EARTH SCIENCE
The Earth Science major is a program leading to the bachelor of arts (B.A.) or bachelor of science (B.S.).
The B.A. emphasizes an interdisciplinary field and prepares the student primarily for a career in secondary education. The B.S. program provides a broad overview of geology and supporting sciences. This degree pathway is also suitable for students who may want to pursue a career in secondary education or continue on to graduate school. If a student chooses this option and is interested in secondary education, they should contact Dr. Cinzia Cervato for additional guidance.
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
Students can pursue either the Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) or the Bachelor of Science (B.S.) degree with a major in Earth Science. They can also prepare to teach Earth Science.
Required courses for the B.A. include:
| GEOL 100 | How the Earth Works | 3 |
| or GEOL 101 | Environmental Geology: Earth in Crisis | |
| or GEOL 201 | Geology for Engineers and Environmental Scientists | |
| GEOL 100L | How the Earth Works: Laboratory | 1 |
| GEOL 102 | History of the Earth | 3 |
| GEOL 102L | History of the Earth: Laboratory | 1 |
| GEOL 302 | Summer Field Studies | 6 |
| GEOL 315 | Mineralogy and Earth Materials | 3 |
| GEOL 315L | Laboratory in Mineralogy and Earth Materials | 1 |
| GEOL 316 | Optical Mineralogy | 1 |
| GEOL 356 | Structural Geology and Tectonics | 4 |
| GEOL 357 | Geological Mapping and Field Methods | 1 |
| GEOL 365 | Igneous and Metamorphic Petrology | 3 |
| GEOL 368 | Sedimentary Geology | 4 |
| MTEOR 206 | Introduction to Weather and Climate | 3 |
| ASTRO 120 | The Sky and the Solar System | 3 |
| ASTRO 150 | Stars, Galaxies, and Cosmology | 3 |
| And 3 credits of geology electives | 3 | |
| Total Credits | 43 | |
Required supporting courses for the B.A. include:
| CHEM 177 | General Chemistry I | 4 |
| CHEM 177L | Laboratory in General Chemistry I | 1 |
| CHEM 178 | General Chemistry II | 3 |
| CHEM 178L | Laboratory in College Chemistry II | 1 |
| PHYS 131 | General Physics I | 4 |
| PHYS 131L | General Physics I Laboratory | 1 |
| PHYS 132 | General Physics II | 4 |
| PHYS 132L | General Physics II Laboratory | 1 |
| One of the following | ||
| MATH 151 | Calculus for Business and Social Sciences | 3 |
| or MATH 160 | Survey of Calculus | |
| or MATH 165 | Calculus I | |
| One of the following | ||
| STAT 101 | Principles of Statistics | 4 |
| or STAT 104 | Introduction to Statistics | |
| And one course in Biology | 3 | |
| Total Credits | 29 | |
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 250. The department requires a grade of C or better in ENGL 309 or ENGL 314.
| ENGL 150 | Critical Thinking and Communication | 3 |
| ENGL 250 | Written, Oral, Visual, and Electronic Composition | 3 |
| or ENGL 250H | Written, Oral, Visual, and Electronic Composition: Honors | |
| One of the following: | ||
| ENGL 309 | Proposal and Report Writing | 3 |
| or ENGL 314 | Technical Communication | |
| Total Credits | 9 | |
Required courses for the B.S. include:
| GEOL 100 | How the Earth Works | 3 |
| or GEOL 101 | Environmental Geology: Earth in Crisis | |
| or GEOL 201 | Geology for Engineers and Environmental Scientists | |
| GEOL 100L | How the Earth Works: Laboratory | 1 |
| GEOL 102 | History of the Earth | 3 |
| GEOL 102L | History of the Earth: Laboratory | 1 |
| GEOL 302 | Summer Field Studies | 6 |
| GEOL 315 | Mineralogy and Earth Materials | 3 |
| GEOL 315L | Laboratory in Mineralogy and Earth Materials | 1 |
| GEOL 316 | Optical Mineralogy | 1 |
| GEOL 356 | Structural Geology and Tectonics | 4 |
| GEOL 357 | Geological Mapping and Field Methods | 1 |
| GEOL 365 | Igneous and Metamorphic Petrology | 3 |
| GEOL 368 | Sedimentary Geology | 4 |
| GEOL 479 | Surficial Processes | 3 |
| MTEOR 206 | Introduction to Weather and Climate | 3 |
| And 8 credits of electives in agronomy, astronomy, environmental science, or other approved areas. | 8 | |
| Total Credits | 45 | |
Required supporting courses for the B.S. include:
| CHEM 177 | General Chemistry I | 4 |
| CHEM 177L | Laboratory in General Chemistry I | 1 |
| CHEM 178 | General Chemistry II | 3 |
| CHEM 178L | Laboratory in College Chemistry II | 1 |
| MATH 165 | Calculus I | 4 |
| MATH 166 | Calculus II | 4 |
| PHYS 131 | General Physics I | 4 |
| PHYS 131L | General Physics I Laboratory | 1 |
| PHYS 132 | General Physics II | 4 |
| PHYS 132L | General Physics II Laboratory | 1 |
| STAT 101 | Principles of Statistics | 3-4 |
| or STAT 104 | Introduction to Statistics | |
| Total Credits | 30-31 | |
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 250. The department requires a grade of C or better in the below communication courses.
| ENGL 150 | Critical Thinking and Communication | 3 |
| ENGL 250 | Written, Oral, Visual, and Electronic Composition | 3 |
| or ENGL 250H | Written, Oral, Visual, and Electronic Composition: Honors | |
| ENGL 309 | Proposal and Report Writing | 3 |
| or ENGL 314 | Technical Communication | |
| or ENGL 302 | Business Communication | |
| or JL MC 347 | Science Communication | |
| Total Credits | 9 | |
Required for B.A. and B.S.
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. diversity 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 300/400 level in addition to the LAS world language and cultures and career preparation requirement (LAS 203 Professional Career Preparation). At least 8 credits in the major from 300+ 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 majors seeking certification to teach Earth Science in secondary schools can follow the requirements of either the B.A. or the B.S. degree in Earth Science. 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 230 | Developmental Psychology | 3 |
| EDUC 418 | Secondary Science Methods I | 3 |
| EDUC 419 | 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.A.
NOTE: Course plan, sequence and credit amounts will vary depending upon which endorsement area(s) a student chooses to pursue. In addition, this plan is solely an example of one possible academic layout. This plan can and likely will be modified based on transfer credit, advanced placement (AP) credit, dual enrollment credit, "test out" credit, course offerings, schedule conflicts and entry term. It is our expectation that students know the requirements of their academic program and develop and follow an academic plan based on their academic catalog and degree audit using their individual academic advisor as a resource in this process.
Potential pathway for the B.A. major in Earth Science with the Secondary Major in Education:
| Freshman | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fall | Credits | Spring | Credits | Summer | Credits |
| ENGL 150 | 3 | EDUC 204 | 3 | PSYCH 230 (social science) | 3 |
| LIB 160 | 1 | GEOL 102 | 3 | Social Science Option1 | 3 |
| GEOL 100 | 3 | GEOL 102L | 1 | ||
| GEOL 100L | 1 | GEOL 113 | 1 | ||
| CHEM 177 | 4 | CHEM 178 | 3 | ||
| CHEM 177L | 1 | CHEM 178L | 1 | ||
| MATH 151, 160, or 165 | 3-4 | ASTRO 120 | 3 | ||
| GEOL 112 | 1 | MTEOR 206 | 3 | ||
| 17-18 | 18 | 6 | |||
| Sophomore | |||||
| Fall | Credits | Spring | Credits | Summer | Credits |
| ENGL 250 | 3 | GEOL 365 | 3 | Humanities Option1 | 3 |
| PHYS 131 | 4 | PHYS 132 | 4 | ||
| PHYS 131L | 1 | PHYS 132L | 1 | ||
| GEOL 315 | 3 | EDUC 333 (social science) | 3 | ||
| GEOL 315L | 1 | Humanities Option 1 | 3 | ||
| GEOL 316 | 1 | ASTRO 150 | 3 | ||
| LAS 203 | 1 | ||||
| EDUC 202 | 3 | ||||
| EDUC 280L | 0.5 | ||||
| EDUC 219 | 1 | ||||
| Apply/Accepted to Educator Preparation Program | |||||
| 18.5 | 17 | 3 | |||
| Junior | |||||
| Fall | Credits | Spring | Credits | Summer | Credits |
| EDUC 347 | 3 | ENGL 302, 309, 314, or JL MC 347 | 3 | GEOL 302 | 6 |
| EDUC 418 | 3 | EDUC 419 | 3 | ||
| EDUC 280A | 1-2 | EDUC 480J | 2 | ||
| GEOL 357 | 1 | COMST 211, SP CM 212, or THTRE 358 | 3 | ||
| GEOL 368 | 4 | STAT 101 or 104 | 3-4 | ||
| HIST 280 or 281 (humanities) | 3 | GEOL 356 | 4 | ||
| 15-16 | 18-19 | 6 | |||
| Senior | |||||
| Fall | Credits | Spring | Credits | ||
| Geology Option1 | 3 | EDUC 417J | 16 | ||
| Humanities Option1 | 3 | PPAT | |||
| SP ED 401 | 3 | ||||
| EDUC 406 | 3 | ||||
| Social Science Option1 | 3 | ||||
| Biology Option1 | 3 | ||||
| Apply to student teach | |||||
| Apply for graduation | |||||
| 18 | 16 | ||||
Students must take an American History (counts as humanities) or American Government (counts as social science).
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Choose from list of approved courses available from an advisor.
EARTH SCIENCE, B.S.
Potential pathway for the B.S. in Earth Science degree:
| Freshman | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fall | Credits | Spring | Credits | ||
| ENGL 150 | 3 | GEOL 102 | 3 | ||
| GEOL 100 or 101 | 3 | GEOL 102L | 1 | ||
| GEOL 100L | 1 | CHEM 178 | 3 | ||
| CHEM 177 | 4 | CHEM 178L | 1 | ||
| CHEM 177L | 1 | MATH 166 | 4 | ||
| MATH 165 | 4 | Arts-and-Humanities Choice | 3 | ||
| LIB 160 | 1 | ||||
| 17 | 15 | ||||
| Sophomore | |||||
| Fall | Credits | Spring | Credits | ||
| ENGL 250 | 3 | GEOL 365 | 3 | ||
| GEOL 315 | 3 | Arts-and-Humanities Choice | 3 | ||
| GEOL 315L | 1 | PHYS 132 | 4 | ||
| GEOL 316 | 1 | PHYS 132L | 1 | ||
| PHYS 131 | 4 | STAT 101 or 104 | 3-4 | ||
| PHYS 131L | 1 | MTEOR 206 | 3 | ||
| LAS 203 | 1 | ||||
| 14 | 17-18 | ||||
| Junior | |||||
| Fall | Credits | Spring | Credits | Summer | Credits |
| GEOL 479 | 3 | GEOL 356 | 4 | GEOL 302 | 6 |
| GEOL 368 | 4 | World Language | 3-4 | ||
| Agron/Astronomy/EnSci Choice1 | 3 | Agron/Astronomy/EnSci Choice1 | 3 | ||
| World Language | 3-4 | Social-Science Choice | 3 | ||
| GEOL 357 | 1 | ||||
| 14-15 | 13-14 | 6 | |||
| Senior | |||||
| Fall | Credits | Spring | Credits | ||
| Agron/Astronomy/EnSci Choice1 | 2 | Electives | 9 | ||
| Arts-and-Humanities Choice | 3 | Arts-and-Humanities Choice | 3 | ||
| Social Science Choice | 3 | Social-Science Choice | 3 | ||
| ENGL 309, 302, 314, or JL MC 347 | 3 | ||||
| Elective | 3-4 | ||||
| 14-15 | 15 | ||||
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Choose from list of approved courses available from an advisor or departmental office.
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.