Bachelor of Arts Degree in Geology

The Bachelor of Arts degree in Geology provides opportunities to prepare for careers in fields such as earth science education, law, insurance, financial services, energy business, and environmental management. It is not recommended for students planning to pursue careers as professional geologists or graduate studies in geology or related fields.

The minimum number of semester credit hours required for this degree, including the Core Curriculum requirements, is 120, at least 39 of which must be at the upper-division level.

All candidates seeking this degree must fulfill the Core Curriculum requirements and the degree requirements, which are listed below.

Core Curriculum Requirements (42 semester credit hours)
Students seeking the Bachelor of Arts degree in Geology must fulfill University Core Curriculum requirements in the same manner as other students. If courses are taken to satisfy both degree requirements and Core Curriculum requirements, then students may need to take additional courses in order to meet the minimum number of semester credit hours required for this degree. For a complete listing of courses that satisfy the Core Curriculum requirements, see pages 3-5 of this catalog.

The core requirements in Mathematics and Natural Sciences are automatically fulfilled in obtaining a B.A. degree in Geology.

Degree Requirements

1. 43 semester credit hours of geology courses completed with a grade of “C-” or better:
   
   
   1. 27 semester credit hours of required courses:
      
      GEO  1103, 1111  Introduction to Earth Systems and Laboratory
      GEO  1123, 1131  Earth History and Laboratory
      GEO  2003, 2011  Mineralogy and Laboratory
      GEO  2113           Fundamentals of Geographic Information Systems (GIS)
      GEO  3043, 3051  Petrology and Laboratory
      GEO  3063, 3071  Paleontology and Laboratory
      GEO  3123, 3131  Sedimentation and Stratigraphy and Laboratory
      
      
   2. 16 semester credit hours at the upper-division level selected from among the remaining GEO course offerings. Students should meet with the College of Sciences Advising Center and/or a member of the Department of Geological Sciences to verify that they have taken the necessary prerequisites.
2. 20 semester credit hours in the College of Sciences:
   
   CHE  1103, 1121  General Chemistry I and Laboratory
   
   CHE  1113, 1131  General Chemistry II and Laboratory
   or
   GEO  3374 Geochemistry
   
   MAT  1214           Calculus I
   PHY  1603, 1611  Algebra-based Physics I and Laboratory
   PHY  1623, 1631  Algebra-based Physics II and Laboratory
   
   
3. 24 semester credit hours of electives to meet the 120 semester credit hour degree minimum, of which a minimum of 7 to 11 must be at the upper-division level to meet the UTSA minimum of 39 upper-division hours.

Course Sequence Guide for B.A. Degree in Geology

This course sequence guide is designed to assist students in completing their UTSA undergraduate Geology degree requirements. This is merely a guide and students must satisfy other requirements of this catalog and meet with advisors in the College of Sciences Undergraduate Advising Center for individualized degree plans. Progress within this guide depends upon such factors as course availability, individual student academic preparation, student time management, work obligations, and individual financial considerations. Students may choose to take courses during Summer terms to reduce course loads during long semesters.

B.A. in Geology - Recommended Four-Year Academic Plan

* These laboratory courses include a lecture component as indicated on the University Schedule of Classes.

** Offered Fall semesters only.

† CS 1073 is a prerequisite for GEO 2113 and can be used as a free elective.

Note: Some courses are only offered once a year; fall or spring. Check with the Department of Geological Sciences for scheduling of courses.

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