty members who they wish to work with prior to applying.
Programs of study are designed on an individual basis in accordance with requirements of the Graduate College and established requirements for each departmental major. Additional coursework is normally taken in complementary areas such as aerospace engineering, agronomy (soil science), chemistry, civil and construction engineering, computer engineering, computer science, engineering mechanics, environmental science, materials engineering, mathematics, mechanical engineering, microbiology, physics, or statistics. Departmental requirements provide a strong, broad background in the major and allow considerable flexibility in the program of each individual.
A dissertation is required of all Ph.D. candidates.
M.S. students in Geology are required to complete a thesis. The M.S. in Earth Science is available to students electing the non-thesis (Creative Component) option in Geology or Meteorology.
Graduates in Geology specialize in a sub-discipline, but they comprehend and can communicate the basic principles of geology and supporting sciences. They possess the capacity for critical and independent thinking. They are able to write a fundable research proposal, evaluate current relevant literature, carry out the proposed research, and communicate the results of their research to peers at national meetings and to the general public. They work as consultants on engineering and environmental problems, explorers for new minerals and hydrocarbon resources, researchers, teachers, writers, editors, and museum curators.