The B.S. in Geology and Geological Oceanography is designed for students with an interest in earth, environmental or oceanographic science careers or affiliated fields such as environmental law and earth/environmental science education. Geoscientists are employed by three segments of the economy: private, government and academia. Opportunities exist with private companies in environmental protection and management and the petroleum industry has again begun to hire significant number of geologists.
The Department of Geosciences offers a single degree: the B.S. in geology and geological oceanography, with two options, a geology option and a geological oceanography option. This degree is designed for students with an interest in earth, environmental, or oceanographic science careers or affiliated fields such as environmental law and earth/environmental science education. The two options allow students to take specialty courses focusing on a range of geoscience topics such as environmental geology/hydrogeology, sedimentology/stratigraphy/paleontology, coastal geology/oceanography, geochemistry/petrology, or geophysics/tectonics, and supporting elective courses chosen from geosciences, natural resources science, environmental economics, and oceanography. Students may use their supporting electives to pursue in-depth study within a given field or to broaden their interdisciplinary perspective. Students are required to complete an interdisciplinary core of introductory courses including GEO 103 Understanding Earth (4), NRS 100 Natural Resource Conservation (3), and EEC 105 Introduction to Resource Economics (3); geosciences core courses including GEO 204 Problem-solving in Earth History (4), GEO 210 Landforms: Origins and Evolution (4), GEO 305G Global Climate Change (4), GEO 320 Earth Materials (4), GEO 370 Structure of the Earth (4), and GEO 450 Introduction to Sedimentary Geology (4); supporting science/mathematics courses including MTH 131 (3) or 141 (4); BIO 101 (3) and 103 (1); CHM 101 (3), 102 (1), STA 308 (4) or 409 (3); PHY 111 (3), 185 (1) or 203 (3), 273 (1); and one of the following: BIO 102 (3), 104 (1), CHM 112 (3), 114 (1), PHY 112 (3), 186 (1), MTH 132 (3), MTH 142 (4), PHY 204 (3), 274 (1), or CHM 124 (3), 126 (1); and 20 credits of supporting electives taken at the 200-level or above from EEC, GEO, NRS, OCG or from another program with prior approval from the GEO department chair; 3 credits of supporting elective may be satisfied by a 100-level course in GEO or OCG if taken within the first 60 credits. Double majoring in Geology and Geological Oceanography works well with other B.S. granting programs in CELS and also many Engineering programs.
GEO 480, 491, 497, and 499 and OCG 493/494 are capstone experiences available for this major. Internship experiences are encouraged; credit may be awarded through GEO397 if work is appropriate.
To transfer from University College to the College of the Environment and Life Sciences as a Geology and Geological Oceanography major (or be coded as such in the College of the Environment and Life Sciences), a student must have earned at least a 2.0 grade point average in a minimum of 30 total credits, as well as a minimum of a B-卢 in GEO 103; a minimum of a C in CHM 101, and a minimum of a C+ in pre-calculus (MTH 103 or MTH 111) or a C in calculus (MTH 131 or MTH 141).
A total of 120 credits and a 2.00 grade point average within the major are required for graduation.
January 2025
University of Rhode Island
Kingston Campus,
75 Briar Lane,
KINGSTON,
Rhode Island,
2881, United States
You are a first-year applicant if you are graduating from secondary school and have never enrolled in college, or if you have attended secondary school and college during the same time period (dual enrollment) or have taken some college-level courses during secondary school.
Admission to the University of Rhode Island is competitive, and each candidate receives individual consideration.
English Proficiency Requirements:
All international applicants whose first language is not English must provide proof of English language proficiency. English language proficiency may be demonstrated by one of the following:
Duolingo English Test (DET): minimum score of 105
TOEFL iBT: minimum score of 79
IELTS: minimum score of 6.5
Cambridge English: Advanced: 176-184
Pearson Test of English: minimum score of 53
Eiken Test of English: completion of level Pre-1
Application Deadlines: June 1 (Fall Semester); December 1 (Spring Semester)
*There may be different IELTS requirements depending on your chosen course.
