Geoscience (B.S.) - Hegis Code 1917.00

(Bachelor of Science Degree)

The mission of the Department of Geology is to provide knowledge and understanding of the earth and its hazards and resources as well as an understanding of the interactions of the earth with other natural environments and with society to students in Geoscience, the other natural sciences, liberal arts, and pre-professional programs who choose such courses as part of their majors, minors and general education electives.

Utica University offers both B.S. and B.A. degrees in Geoscience. The B.S. affords greater depth in geoscience and the other physical sciences and is designed to prepare students to work in applied earth and environmental science or pursue graduate studies in geoscience or related disciplines. Students interested in teaching should see also the Programs in Education.

Total credit hours required for degree: 120

Learning Objectives

Students who complete the BS degree will:

• Explain the fundamentals of the Theory of Plate Tectonics, including its causes and its effects, and the evidence that supports its occurrence;
• Describe aspects of Plate Tectonic Theory about which there is uncertainty and/or disagreement;
• Explain and provide illustrative examples of how earth processes and materials impact human society and how activities of human society impact the earth and environment;  describe and explain in detail several examples of each with emphasis on interactions with the geology in addition to the broader environment;
• Explain the limitations of several different methods used to perform historical science, and justify how and why multiple approaches are used simultaneously;
• Explain how modern-day processes can be used to reconstruct the processes and events of Earths’ deep past and its evolution over periods of time