The Bachelor of Arts in Geology prepares students for entry-level employment within the wide-ranging fields of geology. The dominant fields of geological employment include:
- Environmental geology
- Construction
- Petroleum geology
- Water resources
- Mining
- Hydrogeology
- Government regulations and compliance
- Pipeline construction
The Bachelor of Arts in Geology degree program can be completed in eight semesters if students average sixteen hours of coursework per semester.
For more information, visit the Department of Physics, Astronomy, Geology, and Environmental Sciences.
The Bachelor of Arts degree requires the successful completion of a minimum of 72 s.h. of core and elective courses.
| COURSE | TITLE | S.H. |
|---|---|---|
| FIRST YEAR REQUIREMENT -STUDENT SUCCESS | ||
| YSU 1500 | Success Seminar | 1-2 |
| or YSU 1500S | Youngstown State University Success Seminar | |
| or HONR 1500 | Intro to Honors | |
| General Education Requirements | ||
| ENGL 1550 | Writing 1 | 3-4 |
| or ENGL 1549 | Writing 1 with Support | |
| ENGL 1551 | Writing 2 | 3 |
| Mathematics Requirement (included in the major) | ||
| Arts and Humanities (6 s.h.) | 6 | |
| Natural Sciences (2 courses, 1 with lab-included in the major) | ||
| Social Science (6 s.h.) | 6 | |
| General Education Electives | ||
| General Education Electives | 6 | |
| CMST 1545 | Communication Foundations (required) | 3 |
| Foreign Language Requirement | ||
| FNLG 1501 | Conversational Foreign Language 1 | 3 |
| FNLG 1502 | Conversational Foreign Language 2 | 3 |
| Major Requirements | ||
| GEOL 1505 & 1505L | Physical Geology and Physical Geology Laboratory | 4 |
| ENST 2600 & 2600L | Foundations of Environmental Science and Foundations of Environmental Science Laboratory | 4 |
| GEOL 2605 | Historical Geology | 4 |
| GEOL 3700 | Mineralogy | 3 |
| GEOL 3701 | Geomorphology | 3 |
| GEOL 3705 | Structures and Landscapes | 4 |
| GEOL 3717 | Petrology | 3 |
| GEOL 3750 | Geoscience Seminar | 1 |
| GEOL 5802 | Sedimentology and Stratigraphy (Capstone course) | 3 |
| MATH 1570 | Applied Calculus 1 | 4 |
| Electives | ||
| Electives (any) | 10 | |
| Science Electives I: | ||
| Select a minimum of 21 s.h. from the following: | 21 | |
| Moon and Planets | ||
| General Biology 1: Molecules and Cells | ||
| General Biology I: Molecules and Cells Laboratory | ||
| General Biology 2: Organisms and Ecology | ||
| General Biology: Organisms and Ecology Laboratory | ||
| General Chemistry 1 | ||
| General Chemistry 1 Laboratory | ||
| General Chemistry 2 | ||
| General Chemistry 2 Laboratory | ||
| Weather | ||
| Applied Calculus 2 | ||
| Fundamentals of Physics 1 and Fundamentals of Physics Laboratory 1 | ||
| Introduction to Oceanography | ||
| Fundamentals of Physics 2 and Fundamentals of Physics Laboratory 2 | ||
| Statistical Methods | ||
| Science Electives II: | ||
| Select a minimum of 20 s.h. from the following: | 20 | |
| Glacial Geology | ||
| Geology of Economic Mineral Deposits | ||
| Subsurface Investigations | ||
| Principles of Paleontology | ||
| Field Investigations in Geology | ||
| Water Quality Analysis and Water Quality Analysis Lab | ||
| Soil Quality and Analysis | ||
| Environmental Sampling Methods | ||
| Ground Water | ||
| Tectonics | ||
| Geophysical Well Log Analysis | ||
| Special Topics | ||
GEOL 48XX Geology Field Camp (4 s.h. minimum) | ||
| Special Problems in Geology | ||
| Environmental Safety | ||
| Groundwater Resource Evaluation | ||
| Geology and the Environment 2 | ||
| Environmental Geochemistry | ||
| Environmental Regulations | ||
| Electives to meet 120 Hours | 2 | |
| Total Semester Hours | 120-122 | |
| Year 1 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Fall | S.H. | |
| YSU 1500 | Success Seminar or Youngstown State University Success Seminar or Intro to Honors | 1-2 |
| GEOL 1505 & 1505L | Physical Geology and Physical Geology Laboratory | 4 |
| ENGL 1550 or ENGL 1549 | Writing 1 or Writing 1 with Support | 3-4 |
| CHEM 1515 & 1515L | General Chemistry 1 and General Chemistry 1 Laboratory | 4 |
| GER Arts and Humanities Elective | 3 | |
| Gen Ed Elective | 3 | |
| Semester Hours | 18-20 | |
| Spring | ||
| GEOL 2605 | Historical Geology | 4 |
| ENGL 1551 | Writing 2 | 3 |
| CHEM 1516 & 1516L | General Chemistry 2 and General Chemistry 2 Laboratory | 4 |
| GEOG 2626 | World Geography | 3 |
| Gen Ed Elective | 3 | |
| Semester Hours | 17 | |
| Year 2 | ||
| Fall | ||
| MATH 1570 | Applied Calculus 1 | 4 |
| GEOL 3700 | Mineralogy | 3 |
| ENST 2600 & 2600L | Foundations of Environmental Science and Foundations of Environmental Science Laboratory | 4 |
| GEOL 3750 | Geoscience Seminar (Optional) | 1 |
| Semester Hours | 12 | |
| Spring | ||
| GEOL 3717 | Petrology | 3 |
| CMST 1545 | Communication Foundations | 3 |
| Science Elective II | 3-5 | |
| Science Elective I | 3-5 | |
| Science Elective I | 3-5 | |
| Semester Hours | 15 | |
| Year 3 | ||
| Fall | ||
| GEOL 3701 | Geomorphology | 3 |
| FNLG 1501 | Conversational Foreign Language 1 | 3 |
| GER Social Science Elective | 3 | |
| GEOL/ENST 3700+ Science Elective II | 3-4 | |
| GEOL 3750 | Geoscience Seminar (Optional) | 1 |
| Science Elective I | 3-5 | |
| Semester Hours | 16 | |
| Spring | ||
| FNLG 1502 | Conversational Foreign Language 2 | 3 |
| GEOL 3705 | Structures and Landscapes | 4 |
| GER Arts and Humanities | 3 | |
| GEOL/ENST Science Elective II | 3-4 | |
| ENST 5810 | Environmental Safety | 3 |
| Semester Hours | 16 | |
| Year 4 | ||
| Fall | ||
| GEOL 3750 | Geoscience Seminar (Optional) | 1 |
| GEOL/ENST 3700+ Science Elective II | 3-4 | |
| GEOL/ENST 3700+ Science Elective II | 3-4 | |
| Science Elective Course | 3 | |
| Science Elective Course | 2 | |
| Semester Hours | 12 | |
| Spring | ||
| GEOL 5802 | Sedimentology and Stratigraphy (Capstone Course) | 3 |
| Science Elective I | 3-5 | |
| GEOL/ENST 3700+ Science Elective II | 3-4 | |
| PHIL 2631 | Environmental Ethics (GER Social and Personal Awareness) | 3 |
| Elective Course | 2 | |
| Semester Hours | 14 | |
| Total Semester Hours | 120-122 | |
Request a Graduation Evaluation after completing 80-85 s.h. from the STEM Advising Center, 2325 Moser Hall, (330) 941-2512.
The Bachelor of Arts degree in Geology prepares students for employment by:
1. Encouraging and preparing undergraduate students for engagement in research activities,
2. Improving the preparation of graduates for the regional growth of geology careers due to the growing natural gas and petrochemical processing industry,
3. The program change places an emphasis on applied learning.