Advice to New Students

Students begin the study of Geology with the introductory 100 level courses: Geology 101 (History of Life), Geology 103 (Planet Earth), Geology 104 (Global Climate Change), and Geology 131 (Physical Geology). These are laboratory courses that include several local field trips. These courses satisfy the College's two-semester laboratory science distribution requirement. Some 90-95% of the students in these courses go on to major in disciplines outside the sciences.

The entire department staff participates in teaching the 100 level gateway courses. Upperclass majors serve as Teaching Assistants in the laboratories, helping the faculty member in charge.

For transfer students, transfer credit is worked out on an individual basis in consultation with the Department Chair and the Registrar. For traditional geology courses at most other colleges and universities, this involves only routine paperwork. Official course descriptions, syllabi, and names of texts are helpful in evaluating courses proposed for transfer credit.