DEPARTMENT OF GEOSCIENCES UNDERGRADUATE MISSION:

Citizens of the modern world need to understand and appreciate the environment in which we all live. The three undergraduate programs in the Department of Geosciences represent ways of exploring our environment in the areas of Geology, Geography, and Earth Systems. Besides the individual goals listed below, all students in the department will gain experience with tangible life skills, including:

• Critical thinking and analytic   reasoning • Real-world problem solving   for effective decision making • Working in groups and   consideration of diverse   perspectives • Effective writing, presentational,   and computational skills • Professional and ethical   behavior

 

Geology Learning Goals and Outcomes

Geology is the study of the processes and history of the Earth’s surface and interior. Plate tectonics and biotic evolution are central paradigms of modern geology. Mineralogy, petrology, sedimentology, stratigraphy, paleontology, and structural geology provide the foundation for diverse facets of the Earth sciences and a wide range of career opportunities. Students will gain working knowledge and experience in the following areas:

• Fundamental geologic principles, including hands-on field experience,
• An understanding of geologic time and geologic processes
• Solid background in physical sciences and math,
• History of the science and scientific method,
• New developments and discoveries in the field,
• Challenges facing humankind, including natural resources, energy, water,
   hazards, and global climate change.

Earth Systems Learning Goals and Outcomes

Earth Systems is the study of the processes, interactions, and among the integrated systems of our home planet: Geosphere (solid Earth) – Atmosphere (composition, weather, and climate) – Hydrosphere (water in the ocean, atmosphere, and subsurface) – Biosphere (life on land, in the ocean, and in the subsurface) – Cryosphere (alpine glaciers and continental ice sheets, and floating ice shelves and sea ice in the polar seas). This degree provides holistic perspectives on Earth system science, including the interactions between humans and natural systems. Students will gain working knowledge and experience in the following areas:

• Fundamental geologic principles, including atmosphere and ocean science,
• Solid background in physical and biological sciences, and math,
• Integration of large-scale Earth systems,
• Human impact on Earth systems,
• Issues and controversies of global change today.

 

Geography Learning Goals and Outcomes

Geography is the study of the physical and social processes that shape the world we live in. It is an integrative discipline especially suited to examining complex and dynamic interactions between factors such as physical environmental processes, resource use, urbanization, economic development, conservation, population change and migration, geopolitics, cultural change, and a humanistic sense of place.

Human geography seeks to identify and explain patterns and variations of settlement, social organization, culture, economies, political systems, and environmental impacts. Physical geography involves studying the physical processes, both natural and anthropogenic, which affect the earth’s surface, atmosphere, and biosphere. The goals of our undergraduate programs in Geography are for our students to have an appreciation of:

• The social and physical processes that affect the location and distributions of people, their
   institutions, and their impact on the Earth
• The tools used to map, display and analyze geographic data
• The interdisciplinary nature of geography
• Variations and differences in peoples and cultures
• The spatial aspects of human, social and environmental issues