Geological Sciences, B.S.
The Bachelor of Science degree in Geological Sciences concerns the study of the dynamics and physical history of the Earth, the rocks of which it is composed, and its physical, chemical, and biological changes.
Learning Outcomes
- Students will demonstrate their knowledge of fundamental concepts and laboratory skills in the geosciences by responding to written and laboratory-practical exam questions in at least one of the following courses: GEOL 302, GEOL 305, GEOL 315, GEOL 325, GEOL 335, GEOL 345 and GEOL 355.
- Students will demonstrate knowledge of geological field skills by demonstrating a competency at the proficiency level on a geologic mapping exercise, preferably the Sheep Mountain project, in GEOL 500.
Admissions
Entrance Requirements
New freshmen who meet University admissions standards are eligible for admission to degree programs offered by the college. A student who wishes to enter the College of Arts and Sciences from another college on the Columbia campus must be in good standing and have a cumulative GPA of 2.00 or higher. A student who wishes to enter the College of Arts and Sciences from another UofSC campus must fulfill one of the following requirements:
- Be in good standing, meet the admission requirements for a baccalaureate degree on the Columbia campus, and have a cumulative GPA of 2.00 or higher.
- Be in good standing and have completed 30 semester hours with a GPA of 2.00 or higher on a UofSC campus.
Some programs in the College of Arts and Sciences have special admission requirements established by the department or committee that supervises the specific degree program, for example, Cardiovascular Technology, Biological Sciences, Chemistry, Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Economics, Environmental Science, the Bachelor of Arts in Interdisciplinary Studies, and the Bachelor of Science in Interdisciplinary Studies. These requirements are listed in the sections of this bulletin that describe department and special degree programs.
Degree Requirements (120 hours)
Program of Study
| Requirements | Credit Hours |
|---|---|
| 1. Carolina Core | 34-46 |
| 2. College Requirements | 15-18 |
| 3. Program Requirements | 24-46 |
| 4. Major Requirements | 27-43 |
Founding Documents Requirement
All undergraduate students must take a 3-credit course or its equivalent with a passing grade in the subject areas of History, Political Science, or African American Studies that covers the founding documents including the United State Constitution, the Declaration of Independence, the Emancipation Proclamation and one or more documents that are foundational to the African American Freedom struggle, and a minimum of five essays from the Federalist papers. This course may count as a requirement in any part of the program of study including the Carolina Core, the major, minor or cognate, or as a general elective. Courses that meet this requirement are listed here.
1. Carolina Core Requirement (34-46 hours)
CMW – Effective, Engaged, and Persuasive Communication: Written (6 hours)
must be passed with a grade of C or higher
- any CC-CMW courses
ARP – Analytical Reasoning and Problem Solving (6-8 hours)
SCI – Scientific Literacy (8 hours)
GFL – Global Citizenship and Multicultural Understanding: Foreign Language (0-6 hours)
Demonstration of proficiency in one foreign language equivalent to the minimal passing grade on the exit examination in the 122 course is required. Students can demonstrate this proficiency by successfully completing Phase II of the Proficiency Test or by successfully completing the 122 course, including the exit exam administered as part of that course.
It is strongly recommended that students continuing the study of a foreign language begin college-level study of that language in their first semester and continue in that language until their particular foreign language requirement is completed.
GHS – Global Citizenship and Multicultural Understanding: Historical Thinking (3 hours)
- any CC-GHS course
GSS – Global Citizenship and Multicultural Understanding: Social Sciences (3 hours)
- any CC-GSS course
AIU – Aesthetic and Interpretive Understanding (3 hours)
- any CC-AIU course
CMS – Effective, Engaged, and Persuasive Communication: Spoken Component1 (0-3 hours)
- any overlay or stand-alone CC-CMS course
INF – Information Literacy1 (0-3 hours)
- any overlay or stand-alone CC-INF course
VSR – Values, Ethics, and Social Responsibility1 (0-3 hours)
any overlay or stand-alone CC-VSR course
| 1 | Carolina Core Stand Alone or Overlay Eligible Requirements — Overlay-approved courses offer students the option of meeting two Carolina Core components in a single course. A maximum of two overlays is allowed. The total Carolina Core credit hours must add up to a minimum of 31 hours. Some programs may have a higher number of minimum Carolina Core hours due to specified requirements. |
2. College Requirements (15-18 hours)
Foreign Language (0-3 hours)
- only if needed to meet 122-level proficiency
Analytical Reasoning (6 hours)
History (3 hours)
The College of Arts and Sciences requires one additional GHS course beyond the Carolina Core GHS requirement.
- If the Carolina Core GHS requirement is fulfilled by a U.S. history course, the College of Arts and Sciences history requirement must be fulfilled by a non-U.S. history course.
- If the Carolina Core GHS requirement is fulfilled by a non-U.S. history course, the College of Arts and Sciences history requirement must be fulfilled by a U.S. history course.
Please select the College of Arts and Sciences history requirement from the approved list of U.S. and non-U.S. history courses.
Social Science and Fine Arts or Humanities (6 hours)
- Three hours of Social Science
- Three hours of Fine Arts or Humanities
3. Program Requirements (24-46 hours)
Supporting Courses (12 hours)
| Course | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Select one of the following: | 4 | |
| Introduction to the Earth | ||
| Environment of the Earth | ||
| Observing the Earth | ||
| Select two of the following: | 8 | |
| General Physics II and General Physics Laboratory II | ||
| Essentials of Physics II and Essentials of Physics II Lab | ||
| General Chemistry II and General Chemistry II Lab | ||
| Biological Principles I and Biological Principles I Laboratory | ||
| Biological Principles II and Biological Principles II Laboratory | ||
| Total Credit Hours | 12 | |
Cognate (12 hours)
The cognate is intended to support the course work in the major. The cognate must consist of twelve (12) hours of courses at the advanced level, outside of but related to the major. The cognate may be taken in one or more departments or programs, depending on the interests of the student and the judgment of the advisor.
Courses offered by departments and programs that are acceptable for cognate credit are outlined in the section titled Courses Acceptable for Cognate Credit in Degree Programs in the College of Arts and Sciences.
For cognate course offerings in other colleges, consult the appropriate sections of this bulletin. Some major programs have specific cognate requirements.
It should be emphasized that the cognate is not a second set of elective courses to be chosen at random by the student. The cognate must be approved by the major advisor as being related to the major field of study. Students are urged to consult their major advisors for specific requirements in their major.
Courses applied toward general education requirements cannot be counted toward the cognate.
For Bachelor of Science degrees, grades of D are acceptable for completion of the cognate requirement, except where restricted by the major program.
Minor (18 hours) optional
In place of the cognate a student in the College of Arts and Sciences may choose a minor consisting of at least 18 credit hours of prescribed courses. (Some minors in the sciences require a minimum of 16 hours.) The subject area of the minor may be related to the major.
Students pursuing interdisciplinary minors who wish to use courses in their major department for minor credit must petition the College Committee on Scholastic Standards and Petitions for permission to do so.
The minor is intended to develop a coherent basic preparation in a second area of study. It differs from the cognate inasmuch as the courses must be concentrated in one area and must follow a structured sequence. Interdisciplinary minors can be designed with the approval of the assistant dean for academic affairs and advising.
Courses applied toward general education requirements cannot be counted toward the minor. No course may satisfy both major and minor requirements. All minor courses must be passed with a grade of C or higher. At least half of the courses in the minor must be completed in residence at the University.
Minors are available in participating departments of the College of Arts and Sciences and in other colleges. For descriptions of specific minors, students should see the appropriate sections of the bulletin.
A list of minor programs of study can be found at Programs A-Z.
Electives (0-22 hours)
No courses of a remedial, developmental, skill-acquiring, or vocational nature may apply as credit toward degrees in the College of Arts and Sciences. The College of Arts and Sciences allows the use of the Pass-Fail option on elective courses. Further clarification on inapplicable courses can be obtained from the College of Arts and Sciences.
4. Major Requirements (27-43 hours)
a minimum grade of C is required in all major courses
Choose one of the following concentrations:
General Geological Sciences Major (28-30 hours)
| Course | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| GEOL 302 | Rocks and Minerals | 4 |
| GEOL 325 | Stratigraphy and Sedimentary Basins | 4 |
| GEOL 345 | Igneous and Metamorphic Processes | 4 |
| GEOL 355 | Structural Geology and Tectonics | 4 |
| GEOL 500 | Field Geology | 4-6 |
| Select two of the following: | 8 | |
| Earth Systems through Time | ||
| Surface and Near Surface Processes | ||
| Processes of Global Environmental Change | ||
| Total Credit Hours | 28-30 | |
General Geologic Sciences Major with Environmental Geosciences Concentration (27-30 hours)
| Course | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| GEOL 302 | Rocks and Minerals | 4 |
| GEOL 315 | Surface and Near Surface Processes | 4 |
| GEOL 325 | Stratigraphy and Sedimentary Basins | 4 |
| GEOL 335 | Processes of Global Environmental Change | 4 |
| GEOL 355 | Structural Geology and Tectonics | 4 |
| GEOL 500 | Field Geology | 4-6 |
| Select one of the following: | 3-4 | |
| Earth Systems through Time | ||
| A View of the River | ||
| Environmental Geophysics | ||
| Total Credit Hours | 27-30 | |
General Geological Sciences Major with Geophysics Concentration (40-43 hours)
Students complete the requirements for the General Geological Sciences Major (28-30 hours) with the MATH 141 and 142 Carolina Core option, and also complete an additional 12-13 credit hours from the courses listed here:
| Course | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| MATH 241 | Vector Calculus | 3 |
| MATH 242 | Elementary Differential Equations | 3 |
| Select two of the following: | 6-7 | |
| Principles of Geomorphology | ||
| Isotope Geology and Geochronology | ||
| Plate Tectonics | ||
| Marine Geophysics | ||
| Environmental Geophysics | ||
| Environmental Hydrogeology | ||
| Numerical Modeling for Earth Science Applications | ||
Intensive Geological Sciences Major (41-43 hours)
| Course | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| GEOL 302 | Rocks and Minerals | 4 |
| GEOL 305 | Earth Systems through Time | 4 |
| GEOL 315 | Surface and Near Surface Processes | 4 |
| GEOL 325 | Stratigraphy and Sedimentary Basins | 4 |
| GEOL 335 | Processes of Global Environmental Change | 4 |
| GEOL 345 | Igneous and Metamorphic Processes | 4 |
| GEOL 355 | Structural Geology and Tectonics | 4 |
| GEOL 500 | Field Geology (senior capstone experience) | 4-6 |
| Select 9 credits of GEOL courses numbered 399 or higher | 9 | |
| Total Credit Hours | 41-43 | |
Degree with Distinction in Geological Sciences
Available to students majoring in Geological Sciences who wish to participate in significant research activities in their major field under the supervision of a faculty mentor. Students who successfully fulfill all of these requirements will be awarded their degree with “Distinction in Geological Sciences” upon graduation. South Carolina Honors College students taking this route would graduate with both Honors in SCHC and “Distinction in Geological Sciences”.
Requirements:
- A minimum GPA of 3.5 in the major and 3.3 institutional.
- A written sponsorship agreement from the faculty mentor on file in the department.
- Public presentation of the Senior Thesis research accompanied by a written document approved by the faculty mentor and a second reader that follows the guidelines of the School of the Earth, Ocean and Environment.
- 3 courses (9 hours) in addition to the general major requirements, including:
Major Map
A major map is a layout of required courses in a given program of study, including critical courses and suggested course sequences to ensure a clear path to graduation.
Major maps are only a suggested or recommended sequence of courses required in a program of study. Please contact your academic advisor for assistance in the application of specific coursework to a program of study and course selection and planning for upcoming semesters.
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