Total Courses Required
10.0 GEOS + 4 in other departments
Core Courses
GEOS 110, GEOS 280, GEOS 310, GEOS 350, GEOS 450
Other Required Courses
- GEOS 125 & GEOS 230
- At least 3 course credits from the following courses (at least two must be at the 200 level or higher AND at least 1 of the 2 must be at the 300 or higher level): GEOS 117, GEOS 190, GEOS 205, GEOS 220, GEOS 315, GEOS 330, GEOS 370, GEOS 380, GEOS 470*, GEOS 480*, GEOS 490* (*only 1 course credit counts towards major)
- At least four course credits from the following*: ANTH 253+, BIO 102, BIO 342+, BIO 345+, CHEM 120, CHEM 130, ECON 245+, PHIL 232, POLS 265, UNIV 170
*Students should consult with the department chair regarding other courses that might fulfill this requirement.
+These courses have prerequisites.
Number 300 & 400 Level Courses
Four
Senior Requirement & Capstone Experience
The senior requirement consists of GEOS 450. The Department of Geosciences Senior Seminar provides students with the opportunity to integrate skills and expertise learned in previous coursework at DePauw as well as to prepare for opportunities after graduating from DePauw. Students first create resumes/LinkedIn profiles and then research and prepare mock applications to graduate schools and potential employers. They also explore areas of the geosciences by critically reading and analyzing the primary literature, making an oral presentation summarizing the selected manuscripts, and then leading class discussions to investigate the topic(s) in more depth .
Additional Information
Recommended courses from which to choose:
- MATH 151 & MATH 152
- PHYS 120 & PHYS 130
- CSC 121 & CSC 122
- POLS courses (e.g., POLS 110, 170, 382)
- ANTH 253
- Additional GEOS, CHEM, and/or BIO courses
- Winter Term/Summer internship in a geoscience-related field
- Off-campus study in an approved geoscience program
- Summer geology field camp
Writing in the Major
Writing is an important skill for professional geoscientists. Whether publishing the results of research in a peer-reviewed journal, communicating the findings of a consulting project to a client in a technical report, or explaining our science to the general public, geoscientists must be able to communicate their ideas with writing that is clear, concise, and accurate. Furthermore, students are able to better refine and develop their thoughts and ideas as they strive to convey their message to others in writing. To facilitate the development of these skills, all students majoring in Earth Science, Environmental Geoscience, or Geology will satisfy their Writing in the Major requirement through writing assignments in advanced 300-level courses that have a WD (Writing in the Discipline) designation. In these courses, students will develop their writing-in-the-discipline skills within the context of multiple sub-disciplines in the geosciences (a minimum of at least three 300-level courses). Students not only will have the opportunity to prepare original papers/reports for different audiences using various lab report formats (e.g., EPA-style reports, etc.), but they also may have assignments where they provide feedback for other class participants and/or iteratively revise their own work. Students will be evaluated based on their ability to 1) effectively communicate their ideas using appropriate geologic terms and concepts, 2) adapt their writing style for different audiences and for specified report formats, and 3) appropriately incorporate references and citations into their papers.
