The Bachelor of Science in Geosciences

Total Course Requirements for the Bachelor's Degree: 120 units

See "Requirements for the Bachelor's Degree" in the University Catalog for complete details on general degree requirements. A minimum of 40 units, including those required for the major, must be upper division.

A suggested Major Academic Plan (MAP) has been prepared to help students meet all graduation requirements within four years. Please request a plan from your major advisor or view it and other current advising information at http://em.csuchico.edu/aap/ProgramSearch.

General Education Requirements: 48 units

See "General Education Requirements" in the University Catalog and the Class Schedule for the most current information on General Education Requirements and course offerings. The course requirements marked below with an asterisk (*) may also be applied toward General Education.

Geosciences majors in the Option in Science Education with a Concentration in Geosciences may meet the Breadth Area B2 requirement by completing BIOL 151.

Diversity Course Requirements: 6 units

See "Diversity Requirement" in the University Catalog. Most courses taken to satisfy these requirements may also apply to General Education.

U.S. History, Constitution, and American Ideals: 6 units

See "U.S. History, Constitution, and American Ideals" under "Bachelor's Degree Requirements". This requirement is normally fulfilled by completing HIST 130 and POLS 155 or approved equivalents. Courses used to satisfy this requirement do not apply to General Education.

Literacy Requirement:

See "Mathematics and Writing Requirements" in the University Catalog. Writing proficiency in the major is a graduation requirement and may be demonstrated through satisfactory completion of a course in your major which has been designated as the Writing Proficiency (WP) course for the semester in which you take the course. Students who earn below a C- are required to repeat the course and earn a C- or better to receive WP credit. See the Class Schedule for the designated WP courses for each semester. You must pass ENGL 130 (or its equivalent) with a C- or better before you may register for a WP course.

Course Requirements for the Major: 64-66 units

Completion of the following courses, or their approved transfer equivalents, are required of all candidates for this degree. Additional required courses, depending upon the selected option or advising pattern, are outlined following the major core program requirements.

Major Core Program: 45-46 units

Lower-Division Requirements: 32-33 units

5 courses required:

CHEM 111 General Chemistry 4.0 FS *
Prerequisites: Second-year high school algebra; one year high school chemistry. (One year of high school physics and one year of high school mathematics past Algebra II are recommended.)
CHEM 112 General Chemistry 4.0 FS
Prerequisites: CHEM 111 with a grade of C- or higher.
GEOS 102 Physical Geology 3.0 FS *
Prerequisites: High school chemistry or physics is recommended; students with no previous science courses are advised to enroll in GEOS 101. No college credit for those who have passed GEOS 101.
GEOS 105 Introduction to Astronomy 3.0 FS *
GEOS 203 Principles of Historical Geology 3.0 FA
Prerequisites: GEOS 101 or GEOS 102.

2 courses selected from:

PHYS 202A General Physics 4.0 FS *
Prerequisites: High school physics or faculty permission. High school trigonometry and second-year high school algebra or equivalent (MATH 051 and MATH 118 at CSU, Chico).

AND (Both the above and following course must be taken)

PHYS 202B General Physics 4.0 FS
Prerequisites: PHYS 202A.

Or two of the following courses may be substituted for PHYS 202A and PHYS 202B.

PHYS 204A Physics for Students of Science and Engineering: Mechanics 4.0 FS *
Prerequisites: High school physics or faculty permission. Concurrent enrollment in or prior completion of MATH 121 (second semester of calculus) or equivalent.
PHYS 204B Physics for Students of Science and Engineering: Electricity and Magnetism 4.0 FS
Prerequisites: MATH 121, PHYS 204A with a grade of C- or higher.
PHYS 204C Physics for Students of Science and Engineering: Heat, Wave Motion, Sound, Light, and Modern Topics 4.0 FS
Prerequisites: MATH 121, PHYS 204A with a grade of C- or higher.

1 course selected from:

MATH 109 Survey of Calculus 4.0 FS *
Prerequisites: Completion of ELM requirement; MATH 118, MATH 119 (or High School equivalents).
MATH 120 Analytic Geometry and Calculus 4.0 FS *
Prerequisites: Completion of ELM requirement; both MATH 118 and MATH 119 (or high school equivalent); a score that meets department guidelines on a department administered calculus readiness exam.

1 course selected from:

MATH 105 Statistics 3.0 FS *
Prerequisites: Completion of ELM requirement.
MATH 121 Analytic Geometry and Calculus 4.0 FS
Prerequisites: MATH 120.

Upper-Division Requirements: 13 units

4 courses required:

GEOS 300 Earth System Science 3.0 FA WP
Prerequisites: ENGL 130 (or its equivalent) with a grade of C- or higher; CHEM 107 or CHEM 111; PHYS 202A, PHYS 202B or PHYS 204A, PHYS 204B or PHYS 204C.
GEOS 306 Mineralogy and Lithology 4.0 FA
Prerequisites: GEOS 101 or GEOS 102; CHEM 107 or CHEM 111 or equivalent; or faculty permission.
GEOS 321 Introduction to Meteorology 3.0 FA
Prerequisites: MATH 120; either PHYS 202B or PHYS 204C.
GEOS 341 Teaching Practicum in Geological and Environmental Sciences 3.0 FS
Prerequisites: GEOS 102, GEOS 105, GEOS 203, GEOS 306, GEOS 321.

Major Option Course Requirements: 19-20 units

The following courses, or their approved transfer equivalents, are required dependent upon the option chosen. Students must select one of the following options for completion of the major course requirements.

The Option in Physical Science Education: 19-20 units

This option provides students with a good foundation in each of the physical sciences so that they are prepared to pass the California Subject Examinations for Teachers (CSET) in Earth Science. Students who complete the program are also prepared to pass the General Science CSET, which will allow them to teach general science at the middle school level.

Lower-Division Requirements: 7-8 units

1 courses required:

CHEM 270 Organic Chemistry 4.0 FS
Prerequisites: CHEM 112.

1 course selected from:

BIOL 101 Concepts of Biology 3.0 FS
BIOL 151 Principles of Cellular and Molecular Biology 4.0 FS
Prerequisites: Recommend CHEM 111 or concurrent enrollment.
NSCI 102 Introduction to Living Systems 3.0 FS *

Upper-Division Requirements: 12 units

4 courses required:

BIOL 302 Evolution 3.0 SP *
Prerequisites: BIOL 101 or BIOL 108 or equivalent.
CHEM 411 Chemistry Teaching Methods 3.0 SP
Prerequisites: CHEM 112, CHEM 270. CHEM 320 is recommended.
CHEM 440 Environmental Chemistry 3.0 SP
Prerequisites: CHEM 112.
PHYS 360 Sound in the Environment 3.0 FS *

The Option in Science Education with a Concentration in Geosciences: 20 units

This option is an approved Subject Matter Preparation Program for Science with a Concentration in Geoscience. Thus it fulfills one of the requirements for admission into a single subject teaching credential program. See the Single Subject Matter Preparation Program in Science section which follows for more information.

Lower-Division Requirements: 8 units

2 courses required:

BIOL 151 Principles of Cellular and Molecular Biology 4.0 FS
Prerequisites: Recommend CHEM 111 or concurrent enrollment.
BIOL 152 Principles of Ecological, Evolutionary, and Organismal Biology 4.0 SP
Prerequisites: BIOL 151 or faculty permission; recommend CHEM 112 or concurrent enrollment.

Upper-Division Requirements: 12 units

5 courses required:

GEOS 303 Invertebrate Paleontology 3.0 SP
Prerequisites: GEOS 203 or course in Biology.
GEOS 307 Stratigraphy 3.0 FA
Prerequisites: GEOS 203 and GEOS 306 (both may be taken concurrently), or faculty permission.
GEOS 360 Field Methods 2.0 SP
Prerequisites: GEOS 306, GEOS 307.
GEOS 361 Preparation of the Geological Report 1.0 SP WP
Prerequisites: ENGL 130 (or its equivalent) with a grade of C- or higher, GEOS 360.
GEOS 489T Internship in Geoscience Teaching 3.0 FS
Prerequisites: GEOS 101 or GEOS 102, GEOS 105, GEOS 203 Corequisites: GEOS 300, GEOS 306, GEOS 307

Electives Requirement:

To complete the total units required for the bachelor's degree, select additional elective courses from the total University offerings. You should consult with an advisor regarding the selection of courses which will provide breadth to your University experience and possibly apply to a supportive second major or minor.

Grading Requirement:

All courses taken to fulfill major course requirements must be taken for a letter grade except those courses specified by the department as Credit/No Credit grading only.

Advising Requirement:

Advising is mandatory for all majors in this degree program. Consult your undergraduate advisor for specific information.

Honors in the Major

Honors in the Major is a program of independent work in your major. It requires 6 units of honors course work completed over two semesters.

The Honors in the Major program allows you to work closely with a faculty mentor in your area of interest on an original performance or research project. This year-long collaboration allows you to work in your field at a professional level and culminates in a public presentation of your work. Students sometimes take their projects beyond the University for submission in professional journals, presentation at conferences, or academic competition. Such experience is valuable for graduate school and professional life. Your honors work will be recognized at your graduation, on your permanent transcripts, and on your diploma. It is often accompanied by letters of commendation from your mentor in the department or the department chair.

Some common features of Honors in the Major program are

1. You must take 6 units of Honors in the Major course work. All 6 units are honors classes (marked by a suffix of H), and at least 3 of these units are independent study (399H, 499H, 599H) as specified by your department. You must complete each class with a minimum grade of B.

2. You must have completed 9 units of upper-division course work or 21 overall units in your major before you can be admitted to Honors in the Major. Check the requirements for your major carefully, as there may be specific courses that must be included in these units.

3. Your cumulative GPA should be at least 3.5 or within the top 5% of majors in your department.

4. Your GPA in your major should be at least 3.5 or within the top 5% of majors in your department.

5. Most students apply for or are invited to participate in Honors in the Major during the second semester of their junior year. Then they complete the 6 units of course work over the two semesters of their senior year.

6. Your honors work culminates with a public presentation of your honors project.

While Honors in the Major is part of the Honors Program, each department administers its own program. Please contact your major department or major advisor to apply.