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This archived information is dated to the 2008-09 academic year only and may no longer be current.

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Bachelor of Science in Geological and Environmental Sciences

In this section:

Engineering Geology and Hydrogeology Specialized Curriculum

Minor in Geological and Environmental Sciences

Up one level:

Undergraduate Programs in Geological and Environmental Sciences

The undergraduate program leading to the Bachelor of Science (B.S.) degree in Geological and Environmental Sciences (GES) is designed to leverage the diversity of the field and provide background for a wide variety of careers. Students who complete the undergraduate GES major or minor have gone on to graduate school in the earth sciences and/or employment in geological and environmental consulting, land use planning, law, public service, teaching and other professions in which an understanding of the earth and a background in science are important.

The major consists of five interrelated components:

Earth Sciences Fundamentals—Students must complete a set of core courses that introduce the properties of earth materials, the processes that change the earth, and the timescales over which those processes act. These courses provide a broad foundational knowledge that can lead to specialization in many different disciplines of the geological and environmental sciences.

Quantitative and Analytical Skills—Students must complete adequate course work in mathematics, chemistry, and physics or biology. In addition, they are introduced to the analytical techniques specific to the earth sciences through the laboratory component of courses.

Advanced Course Work and Research—Students gain breadth and depth by choosing upper-level electives and are encouraged to apply these skills and knowledge to problems in the earth sciences through research.

Field Research Skills—Most GES courses include field trips and/or field-based projects. In addition, students must complete at least six weeks of field research through departmental offerings (GES 190, GES 112) or through a faculty-directed field research project that involves learning and application of field techniques, field mapping, and the preparation of a written report.

Communication Skills—To fulfill the Writing in the Major requirement, students take a writing-intensive senior seminar (GES 150), in which they give both oral and written presentations that address current research in the earth sciences.

The major requires at least 81 units; letter grades are required in all courses if available. Students interested in the GES major should consult with the Undergraduate Program Coordinator for information about options within the curriculum.

COURSE SEQUENCE (81-92 UNITS TOTAL)

CORE GEOLOGICAL AND ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES COURSES

Subject and Catalog Number

Units

GES 1. Dynamic Earth

4

or GES 49N. Field Trip to Death Valley and Owens Valley

3

EESS 2. Earth System History

3

GES 102. Earth Materials

5

GES 103. Rocks in Thin Section

3

GES 150. Senior Seminar: Issues in the Earth Sciences (WIM)

3

GES 190, other field course, or field research (6 weeks)

 

Four of the following (others may count as electives):

GES 90. Introduction to Geochemistry

3-4

GES 110. Structural Geology and Tectonics

5

or GES 111A. Fundamentals of Structural Geology

3

GES 151. Sedimentary Geology and Petrography

4

EESS 155. Science of Soils

4

or GES 130. Environmental Earth Sciences I

3

or GES 170. Environmental Geochemistry

4

GES 180. Igneous Processes

3-5

or GES 181. Metamorphic Processes

3-5

REQUIRED SUPPORTING MATHEMATICS

Choose one of the following equivalent series:

MATH 19. Calculus

3

MATH 20. Calculus

3

MATH 21. Calculus

4

or

 

MATH 41. Calculus

5

MATH 42. Calculus

5

Choose at least one of the following (the entire series is recommended for students who plan to pursue graduate studies in the sciences or engineering):

MATH 51. Multivariate Mathematics

5

MATH 52. Multivariate Mathematics

5

MATH 53. Multivariate Mathematics

5

REQUIRED SUPPORTING COGNATE SCIENCES

Students must complete course sequences from two of the three fields of cognate sciences: chemistry, physics, and biological sciences. Advanced placement credit may be accepted for these courses as determined by the relevant departments.

Chemistry:

CHEM 31A,B. Chemical Principles I/II

8

or CHEM 31X. Chemical Principles

4

CHEM 135. Physical Chemical Principles

3

or CHEM 171. Physical Chemistry

3

or GES 171. Geochemical Thermodynamics

3

Physics (choose one of the following series):

PHYSICS 21. Mechanics and Heat

3

PHYSICS 22. Mechanics and Heat Lab

1

PHYSICS 23. Electricity and Optics

3

PHYSICS 24. Electricity and Optics Lab

1

or

 

PHYSICS 41 (formerly 53). Mechanics

4

PHYSICS 45 (formerly 51). Light and Heat

4

PHYSICS 46 (formerly 52). Light and Heat Lab

1

or

 

PHYSICS 41 (formerly 53). Mechanics

4

PHYSICS 43 (formerly 55). Electricity and Magnetism

3

PHYSICS 44 (formerly 56). Electricity and Magnetism Lab

1

Biology:

BIO 41. Genetics, Biochemistry, and Molecular Biology

5

BIO 42. Cell Biology and Animal Physiology

5

or BIO 43. Plant Biology, Evolution, and Ecology

5

or BIO 101. Ecology

3

ELECTIVES (19 UNITS)

Majors must complete at least 19 units of upper-division electives. A majority (at least 10) of these units must be from courses within GES, excluding GES 7, introductory seminars (GES 30-60), and GES 201. Many courses from departments other than GES are also approved electives; this list is available from the undergraduate program coordinator and at http://pangea.stanford.edu/GES/undergraduates. Additional courses may satisfy this requirement but require prior approval from the undergraduate program director. A maximum of 3 elective units may be fulfilled by GES 192, 198, or an upper-level seminar. Honors research (GES 199) may fulfill up to 6 elective units. Students should discuss their electives with an adviser.

COGNATE COURSES

Most courses offered within the School of Earth Sciences, as well as courses in other schools with a significant earth sciences component, may be used in satisfaction of optional requirements for Geological and Environmental Sciences degree. Undergraduates should discuss the options available to them with the undergraduate program coordinator; graduate students should discuss options with their advisers. The following courses outside the School of Earth Sciences are particularly applicable:

BIOHOPK 182H. Stanford at Sea

BIO 121. Biogeography

BIO 136. Evolutionary Paleobiology

CEE 63. Weather and Storms

CEE 64. Air Pollution: From Urban Smog to Global Change

CEE 101A. Mechanics of Materials

CEE 101B. Mechanics of Fluids

CEE 101C. Geotechnical Engineering

CEE 161A. Rivers, Streams, and Canals

CEE 164. Introduction to Physical Oceanography

CEE 166A. Watersheds and Wetlands

CEE 173A. Energy Resources

FIELD RESEARCH (6 WEEKS)

Majors must complete six weeks of field research, preferably through departmental offerings (GES 190). Approved field schools offered by another university or other faculty-directed field research projects that involve learning and application of field techniques and the preparation of a written report may be used to fulfill the field research requirement.

HONORS PROGRAM

The honors program provides an opportunity for year-long independent study and research on a topic of special interest, culminating in a written thesis. Students select research topics in consultation with the faculty adviser of their choosing. Research undertaken for the honors program may be of a theoretical, field, or experimental nature, or a combination of these approaches. The honors program is open to students with a GPA of at least 3.5 in GES courses and 3.0 in all University course work. Modest financial support is available from several sources to help defray laboratory and field expenses incurred in conjunction with honors research. Interested students must submit an application, including a research proposal, to the department by the end of their junior year.

Upon approval of the research proposal and entrance to the program, course credit for the honors research project and thesis preparation is assigned by the student's faculty adviser within the framework of GES 199; the student must complete a total of 9 units over the course of the senior year. Up to 6 units of GES 199 may be counted towards the elective requirement, but cannot be used as a substitute for regularly required courses.

Both a written and oral presentation of research results are required. The thesis must be read, approved, and signed by the student's faculty adviser and a second member of the faculty. In addition, honors students must participate in the GES Honors Symposium in which they present their research to the broader community. Honors students in GES are also eligible for the Firestone medal, awarded by Undergraduate Advising and Research for exceptional theses.

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