Contact Information
- Kristie Franz
- 253 Science I
- earth-atmosphere-climate.iastate.edu/
- kfranz@iastate.edu
- 515-294-1837
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This is an archived copy of the 2024-2025 catalog. To access the most recent version of the catalog, please visit http://catalog.iastate.edu.
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 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 1020 | History of the Earth | 3 |
| GEOL 1020L | History of the Earth: 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 3160 | Optical Mineralogy | 1 |
| GEOL 3560 | Structural Geology and Tectonics | 4 |
| GEOL 3570 | Geological Mapping and Field Methods | 1 |
| GEOL 3650 | Igneous and Metamorphic Petrology | 3 |
| GEOL 3680 | Sedimentary Geology | 4 |
| MTEOR 2060 | Introduction to Weather and Climate | 3 |
| ASTRO 1200 | The Sky and the Solar System | 3 |
| ASTRO 1500 | Stars, Galaxies, and Cosmology | 3 |
| And 3 credits of geology electives | 3 | |
| Total Credits | 43 | |
Required supporting courses for the B.A. 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 |
| 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 |
| One of the following | ||
| MATH 1510 | Calculus for Business and Social Sciences | 3 |
| or MATH 1600 | Survey of Calculus | |
| or MATH 1650 | Calculus I | |
| One of the following | ||
| STAT 1010 | Principles of Statistics | 4 |
| or STAT 1040 | 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 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 | |
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 1020 | History of the Earth | 3 |
| GEOL 1020L | History of the Earth: 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 3160 | Optical Mineralogy | 1 |
| GEOL 3560 | Structural Geology and Tectonics | 4 |
| GEOL 3570 | Geological Mapping and Field Methods | 1 |
| GEOL 3650 | Igneous and Metamorphic Petrology | 3 |
| GEOL 3680 | Sedimentary Geology | 4 |
| GEOL 4790 | Surficial Processes | 3 |
| MTEOR 2060 | 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 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 1650 | Calculus I | 4 |
| MATH 1660 | Calculus II | 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 1010 | Principles of Statistics | 3-4 |
| or STAT 1040 | 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 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 | |
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. 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 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 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.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 1500 | 3 | EDUC 2040 | 3 | PSYCH 2300 (social science) | 3 |
| LIB 1600 | 1 | GEOL 1020 | 3 | Social Science Option1 | 3 |
| GEOL 1000 | 3 | GEOL 1020L | 1 | ||
| GEOL 1000L | 1 | GEOL 1130 | 1 | ||
| CHEM 1770 | 4 | CHEM 1780 | 3 | ||
| CHEM 1770L | 1 | CHEM 1780L | 1 | ||
| MATH 1510, 1600, or 1650 | 3-4 | ASTRO 1200 | 3 | ||
| GEOL 1120 | 1 | MTEOR 2060 | 3 | ||
| 17-18 | 18 | 6 | |||
| Sophomore | |||||
| Fall | Credits | Spring | Credits | Summer | Credits |
| ENGL 2500 | 3 | GEOL 3650 | 3 | Humanities Option1 | 3 |
| PHYS 1310 | 4 | PHYS 1320 | 4 | ||
| PHYS 1310L | 1 | PHYS 1320L | 1 | ||
| GEOL 3150 | 3 | PSYCH 3330 (social science) | 3 | ||
| GEOL 3150L | 1 | Humanities Option 1 | 3 | ||
| GEOL 3160 | 1 | ASTRO 1500 | 3 | ||
| LAS 2030 | 1 | ||||
| EDUC 2020 | 3 | ||||
| EDUC 2800L | 0.5 | ||||
| EDUC 2190 | 1 | ||||
| Apply/Accepted to Educator Preparation Program | |||||
| 18.5 | 17 | 3 | |||
| Junior | |||||
| Fall | Credits | Spring | Credits | Summer | Credits |
| EDUC 3470 | 3 | ENGL 3020, 3090, 3140, or JLMC 3470 | 3 | GEOL 3020 | 6 |
| EDUC 4180 | 3 | EDUC 4190 | 3 | ||
| EDUC 2800A | 1-2 | EDUC 4800J | 2 | ||
| GEOL 3570 | 1 | COMST 2110, SPCM 2120, or THTRE 3580 | 3 | ||
| GEOL 3680 | 4 | STAT 1010 or 1040 | 3-4 | ||
| HIST 2800 or 2810 (humanities) | 3 | GEOL 3560 | 4 | ||
| 15-16 | 18-19 | 6 | |||
| Senior | |||||
| Fall | Credits | Spring | Credits | ||
| Geology Option1 | 3 | EDUC 4170J | 16 | ||
| Humanities Option1 | 3 | PPAT | |||
| SPED 4010 | 3 | ||||
| EDUC 4060 | 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).
- 1
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 1500 | 3 | GEOL 1020 | 3 | ||
| GEOL 1000 or 1010 | 3 | GEOL 1020L | 1 | ||
| GEOL 1000L | 1 | CHEM 1780 | 3 | ||
| CHEM 1770 | 4 | CHEM 1780L | 1 | ||
| CHEM 1770L | 1 | MATH 1660 | 4 | ||
| MATH 1650 | 4 | Arts-and-Humanities Choice | 3 | ||
| LIB 1600 | 1 | ||||
| 17 | 15 | ||||
| Sophomore | |||||
| Fall | Credits | Spring | Credits | ||
| ENGL 2500 | 3 | GEOL 3650 | 3 | ||
| GEOL 3150 | 3 | Arts-and-Humanities Choice | 3 | ||
| GEOL 3150L | 1 | PHYS 1320 | 4 | ||
| GEOL 3160 | 1 | PHYS 1320L | 1 | ||
| PHYS 1310 | 4 | STAT 1010 or 1040 | 3-4 | ||
| PHYS 1310L | 1 | MTEOR 2060 | 3 | ||
| LAS 2030 | 1 | ||||
| 14 | 17-18 | ||||
| Junior | |||||
| Fall | Credits | Spring | Credits | Summer | Credits |
| GEOL 4790 | 3 | GEOL 3560 | 4 | GEOL 3020 | 6 |
| GEOL 3680 | 4 | World Language | 3-4 | ||
| Agron/Astronomy/EnSci Choice1 | 3 | Agron/Astronomy/EnSci Choice1 | 3 | ||
| World Language | 3-4 | Social-Science Choice | 3 | ||
| GEOL 3570 | 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 3090, 3020, 3140, or JLMC 3470 | 3 | ||||
| Elective | 3-4 | ||||
| 14-15 | 15 | ||||
- 1
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.