Course Overview

The undergraduate curriculum in geology emphasizes the development of sound scientific skills, including the ability to think, observe, analyze, classify, describe, and interpret data, and the application of these skills to the study of rocks, minerals, fossils, structures, landforms, and other geologic phenomena. The Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) program offers more flexibility than the Bachelor of Science (B.S.) program in terms of allowing a program of study which combines geology with subject areas such as geophysics, history, journalism, political science, mathematics, biology, business, computer science, education, and more. However, the B.S. program is considered the preparatory degree in the field of geology and includes advanced study in petroleum geology, environmental geology, engineering geology, hydrogeology, and others.

The Environmental Geology track is designed to provide a strong foundation in geology coupled with specialized training in work on some of society’s most pressing problems, including groundwater contamination and remediation, non-point-source pollution, water resources, and geologic hazards such as earthquakes, landslides, flooding, volcanism and surface deformation. Students completing the Environmental track of the BS in Geology are prepared to go on to graduate school for an advanced geoscience degree, or for employment in the environmental industry. Environmental geoscientists typically find careers with environmental and engineering consulting companies and other industrial corporations, governmental agencies or academia. Students are well-prepared for the Association of State Boards of Geology (ASBOG) Fundamentals of Geology exam, which is required for appointment as a Professional Geologist in the State of Texas.

General Eligibility

Undergraduate students who meet the following general admission requirements at the time of application are assured admission to  A&M-Central Texas:

• Minimum 2.0 cumulative transfer GPA on a 4.0 scale;

• Minimum 30 academic, college-level transferable semester hours. Applicants pursuing an Applied Science or Aviation Science degree may meet this requirement utilizing select workforce education credit from an approved Associate of Applied Science (AAS) degree upon completion of 45 hours, to include all general education courses within the AAS.

• Must be eligible to return to all previously attended colleges or universities.

Part Time Work Details

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Language Requirement

• The University requires all students to take at least one year of a foreign language. This requirement is completed by having taken two units of the same foreign language in high school, completing one year of the same foreign language in college or completing the credit-by-examination process.

  Minimum TOEFL Essentials score of 8.5, or. Minimum IELTS Academic test score of 6.0 overall band (Texas A&M University does not accept the IELTS General test)