Why major in Geology at MTSU?

1. The Basics:

If you’re fascinated by how the environment affects us and vice versa, or if you’re concerned about maintaining clean water and a healthy environment, Geology might be the major for you. As a Geology major, you’ll learn how and why the Earth has evolved. You’ll study natural and artificial environmental processes and learn how those processes should be improved. You’ll study the history of the earth and see how humans have brought about change for better or for worse. Geologists are concerned with the entire physical makeup of the earth, and many specializations are available within the major. Mineralogists study the formation and structures of minerals while glaciologists study ice. Paleontologists are concerned with what fossils can tell us about our history while economic geologists search for valuable minerals like crystallized carbon. Other areas to study include the formation of the Earth’s crust, the continents, planets, chemical elements of rocks, and water. No matter what your concentration, you’ll be learning how all aspects of the earth relate to each other—and to us.

2. Geology as a Career

Geology can be a very interesting and rewarding career. The minimum training required is a college degree in geology. Pre-college students who are interested in becoming a geologist should take college preparatory courses in earth science, biology, chemistry, physics and math. Courses related to writing, environmental science, computers, geography and mapping are also valuable.

Geologists work in a variety of settings which include: natural resource companies, environmental consulting companies, government agencies, non-profit organizations, and universities. Many geologists do field work at least part of the time. Others spend their time in laboratories, classrooms or offices. All geologists prepare reports, do calculations and use computers. Although a bachelor's degree is required for entry level employment, many geologists earn masters and/or doctorate degrees. The advanced degrees provide a higher level of training, often in a geology specialty area such as paleontology, mineralogy, hydrology or volcanology. Advanced degrees will often qualify the geologist for supervisory positions, research assignments or teaching positions at the university level. These are some of the most desirable jobs in the field of geology.

Geology is one of the highest paying, in-demand disciplines of the 21st century job market. As indicated by the following graph, starting salaries for geologists in the petroleum industry average over $80,000 per year. Other areas, such as mining, also are in high demand. Additional information on the current geology job market is available at http://geology.com/jobs.htm

Graph of average annual salaries of geologists in the petroleum industry as published by the American Association of Petroleum Geologists as part of the AAPG Annual Salary Survey. These represent employees in the petroleum industry with zero to two years of experience. These new employees hold a mix of bachelor's, master's and Ph.D. degrees.

3. Field Trips

Geology is best studied in the field! Accordingly, no MTSU major will get you off-campus and out of the 'Boro more than geology. Many required courses include at least one weekend field trip to localities throughout the southeast and mid-south. These trips are not only great academic learning experiences, but also opportunities to have fun with your fellow geology majors and your professors. All geology majors are required to attend a 4 to 6 week geology field camp in western North America, usually between the junior and senior years. The Department of Geosciences also offers its own 2-week summer field courses in the Southwest and Pacific Northwest.

4. Research

MTSU geology majors are strongly encouraged to pursue undergraduate research under the direction of a geology professor. Many students conduct research here at MTSU, while others choose to participate in summer research programs at other universities. Research is a great way to prepare for both graduate school and a professional geology career. Starting research early in your undergraduate program is important to the development of a comprehensive understanding of the science of geology. Students conducting research often travel to scientific conferences to present results of their research, as well as to meet geology professors and students from other universities.

5. Graduate School

Many MTSU geology majors receive full graduate teaching or research assistantship awards in geology at universities throughout the United States. (That means that they receive full graduate tuition and fees, plus a monthly salary for teaching and/or conducting research!) Receiving a graduate assistantship award requires hard work at the undergraduate level, but the rewards are invaluable. Recent MTSU graduates have attended Vanderbilt University, Notre Dame University, The University of Oklahoma, The University of Memphis, Miami University (Ohio), The University of Tennessee, SUNY Stony Brook, Northern Arizona University, and Southern Illinois University - just to name a few.

MTSU Geology Degree Requirements:

Before embarking on a major in geology, be sure to meet with a geology advisor in the Department of Geosciences. He/she will advise you on which courses to take, and when. Some geology courses are only offered every third semester, and a few only every other academic year. Some courses have strict prerequisites, some none at all. So, it is very important to meet with a geology advisor to work out a schedule of courses that will allow you to complete your degree in a timely manner.

Geology Core (39-43 hrs):

GEOL 1030 Introduction to Earth Science
GEOL 1031 Introduction to Earth Science Lab
GEOL 1040 Physical Geology (not required of students with an A or B in GEOL 1030)
GEOL 1041 Physical Geology Lab (not required of students with an A or B in GEOL 1031)
GEOG 2000 Introduction to Regional Geology
GEOL 1050 Historical Geology (Dr. Lobegeier)
GEOL 3000 Mineralogy (Dr. Cribb)
GEOL 3050 Field Methods in Geology (Dr. Abolins)
GEOL 3060 Computer Methods in Geology (Dr. Zawislak)
GEOL 3160 Geologic Literature and Report Writing (Dr. Harris)
GEOL 4000 Petrology and Petrography (Dr. Cribb)
GEOL 4020 Geomorphic Regions of the United States (Dr. Henry)
GEOL 4030 Invertebrate Paleontology (Dr. Lobegeier)
GEOL 4070 Sedimentation and Stratigraphy (Dr. Harris)
GEOL 4080 Structural Geology (Dr. Abolins)
GEOL 4100 Geophysical Prospecting (Dr. Zawislak)
GEOL 4130 Hydrogeology (Dr. Ogden)
GEOL 4580 Seminar in Geology

Geology Elective to be chosen from the following (3 hrs):

GEOL 3010 Oceanography (Dr. Harris)
GEOL 4140 Inorganic Geochemistry (Dr. Cribb)
GEOL 4110 Earth Geophysics (Dr. Zawislak)
GEOL 4150 Environmental Applications of Hydrogeology (Dr. Ogden)
GEOL 4160 Geologic Remote Sensing (Dr. Abolins)

Cognate 1 (19 hrs)

CHEM 1110/1111 General Chemistry I
CHEM 1120/1121 General Chemistry II
MATH 1910 Calculus I
MATH 1920 Calculus II
GEOG 4530 Geographic Information Systems (or an approved 3-hr course in math or science)

Cognate 2 (18 hrs)

PHYS 2010/2011 Physics I or PHYS 2110/2111 Physics I
BIOL 1110/1111 General Biology I or PHYS 2020/2021 Physics II or PHYS 2120/2121 Physics II
Western North America Geology Field Camp
Math/Science Elective
Geology Elective

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