Geosciences Minor

NSM PEAK

The Geosciences minor is designed to provide students with a background in Earth sciences. Students seeking majors outside of the sciences will gain knowledge and skills for communicating the relevance of Earth systems science to society and human dimensions.  Students may NOT minor in both Geography and Geosciences.

13-15 credits

Minor Requirements

Minor core requirements. Complete TWO of the following (7-8 credits):

ENV-161	Environmental Systems Science	3 credits
ENV-161L	Environmental Systems Science Lab	1 credit
GEO-101	Physical Geology	3 credits
GEO-101L	Physical Geology Lab	1 credit
GEO-150	Physical Geography	3 credits

Complete TWO of the following (6-7 credits):

GEO-310	Earth's Dynamic Climate System	3 credits
GEO-320	Watershed Hydrology	3 credits
ENV-350	Introduction to Geographic Information Systems (GIS)	2 credits
ENV-350L	Introduction to Geographic Information Systems Lab	1 credit
-
PHY-231	General Physics I	3 credits
PHY-231L	General Physics I Lab	1 credit
-	or
PHY-271	Analytical Physics I	3 credits
PHY-271L	Analytical Physics I Lab	1 credit

Complete one Mathematics course (3-4 credits):

The credits for the math requirement (MAT-125, MAT-150, or MAT-212) are counted in the Professional Foundations minor.

MAT-125	Data Analysis and Statistics	3 credits
-	or
MAT-150	Applied Calculus: A Modeling Approach	4 credits
-	or
MAT-212	Multiple Regression Analysis	3 credits

Outcomes

Upon successful completion of this minor, students will be able to:

1. Identify the materials and the processes (geologic, hydrologic, climatic) that form the Earth now and in its history;

2. Articulate the complexity of Earth as a dynamic and finite setting for human existence, including the rates of geologic change and the processes that form Earth’s resources; and

3. Apply the scientific method in geosciences through careful study of foundational data followed by building to broader concepts.