Program Overview
Geology and Geophysics, BA
The interdisciplinary department of Geoscience offers an undergraduate degree in geology and geophysics, with graduate degrees offered in both disciplines.
Program Description
The Geology and Geophysics major offers unusual opportunities to integrate knowledge and technology from chemistry, biology, physics, engineering, space science, and other disciplines to understand processes that have shaped the Earth, its environments, and the life that it has sustained over billions of years. Geoscientists provide insight on surface and groundwater resources and how to protect and preserve them. They probe the causes and potential risks associated with natural hazards including earthquakes, volcanoes, floods, hurricanes, landslides, climate change, and sea level rise.
How to Get in
- No application required.
- All students who meet the requirements listed below are eligible to declare.
- Courses required to get in: None
- GPA requirements to get in: None
- Credits required to get in: None
- Other: None
University General Education Requirements
All undergraduate students at the University of Wisconsin-Madison are required to fulfill a minimum set of common university general education requirements to ensure that every graduate acquires the essential core of an undergraduate education.
- BreadthHumanities/Literature/Arts: 6 credits
- BreadthNatural Science: 4 to 6 credits
- BreadthSocial Studies: 3 credits
- Communication Part A & Part B
- Ethnic Studies
- Quantitative Reasoning Part A & Part B
College of Letters & Science Degree Requirements: Bachelor of Arts (BA)
Students pursuing a bachelor of arts degree in the College of Letters & Science must complete all of the requirements below.
Bachelor of Arts Degree Requirements
- Mathematics: Complete the University General Education Requirements for Quantitative Reasoning A (QR-A) and Quantitative Reasoning B (QR-B) coursework.
- Language: Complete the fourth unit of a language other than English; OR Complete the third unit of a language and the second unit of an additional language other than English.
- L&S Breadth:
- 12 credits of Humanities, which must include 6 credits of literature; and
- 12 credits of Social Science; and
- 12 credits of Natural Science, which must include one 3+ credit Biological Science course and one 3+ credit Physical Science course.
- Liberal Arts and Science Coursework: Complete at least 108 credits.
- Depth of Intermediate/Advanced work: Complete at least 60 credits at the intermediate or advanced level.
- Major: Declare and complete at least one major.
- Total Credits: Complete at least 120 credits.
- UW-Madison Experience:
- 30 credits in residence, overall; and
- 30 credits in residence after the 86th credit.
- Quality of Work:
- 2.000 in all coursework at UWMadison
- 2.000 in Intermediate/Advanced level coursework at UWMadison
Requirements for the Major
Prospective majors are strongly encouraged to seek assistance from a faculty advisor in order to choose courses appropriate to their interests and career plans.
Background Requirements
- Calculus: Complete one sequence:
- MATH 221 & MATH 222: Calculus and Analytic Geometry 1 and Calculus and Analytic Geometry 2
- MATH 171 & MATH 217 & MATH 222: Calculus with Algebra and Trigonometry I and Calculus with Algebra and Trigonometry II and Calculus and Analytic Geometry 2
- Chemistry: Complete one sequence:
- CHEM 109: Advanced General Chemistry
- CHEM 103 & CHEM 104: General Chemistry I and General Chemistry II
- CHEM 115 & CHEM 116: Chemical Principles I and Chemical Principles II
- Physics:
- First Introductory Course: Complete one of the following:
- PHYSICS 207: General Physics
- PHYSICS 201: General Physics
- PHYSICS 247: A Modern Introduction to Physics
- E M A 201 & E M A 202: Statics and Dynamics
- Second Introductory Course: Complete one of the following:
- PHYSICS 208: General Physics
- PHYSICS 202: General Physics
- PHYSICS 248: A Modern Introduction to Physics
- First Introductory Course: Complete one of the following:
- Total Credits: 24-35
Geology & Geophysics Core Coursework
- Complete all of the following:
- GEOSCI 100 or GEOSCI/ENVIR ST 106: Introductory Geology: How the Earth Works or Environmental Geology
- GEOSCI 202: Introduction to Geologic Structures
- GEOSCI 204: Geologic Evolution of the Earth
- GEOSCI/G L E 360: Principles of Mineralogy
- GEOSCI/G L E 370: Elementary Petrology
- Advanced Breadth: Complete one:
- GEOSCI/G L E 350: Introduction to Geophysics: The Dynamic Earth
- GEOSCI 375: Principles of Geochemistry
- GEOSCI 430: Sedimentology and Stratigraphy 1
- GEOSCI/G L E 455: Structural Geology
- Total Credits: 20-21
Geology & Geophysics Communication Requirement
- Complete one of the following:
- GEOSCI 402: Research and Communication in the Geological Sciences
- GEOSCI/ATM OCN/ENVIR ST/GEOG 335: Climatic Environments of the Past
- GEOSCI 430: Sedimentology and Stratigraphy 1
- GEOSCI 610: Geochronology, Timescales, and Rates of Geologic Processes
- GEOSCI/G L E 629: Contaminant Hydrogeology
- INTEREGR 397: Engineering Communication
Geology & Geophysics Major Electives
Complete additional upper-level coursework to reach a minimum of 34 credits in the major. GEOSCI courses numbered 300-692, except GEOSCI 331, are considered upper-level.
Residence and Quality of Work
- 2.000 GPA in all GEOSCI and major courses
- 2.000 on 15 upper-level major credits, taken in residence
- 15 credits in GEOSCI, taken on campus
Honors in the Major
Students may declare Honors in the Geology and Geophysics Major in consultation with the departmental undergraduate advisor.
Honors in the Major: Geology and Geophysics: Requirements
To earn Honors in the Geology and Geophysics Major, students must satisfy both the requirements for the major and the following additional requirements:
- Earn a 3.300 University GPA
- Earn a 3.400 GPA in all GEOSCI and major courses
- Complete GEOSCI 681 and GEOSCI 682, for a total of 6 credits, with a grade of B or better.
University Degree Requirements
- Total Degree: To receive a bachelor's degree from UWMadison, students must earn a minimum of 120 degree credits.
- Residency: Degree candidates are required to earn a minimum of 30 credits in residence at UWMadison.
- Quality of Work: Undergraduate students must maintain the minimum grade point average specified by the school, college, or academic program to remain in good academic standing.
Learning Outcomes
- Acquire a working knowledge of Earth history and the evidence used to constrain that history.
- Explain how various Earth systems operate and describe the basis for that understanding.
- Apply field/lab-based methods, spatial reasoning skills, temporal reasoning skills, and/or quantitative approaches to solve problems in geoscience.
- Analyze geological, biological, chemical, and/or physical information to understand Earth processes and the rates of those processes.
- Read the scientific literature and understand the employed methods, results, and emergent interpretations.
- Communicate scientific data, concepts, and models effectively.
Four-Year Plan
This Four-Year Plan is only one way a student may complete an L&S degree with this major.
First Year
- Fall:
- MATH 221 (Quantitative Reasoning B)
- CHEM 103
- GEOSCI 100 or 106
- Language
- Spring:
- MATH 222
- CHEM 104
- GEOSCI 204
- Comm A
Second Year
- Fall:
- PHYSICS 207
- GEOSCI 202
- GEOSCI/G L E 360
- L&S Breadth
- Spring:
- PHYSICS 208
- GEOSCI/G L E 370
- Ethnic Studies
- L&S Breadth
Third Year
- Fall:
- GEOSCI Elective 300 level and above
- GEOSCI Elective 300 level and above
- L&S Breadth
- L&S Breadth
- Elective
- Spring:
- GEOSCI Elective 300 level and above
- GEOSCI Elective 300 level and above
- L&S Breadth
- L&S Breadth
Fourth Year
- Fall:
- GEOSCI elective 300 level and above
- GEOSCI elective 300 level and above
- Comm B / GEOSCI 402
- Elective
- Spring:
- GEOSCI elective 300 level and above
- L&S Breadth
- L&S Breadth
- Elective
Advising and Careers
Declare or Cancel This Major
Please follow the process described on the Geoscience website.
Careers
More than half of all professional geologists and geophysicists work in hydrogeology, engineering geology, technical consulting, mining, or energy resource industries. The need for energy, environmental protection, and responsible land and resource management is expected to spur future demand for geoscientists. Geoscientists will be involved in discovering and developing next-generation energy and mineral resources. Such careers involve an unusual breadth of training and personal adaptability, and the MS degree is generally required. About one-fifth of all geoscientists work in state and federal geological surveys or research activities. These positions largely involve problems in geologic mapping, mineral resources, groundwater, and engineering. Geophysics offers opportunities in earthquake studies, seismic verification of nuclear test bans, and rock characterization techniques for waste disposal and groundwater modeling. Many geology students continue on to obtain a PhD degree and become faculty members at colleges or universities. A geology and geophysics major is also appropriate for those interested in careers in elementary or secondary education, environmental policy, or environmental law. Faculty advisors can provide additional information on career opportunities.