Oct 31, 2025

2020-2021 EIU Undergraduate Catalog

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2020-2021 EIU Undergraduate Catalog [ARCHIVED CATALOG]

Department of Geology-Geography

Geology (B.S.)

Total Semester Hours required for the Degree: 120 semester hours

Major

Semester hours required for the Geology Major: 67 semester hours

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. Credits: 3
CHM 1315G - General Chemistry Laboratory I. Credits: 1
CHM 1410 - General Chemistry II. Credits: 3
CHM 1415 - General Chemistry Laboratory II. Credits: 1
GEO 1300G - Introduction to Earth Sciences. Credits: 4
or
GEO 1320G - Geology of National Parks. Credits: 4
GEO 3420 - Geomorphology: Surficial Processes and Landforms. Credits: 3
GEO 2200 - History of the Earth. Credits: 4
GEO 2440 - Mineralogy. Credits: 4
GEO 3405 - Petrology. Credits: 4
GEO 3430 - Structural Geology. Credits: 3
GEO 3510 - Principles of Sedimentation. Credits: 3
GEO 3560 - Principles of Stratigraphy. Credits: 3
GEO 4850 - Environmental Geology. Credits: 3
MAT 1441G - Calculus and Analytic Geometry I. Credits: 5
PHY 1151G - Principles of Physics I. Credits: 3
PHY 1152G - Principles of Physics I Laboratory. Credits: 1
PHY 1161 - Principles of Physics II. Credits: 3
PHY 1162 - Principles of Physics II Laboratory. Credits: 1

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. Credits: 3
GEO 2450G - Oceanography. Credits: 3
GEO 3085 - Vertebrate Paleoenvironments and Paleoecology. Credits: 3
GEO 3115 - Introduction to Paleoclimate. Credits: 4
GEO 3440 - Tectonics. Credits: 3
GEO 3460 - Economic Mineral Deposits. Credits: 3
GEO 3470 - Seminar in Geology. Credits: 1 to 3
GEO 3505 - Volcanology. Credits: 3
GEO 3525 - Hydrogeology. Credits: 3
GEO 4200 - Introduction to Geophysical Exploration. Credits: 3
GEO 4480 - Optical Mineralogy. Credits: 4
GEO 4490 - Invertebrate Paleontology. Credits: 3

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. Credits: 3
GEO 3800 - Introduction to Cartography. Credits: 3
GEO 3810 - Introduction to Geographic Information Systems. Credits: 3
GEO 3820 - Remote Sensing I. Credits: 3

Footnote:

(Major GPA based on all geology and required earth science and geography courses taken at EIU.)