The geological sciences are concerned with the physical and chemical
characteristics of minerals, rocks, ice and water, with their occurrence,
arrangement, and surface expression, and with the history of the Earth and its
inhabitants. The curriculum provides for a basic understanding of the geological
sciences and is sufficiently flexible to allow students with interests in
environmental geology, geochemistry, geophysics, paleontology, and oceanography
to pursue additional courses in appropriate ancillary sciences.
The Department of Earth Sciences offers a wide variety of courses for
the undergraduate non-major who is looking for interesting courses to satisfy
the general education science requirements (basic and applied or applications)
and the population and the environment requirement and/or who has an interest in
geological sciences, ecology and environmental sciences, global change, and the
environment. Additionally, several introductory level courses are supportive of
other undergraduate majors such as Civil and Environmental Engineering, Spatial
Information Engineering, Ecology and Environmental Sciences, Science Education,
Anthropology, and Plant, Soil and Environmental Sciences. Introductory level
courses are: GES 100, GES 101, GES 102, GES 103, GES 104, GES
109, GES 110, GES 121 and GES 140. GES courses at the 1xx level may not be
counted as upper level electives for majors in the Geological Sciences.
Electives in the major must be GES 2xx or higher.
A BS geology graduate is prepared to enter directly into industry or survey
work, or to enter graduate school in geological sciences. In addition, if BIO
204, CHY 251/252, CHY 253/254 and BIO 100 are taken, the entrance requirements
for medical or dental schools are met.
The concentration in Environmental Geology
The requirements for the Bachelor of Science degree include: GES 101 or 102 or
106; GES 314, GES 315, GES 330, GES 333, GES 416, GES 417, GES
456 and one elective geological sciences course above 1XX, MAT 126/127, MAT 232,
CHY 121 and 122 (plus laboratory courses CHY 123 and 124), PHY 111/112 or
121/122, and COS 120 or COS 215 or COS 220. An approved summer field course or SIE 271 or FTY 480 is
required between the junior and senior years. A concentration in
Environmental Geology is possible in both the BA and BS degrees.
The University of Maine The University of Maine
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