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Majors and Minors

Major Options and Minor Requirements

The Geology Major has three options available leading to either a Bachelor of Science degree or a Bachelor of Arts degree. Both degrees require a core of geology courses plus supporting courses in other science disciplines and mathematics.

The options for the Geology major include:

The Geology Department also offers a Minor in Geology.

 

Requirements for a Bachelor of Science in Geology

The Bachelor of Science in Geology requires 36 credits which include the following 32 hours of core courses:

  • GEOL 211 or 221. Physical Geology or Physical Geology for Science Majors (or GEOL 201. Introductory Geology in the Field offered only at the Wheaton College Science Station)
  • GEOL 321. Earth History and Stratigraphy
  • GEOL 336. Process Geomorphology
  • GEOL 342. Fundamentals of Geochemistry
  • GEOL 343. Fundamentals of Mineral Science
  • GEOL 344. General Petrology and Petrography
  • GEOL 443. Structural Geology
  • A summer field experience (GEOL 412. Field Geology or equivalent)
  • GEOL 494. Senior Seminar Capstone

An additional four hours in Geology is also required along with the following supporting courses:

  • CHEM 231 (or CHEM 236. Honors). General Chemistry I
  • PHYS 231 (or PHYS 221). Classical (or General) Physics
  • And either CHEM 232 (or CHEM 331. Honors). General Chemistry II or PHYS 232 (or PHYS 222). Classical (or General) Physics
  • MATH 221 or 231. Applied Calculus or Calculus I (MATH 232. Calculus II also recommended)

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Requirements for a Bachelor of Arts in Geology

The Bachelor of Arts in Geology requires 32 credits which includes the following core courses:

  • GEOL 211 or 221. Physical Geology or Physical Geology for Science Majors (or GEOL 201. Introductory Geology in the Field offered only at the Wheaton College Science Station)
  • GEOL 321. Earth History and Stratigraphy
  • GEOL 336. Process Geomorphology
  • GEOL 342. Fundamentals of Geochemistry
  • GEOL 343. Fundamentals of Mineral Science
  • GEOL 344. General Petrology and Petrography
  • GEOL 443. Structural Geology
  • A summer field experience (GEOL 412. Field Geology or equivalent)
  • GEOL 494 Senior Seminar Capstone

The following supporting courses are required:

  • Either CHEM 221. Introductory Chemistry I (or 236 or equivalent) or PHYS 221. General Physics
  • Either ENVR 241. Quantitative Methods, or B EC 321. Statistics, or equivalent

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Requirements for a Bachelor of Science or Arts with a teacher certification 6-12 in Physical Science with an emphasis in Geology

The Secondary Teacher Certification option leads to a Bachelor of Science or Arts degree with teacher certification 6-12 in Physical Science with an emphasis in Geology. http://www.wheaton.edu/sci_teach/ Requirements are as follows:

  • 22 hours in core requirements consisting of GEOL 208, 211, or 221 (or 201), 321, 306, 332, 336; ASTR 301 or 302; PHYS 315 (Meteorology).
  • 10 hours beyond the core from: GEOL 342, 343, 344, 355, 365, 412, 413, 443
  • Supporting courses in CHEM 231; PHYS 221, 222; MATH 221 or 231; BIOL 241.
  • SCI 321
  • Education courses as required by the Education Department

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Requirements for a Minor in Geology

To earn the minor in Geology 20 credits must be completed including GEOL 201, 211, or 221 and 321. Chemistry or Physics majors who take a Geology minor should include GEOL 342 or 365 respectively.