Earth Science BA/BS
The Earth Science major provides a broad-based science education with focus on Earth’s systems, including the geosphere, hydrosphere, atmosphere and biosphere. Students gain an understanding of the major features of each of these systems with foundational courses in Earth system science, environmental earth science, historical geology, and earth materials. Elective courses in the program include hydrogeology, structural field geology, geographic information systems, geochemistry, ecology, and field biology. Students can opt to participate in internships, research projects, or serve as teaching assistants. The program prepares students for a wide variety of careers in the private and government sectors including the fields of environmental science, geotechnical services, natural hazards mitigation, mining and petroleum industries, and resource management. It also provides an excellent foundation for students interested in continuing their education with graduate work in the natural sciences. Students may complete additional courses required for secondary teaching certification.
The goals of the Earth Science program are to provide students with learning experiences in the classroom, laboratory, and field so that they are well-prepared to:
- Understand the major features and processes in Earth’s systems and the interrelationships between them;
- Understand the interactions between Earth systems and human society;
- Apply geoscience knowledge and critical thinking skills to identify and address a variety of Earth science problems;
- Understand field research techniques and be able to critically interpret geologic phenomena in the field;
- Apply scientific methods with clearly articulated hypotheses and understand the fundamentals of collecting and applying data to test hypotheses;
- Communicate in a scientifically effective manner, in both oral and written form.
General Education Requirements
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Written Communication | ||
| Select one of the following: | 6.00 | |
| WRITING AND RHETORIC I and WRITING AND RHETORIC II | ||
| COLLEGE WRITING AND RESEARCH | ||
| Oral Communication | ||
| Select one from the following: | 3.00 | |
| FUNDAMENTALS OF ORAL COMMUNICATION | ||
| SMALL GROUP COMMUNICATION | ||
| PUBLIC SPEAKING | ||
| Mathematical Ways of Knowing | ||
| Select one of the following: | 3.00-5.00 | |
| PRECALCULUS I: ALGEBRA | ||
| PRECALCULUS | ||
| CALCULUS I | ||
| Humanistic & Artistic Ways of Knowing | ||
| Select one course from two categories: | 6.00-8.00 | |
Literature | ||
| LITERATURE AND IDEAS | ||
| WORLD CLASSICS | ||
| INTERNATIONAL LITERATURE | ||
| NATIVE AMERICAN LITERATURE | ||
| MYTHOLOGIES | ||
Arts | ||
| INTRODUCTION TO ART | ||
| THE ART AND HISTORY OF THE MOTION PICTURE | ||
| INTRODUCTION TO THE ARTS | ||
| SURVEY OF MUSIC | ||
| MUSIC IN AMERICA | ||
| WORLD MUSIC | ||
| HISTORY OF MUSICAL THEATER | ||
| HISTORY OF JAZZ AND POPULAR MUSIC STYLES | ||
| SURVEY OF THE THEATER | ||
Language | ||
| NEZ PERCE LANGUAGE AND CULTURE | ||
| NEZ PERCE LANGUAGE AND HISTORY | ||
| ELEMENTARY SPANISH I | ||
| ELEMENTARY SPANISH II | ||
| Scientific Ways of Knowing | ||
| Select two of the following: | 8.00 | |
| PRINCIPLES OF CHEMISTRY I | ||
| GENERAL PHYSICS I | ||
or PHYS-211 | PHYSICS FOR SCIENTISTS AND ENGINEERS I | |
| Social & Behavioral Ways of Knowing | ||
| Select one course from two disciplines: | 6.00 | |
| CULTURAL ANTHROPOLOGY | ||
| WORLD PREHISTORY | ||
| INTRODUCTION TO NATIVE AMERICAN STUDIES | ||
| PRINCIPLES OF MACROECONOMICS | ||
| PRINCIPLES OF MICROECONOMICS | ||
| INTRODUCTION TO GEOGRAPHY | ||
| WORLD HISTORY I | ||
| WORLD HISTORY II | ||
| UNITED STATES HISTORY I | ||
| UNITED STATES HISTORY II | ||
| DIVERSITY IN ORGANIZATIONS | ||
| HUMAN RELATIONS IN ORGANIZATIONS | ||
| AMERICAN NATIONAL GOVERNMENT | ||
| INTERNATIONAL POLITICS | ||
| COMPARATIVE GOVERNMENT | ||
| INTRODUCTION TO GENERAL PSYCHOLOGY | ||
| LIFESPAN DEVELOPMENTAL PSYCHOLOGY | ||
| INTRODUCTION TO SOCIOLOGY | ||
| SOCIAL PROBLEMS | ||
| DIVERSITY IN ORGANIZATIONS | ||
| HUMAN RELATIONS IN ORGANIZATIONS | ||
| Global Perspectives | ||
| Select one of the following: | 3.00-4.00 | |
| CULTURAL ANTHROPOLOGY | ||
| WORLD PREHISTORY | ||
| INTRODUCTION TO NATIVE AMERICAN STUDIES | ||
| RACE AND ETHNICITY | ||
| INTERCULTURAL COMMUNICATION | ||
| INTERNATIONAL LITERATURE | ||
| NATIVE AMERICAN WRITTEN LITERATURE | ||
| INTRODUCTION TO GEOGRAPHY | ||
| WORLD HISTORY I | ||
| WORLD HISTORY II | ||
| UNITED STATES HISTORY I | ||
| UNITED STATES HISTORY II | ||
| DIVERSITY IN ORGANIZATIONS | ||
| ETHICS AND IDENTITY | ||
| SOCIAL-CULTURAL ASPECTS OF SPORTS | ||
| NEZ PERCE LANGUAGE AND CULTURE | ||
| NEZ PERCE LANGUAGE AND HISTORY | ||
| COMPARATIVE GOVERNMENT | ||
| INTRODUCTION TO SOCIOLOGY | ||
| ELEMENTARY SPANISH I | ||
| ELEMENTARY SPANISH II | ||
| INTERMEDIATE SPANISH I | ||
| INTERMEDIATE SPANISH II | ||
| Integrative Seminar: Ethics & Values | ||
| Select one of the following: | 3.00 | |
ID 300A - 300Z (see course descriptions for options) | ||
| HELLS CANYON INSTITUTE | ||
| Foreign/Heritage Language | ||
| Select 16 credits of language if selecting Bachelor of Arts Degree | 16.00 | |
| Total Credits | 38.00-43.00 | |
Program Requirements
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Major Courses | ||
| CHEM-112 | PRINCIPLES OF CHEMISTRY II | 4.00 |
| GEOL-101 | PHYSICAL GEOLOGY | 4.00 |
| or GEOL-120 | INTRODUCTION TO EARTH SYSTEMS | |
| GEOL-202 | HISTORICAL GEOLOGY | 4.00 |
| GEOL-313 | EARTH MATERIALS I | 4.00 |
| GEOL-314 | EARTH MATERIALS II | 4.00 |
| GEOL-450 | EARTH SYSTEMS CAPSTONE | 3.00 |
| GEOL-491 | WORKSHOP IN GEOLOGY | 1.00 |
| CALCULUS I (Required if not taken as core) | ||
| PHYS-205 | DESCRIPTIVE ASTRONOMY | 4.00 |
| PHYS-112 | GENERAL PHYSICS II | 4.00 |
| or PHYS-212 | PHYSICS FOR SCIENTISTS AND ENGINEERS II | |
| Electives | ||
| Select 4 credits of GEOL or GIS 200 level or higher | 4.00 | |
| Select 7 credits of GEOL or GIS 300 level or higher | 7.00 | |
| Select 39 elective credits | 39.00 | |
| Total Credits | 82.00 | |
Sequential Plan of Study
| First Year | ||
|---|---|---|
| Fall | Credits | |
| CHEM-111 | PRINCIPLES OF CHEMISTRY I | 4.00 |
| CORE | Social & Behavioral Ways of Knowing | 3.00 |
| ENGL-101 | WRITING AND RHETORIC I | 3.00 |
| GEOL-101 or GEOL-120 |
PHYSICAL GEOLOGY or INTRODUCTION TO EARTH SYSTEMS |
4.00 |
| Elective | Elective Credits | 3.00 |
| Credits | 17.00 | |
| Spring | ||
| ENGL-102 | WRITING AND RHETORIC II | 3.00 |
| CORE | Oral Communication | 3.00 |
| CHEM-112 | PRINCIPLES OF CHEMISTRY II | 4.00 |
| Elective | Elective Credits | 3.00 |
| Credits | 13.00 | |
| Second Year | ||
| Fall | ||
| CORE | Humanistic & Artistic Ways of Knowing | 3.00 |
| CORE | MATH-143, MATH-147 or MATH-170 | 3.00-5.00 |
| PHYS-111 or PHYS-211 |
GENERAL PHYSICS I or PHYSICS FOR SCIENTISTS AND ENGINEERS I |
4.00-5.00 |
| Program Requirement | Select GEOL or GIS course 200 level or above | 4.00 |
| Credits | 14.00-17.00 | |
| Spring | ||
| CORE | Humanistic & Artistic Ways of Knowing | 3.00 |
| GEOL-202 | HISTORICAL GEOLOGY | 4.00 |
| PHYS-112 or PHYS-212 |
GENERAL PHYSICS II or PHYSICS FOR SCIENTISTS AND ENGINEERS II |
4.00-5.00 |
| Program Requirement | Select GEOL or GIS course 200 level or above | 4.00 |
| Credits | 15.00-16.00 | |
| Third Year | ||
| Fall | ||
| CORE | Social & Behavioral Ways of Knowing | 3.00 |
| GEOL-313 | EARTH MATERIALS I | 4.00 |
| PHYS-205 | DESCRIPTIVE ASTRONOMY | 4.00 |
| Program Requirement | Select GEOL or GIS course 200 level or above | 3.00 |
| Elective | Elective Credits | 3.00 |
| Credits | 17.00 | |
| Spring | ||
| CORE | Global Perspectives | 3.00 |
| CORE | Integrative Seminar: Ethics & Values | 3.00 |
| GEOL-314 | EARTH MATERIALS II | 4.00 |
| Elective | Elective Credits | 3.00 |
| Elective | Elective Credits | 3.00 |
| Credits | 16.00 | |
| Fourth Year | ||
| Fall | ||
| GEOL-491 | WORKSHOP IN GEOLOGY | 1.00 |
| Elective | Elective Credits | 3.00 |
| Elective | Elective Credits | 3.00 |
| Elective | Elective Credits | 3.00 |
| Elective | Elective Credits | 3.00 |
| Credits | 13.00 | |
| Spring | ||
| GEOL-450 | EARTH SYSTEMS CAPSTONE | 3.00 |
| Elective | Elective Credits | 3.00 |
| Elective | Elective Credits | 3.00 |
| Elective | Elective Credits | 3.00 |
| Elective | Elective Credits | 3.00 |
| Credits | 15.00 | |
| Total Credits | 120.00-124.00 | |