Archived catalog. This is a historical catalog kept for reference.
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Geology (B.S.)
Total Semester Hours required for the Degree: 120 semester hours
Semester Hours required for the Geology Major: 67 semester hours
The Geology Major requires students to fulfill a total of 67 semester hours. The core curriculum consists of 58 semester hours of required courses and 9 semester hours from department electives.
Required courses for all Geology Majors: 58 semester hours
- All students completing a major in geology must take a summer field course equivalent to six credit units. The summer field camp must be one from a select list of department-approved courses in consultation with a department advisor.
CHM 1310G
General Chemistry I. (3 credits)
CHM 1315G
General Chemistry Laboratory I. (1 credits)
CHM 1410
General Chemistry II. (3 credits)
CHM 1415
General Chemistry Laboratory II. (1 credits)
GEO 1300G
Introduction to Earth Sciences. (4 credits)
GEO 3420
Geomorphology: Surficial Processes and Landforms. (3 credits)
GEO 2200
History of the Earth. (4 credits)
GEO 2440
Mineralogy. (4 credits)
GEO 3405
Petrology. (4 credits)
GEO 3430
Structural Geology. (3 credits)
GEO 3510
Principles of Sedimentation. (3 credits)
GEO 3560
Principles of Stratigraphy. (3 credits)
GEO 4850
Environmental Geology. (3 credits)
MAT 1441G
Calculus and Analytic Geometry I. (5 credits)
PHY 1151G
Principles of Physics I. (3 credits)
PHY 1152G
Principles of Physics I Laboratory. (1 credits)
PHY 1161
Principles of Physics II. (3 credits)
PHY 1162
Principles of Physics II Laboratory. (1 credits)
Major electives:
9 semester hours of electives must be taken from the following A and B lists:
A List
A minimum of 6 semester hours must be taken from the following courses:
GEO 2100
Geology of Energy Resources. (3 credits)
GEO 3085
Vertebrate Paleoenvironments and Paleoecology. (3 credits)
GEO 3115
Introduction to Paleoclimate. (4 credits)
GEO 3440
Tectonics. (3 credits)
GEO 3460
Economic Mineral Deposits. (3 credits)
GEO 3470
Seminar in Geology. (1 to 3 credits)
GEO 3505
Volcanology. (3 credits)
GEO 3525
Hydrogeology. (3 credits)
GEO 4200
Introduction to Geophysical Exploration. (3 credits)
GEO 4480
Optical Mineralogy. (4 credits)
B List
A maximum of 3 semester hours can be used from the following courses to meet the elective requirement:
GEO 3550
Surface Water Processes and Resources. (3 credits)
GEO 3810
Introduction to Geographic Information Systems. (3 credits)
GEO 3820
Remote Sensing I. (3 credits)
Footnote:
(Major GPA based on all geology and required earth science and geography courses taken at EIU.)
Information sourced from the 2025-2026 EIU Undergraduate Catalog.