Department website: http://www.geo.wvu.edu/
Degree Offered
- Bachelor of Science
Nature of the Program
The bachelor of science degree in Geology is designed for students interested in geology positions in the private or public sectors or in academia. Qualified students are encouraged to seek a graduate degree; however B.S. geologists who have developed solid technical and communication skills have excellent employment prospects in the energy industry, in environmental and geotechnical firms or in government.
Instructional facilities and equipment include laboratories for mineralogy, petrology, geochemistry, sedimentology, paleontology, hydrogeology, geophysics, geomorphology, structural geology, and excellent computer facilities. We stress field studies in upper-level classes, capped by a six-credit field course examining folded and faulted sedimentary rocks, as well as igneous and metamorphic rocks, in South Dakota, Wyoming, and Montana. Students are encouraged to pursue internships to broaden their learning experience and to enhance employment prospects.
Minors
All students have the possibility of earning one or more minors; a list of all available minors and their requirements is available at http://catalog.wvu.edu/undergraduate/minors/. Please note that students may not earn a minor in their major field.
Faculty
Chair
- Brent McCusker - Ph.D. (Michigan State University)
Associate Chair
- Jaime Toro - Ph.D. (Stanford University)
Professors
- Kathleen Benison - Ph.D. (The University of Kansas)
Regular Graduate Faculty, Sedimentary Geology - Planetary Geology - Dengliang Gao - Ph.D. (Duke University)
Regular Graduate Faculty, Exploration Geophysics, Petroleum and Structural Geology - Amy Hessl - Ph.D. (University of Arizona)
Regular Graduate Faculty, Biogeography, Forest Ecosystems, Climate Variability - Brent McCusker - Ph.D. (Michigan State University)
Regular Graduate Faculty, Land Use Change, Africa, Policy Making - Shikha Sharma - Ph.D. (University of Lucknow)
Regular Graduate Faculty, Isotope Geochemistry - Jaime Toro - Ph.D. (Stanford University)
Regular Graduate Faculty, Structure and Tectonics - Dorothy Vesper - Ph.D. (Pennsylvania State University)
Regular Graduate Faculty, Aqueous Geochemistry, Hydrogeology
Associate Professor
- Jamison Conley - Ph.D. (Pennsylvania State University)
Regular Graduate Faculty, Spatial Analysis, Geocomputation, Health Geography - Karen Culcasi - Ph.D. (Syracuse University)
Regular Graduate Faculty, Geopolitics, Identity, Middle East - Cynthia Gorman - Ph.D. (Rutgers University)
Regular Graduate Faculty, Gender, Migration, Human Rights, Refugee Communities - James Lamsdell - Ph.D. (The University of Kansas)
Regular Graduate Faculty, Paleobiology, Arthropods, Macroevolution, Heterochrony, Paleoecology, Phylogenetics - Joseph Lebold - Ph.D. (West Virginia University)
Regular Graduate Faculty, Paleoecology, Paleontology, Regional Geology - Brenden McNeil - Ph.D. (Syracuse University)
Regular Graduate Faculty, GIS, Environmental modeling, Forest Ecosystem Services - Maria Alejandra Perez - Ph.D. (University of Michigan)
Regular Graduate Faculty, Cultural Geography, Science & Technology Studies, Speleology, Latin America and the Caribbean - Amy Weislogel - Ph.D. (Stanford University)
Regular Graduate Faculty, Sedimentology - Bradley Wilson - Ph.D. (Rutgers University)
Regular Graduate Faculty, Social Movements, Local/Global Food Systems, Food Justice
Assistant Professor
- Vikas Agrawal - Ph.D. (West Virginia University)
Associate Graduate Faculty, Chemical Hygiene Officer, Isotopic and Biogeochemical Characterization of Geological Materials, Energy and Environment - Michael Harman - Ph.D. (West Virginia University)
3D visualization, modeling complex landforms and processes, GIS - Aaron Maxwell - Ph.D. (West Virginia University)
Regular Graduate Faculty, Geospatial Instruction, Remote Sensing, Image Analysis, Spatial Modeling - Charles Shobe - Ph.D. (University of Colorado - Boulder)
Regular Graduate Faculty, Geomorphology, Earth Surface Processes, Landscape Evolution, Rivers, Source-to-Sink, Numerical Modeling
Professor Emeriti
- Robert Behling - Ph.D. (The Ohio State University)
- Timothy Carr - Ph.D. (University of Wisconsin - Madison)
- Joe Donovan - Ph.D. (Pennsylvania State University)
- Greg Elmes - Ph.D. (Pennsylvania State University)
- Trevor Harris - Ph.D. (University of Hull)
- Thomas Kammer - Ph.D. (Indiana University)
- Steven Kite - Ph.D. (University of Wisconsin)
- Kenneth C. Martis - Ph.D. (Michigan University)
- Henry Rauch - Ph.D. (Pennsylvania State University)
- Robert C. Shumaker - Ph.D. (Cornell University)
- Richard Smosna - Ph.D. (University of Illinois)
- Timothy Warner - Ph.D. (Purdue University)
- Thomas Wilson - Ph.D. (West Virginia University)
Admissions
- First-Time Freshmen are admitted directly into the Geology major.
- Students transferring from another major within WVU must have a 2.0 overall GPA.
- Students transferring from another institution must have a 2.0 overall GPA.
Admission Requirements 2024-2025
The Admission Requirements above will be the same for the 2024-2025 Academic Year.
Major Code: 1445
Click here to view the Suggested Plan of Study
General Education Foundations
Please use this link to view a list of courses that meet each GEF requirement.
NOTE: Some major requirements will fulfill specific GEF requirements. Please see the curriculum requirements listed below for details on which GEFs you will need to select.
Code | Title | Hours |
---|---|---|
General Education Foundations | ||
F1 - Composition & Rhetoric | 3-6 | |
Introduction to Composition and Rhetoric and Composition, Rhetoric, and Research | ||
or ENGL 103 | Accelerated Academic Writing | |
F2A/F2B - Science & Technology | 4-6 | |
F3 - Math & Quantitative Reasoning | 3-4 | |
F4 - Society & Connections | 3 | |
F5 - Human Inquiry & the Past | 3 | |
F6 - The Arts & Creativity | 3 | |
F7 - Global Studies & Diversity | 3 | |
F8 - Focus (may be satisfied by completion of a minor, double major, or dual degree) | 9 | |
Total Hours | 31-37 |
Please note that not all of the GEF courses are offered at all campuses. Students should consult with their advisor or academic department regarding the GEF course offerings available at their campus.
Degree Requirements
Students must complete WVU General Education Foundations requirements, College B.S. requirements, STEM Foundations requirements, major requirements, and electives to total a minimum of 120 hours. For complete details on these requirements, visit the B.S. Degrees tab on the Eberly College of Arts and Sciences page.
Departmental Requirements for the B.S. in Geology
-
Capstone Requirement: The university requires the successful completion of a Capstone course. Geology majors must complete GEOL 403 and one of the following to fulfill this requirement: GEOL 404 or GEOL 491 or GEOL 496.
-
Writing and Communication Requirement: Geology Bachelor of Science students fulfill the Writing and Communication Skills requirement by completing ENGL 101 and ENGL 102 (or ENGL 103), and two additional SpeakWrite Certified CoursesTM: GEOL 404, and a 2nd course selected from GEOL 311 or GEOL 341.
-
Calculation of Major GPA: A minimum GPA of a 2.0 is required in all courses applied to major requirements, with a minimum grade of a C- in GEOL 101, GEOL 101L, GEOL 103, GEOL 103L, and GEOL 286. If a course is repeated, all attempts will be included in calculation of the GPA, unless the course is eligible for D/F repeat.
We also offer the opportunity to pursue a dual degree in Geology and Mining Engineering.
Curriculum Requirements
Code | Title | Hours |
---|---|---|
University Requirements | 49 | |
ECAS B.S. Requirements | 3 | |
Geology Major Requirements | 68 | |
Total Hours | 120 |
University Requirements
Code | Title | Hours |
---|---|---|
General Education Foundations (GEF) 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, and 8 (31-37 Credits) | ||
Outstanding GEF Requirements 1, 4, 5, 6, and 7 | 18 | |
GEOL 191 | First-Year Seminar | 1 |
General Electives | 30 | |
Total Hours | 49 |
ECAS Bachelor of Science Requirements
Code | Title | Hours |
---|---|---|
ECAS B.S. Requirements | 3 | |
Global Studies & Diversity Requirement | ||
MATHEMATICS REQUIREMENT | ||
Applied Calculus | ||
Calculus 1a with Precalculus and Calculus 1b with Precalculus | ||
or MATH 155 | Calculus 1 | |
SCIENCE REQUIREMENT fulfilled by major requirements | ||
Total Hours | 3 |
Geology Major Requirements
Code | Title | Hours |
---|---|---|
STEM FOUNDATIONS | 22 | |
Fundamentals of Chemistry 1 and Fundamentals of Chemistry 1 Laboratory and Fundamentals of Chemistry 2 and Fundamentals of Chemistry 2 Laboratory | ||
Geomathematics | ||
or MATH 156 | Calculus 2 | |
Introductory Physics 1 and Introductory Physics 1 Laboratory and Introductory Physics 2 and Introductory Physics 2 Laboratory | ||
General Physics 1 and General Physics 1 Laboratory and General Physics 2 and General Physics 2 Laboratory | ||
Elementary Statistical Inference | ||
or CS 101 | Intro to Computer Applications | |
CORE REQUIREMENTS | 25 | |
Geographic Information Systems and Science and Geographic Information Systems and Science Laboratory | ||
Planet Earth and Planet Earth Laboratory | ||
Earth Through Time and Earth Through Time Laboratory | ||
Introduction to Minerals & Rocks and Introduction to Minerals & Rocks Laboratory | ||
Stratigraphy and Sedimentation and Stratigraphy and Sedimentation Laboratory | ||
Structural Geology and Structural Geology Laboratory | ||
Junior-Senior Seminar | ||
UPPER-DIVISION ELECTIVES | 15 | |
Select five courses from the following two lists. At least two courses must be from the Rocks and Energy list, and two courses from the Surficial Processes and Water list. One additional course must be completed from either list. | ||
Rocks and Energy: | ||
Geology of West Virginia | ||
Geology of the National Parks | ||
Paleontology | ||
Introduction to Petroleum Geology | ||
Igneous and Metamorphic Petrology | ||
Deep Time Earth Systems | ||
Advanced Petroleum Geology | ||
Environmental and Exploration of Geophysics 1 | ||
Physical Volcanology | ||
Energy Geology | ||
Log Analysis-Reading the Rocks | ||
Surficial Processes and Water: | ||
Geomorphology | ||
Environmental Geology | ||
Introduction to Geochemistry | ||
Introductory Hydrogeology | ||
Physical Hydrogeology | ||
Cave and Karst Geology | ||
Minerals and the Environment | ||
Environmental Isotopes | ||
Environmental Geochemistry | ||
Environmental Regulation | ||
CAPSTONE EXPERIENCE | 6 | |
Geological Data Analysis | ||
And chose one of the following: | ||
Geology Field Camp | ||
Professional Field Experience | ||
Senior Thesis | ||
Total Hours | 68 |
Suggested Plan of Study
First Year | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Fall | Hours | Spring | Hours | ||
GEOL 191 | 1 | ENGL 101 (F1) | 3 | ||
CHEM 115 & 115L (F8 Course 1; B.S. Second Area 1) | 4 | GEOL 103 & 103L | 4 | ||
GEOL 101 & 101L (F2 B; B.S. First Area 1) | 4 | CHEM 116 & 116L (F8 Course 2; B.S. Second Area 2) | 4 | ||
MATH 150 or 155 (F3) | 3 | General Elective | 4 | ||
General Elective | 3 | General Elective | 1 | ||
15 | 16 | ||||
Second Year | |||||
Fall | Hours | Spring | Hours | ||
ENGL 102 (F1) | 3 | F5 | 3 | ||
F4 | 3 | GEOL Physics Requirement 2 (B.S. Third Area 2) | 4 | ||
GEOL Physics Requirement 1 (B.S. Third Area 1) | 4 | GEOL 286 & 286L | 4 | ||
STAT 211 or CS 101 | 3 | GEOL Rocks and Energy Requirement 1 | 3 | ||
General Elective | 2 | General Elective | 2 | ||
15 | 16 | ||||
Third Year | |||||
Fall | Hours | Spring | Hours | Summer | Hours |
F6 | 3 | GEOL 311 & 311L | 4 | GEOL 404, 491, or 496 | 3 |
ECAS Global Studies & Diversity Requirement (F 7) | 3 | GEOL 351 | 3 | ||
GEOL 341 & 341L | 4 | GEOL 403 | 3 | ||
GEOG 350 & 350L | 4 | GEOL 489 | 1 | ||
GEOL Surficial Processes & Water Req. 1 | 3 | ||||
14 | 14 | 3 | |||
Fourth Year | |||||
Fall | Hours | Spring | Hours | ||
GEOL Rocks & Energy Requirement 2 | 3 | GEOL Rocks & Energy OR Surficial Processes & Water Requirement | 3 | ||
GEOL Surficial Processes & Water Requirement 2 | 3 | General Elective | 3 | ||
General Elective | 3 | General Elective | 3 | ||
General Elective | 3 | General Elective | 3 | ||
General Elective | 3 | ||||
15 | 12 | ||||
Total credit hours: 120 |
Departmental Requirements for BSMinE
Students must meet the following criteria to qualify for a Bachelor of Science in Mining Engineering degree and Bachelor of Science in Geology:
- Complete a minimum of 157 credit hours
- Satisfy WVU's undergraduate degree requirements
- Satisfy Statler College's undergraduate degree requirements
- Complete all courses listed in the curriculum requirements with the required minimum grades
- Attain an overall grade point average of 2.00 or better
- Attain a WVU grade point average of 2.00 or better
- Attain a Statler grade point average of 2.00 or better
- A maximum of one math or science courses with a grade of D+, D, or D- may apply towards a Statler College degree
- Complete a survey regarding their academic and professional experiences at WVU, as well as post-graduation job placement or continuing education plans.
The Statler GPA is computed based on all work taken at WVU with a subject code within Statler College (BIOM, BMEG, CE, CHE, CPE, CS, CSEE, CYBE, EE, ENGR, ENVE, ETEC, IENG, IH&S, MAE, MINE, PDA, PNGE, SAFM, SENG) excluding ENGR 140, ENGR 150, and CS 101. The WVU GPA is computed based on all work taken at WVU. The Overall GPA is computed based on all work taken at WVU and transfer work.
Departmental Requirements for the B.S. in Geology
- Capstone Requirement: The university requires the successful completion of a Capstone course. Geology majors must complete GEOL 403 and one of the following to fulfill this requirement: GEOL 404 or GEOL 491 or GEOL 496.
- Writing and Communication Requirement: Geology Bachelor of Science students fulfill the Writing and Communication Skills requirement by completing ENGL 101 and ENGL 102 (or ENGL 103), and two additional SpeakWrite Certified Courses: GEOL 404 and a 2nd course selected from GEOL 311 or GEOL 341.
- Calculation of the GPA in the Major: An average of at least 2.0 must be attained in all Geology Major Requirements coursework. A minimum grade of C- is required in all GEOL 101, GEOL 101L, GEOL 103, GEOL 103L and GEOL 286. If a course is repeated, all attempts will be included in the calculation of the GPA unless the course is eligible for D/F repeat.
- Benchmark Expectations: For details, go to the Geology Degree Progress Tab.
Curriculum Requirements
Code | Title | Hours |
---|---|---|
University Requirements | 16 | |
Fundamentals of Engineering Requirements | 5 | |
Math and Science Requirements | 42 | |
Mining Engineering and Geology Program Requirements | 94 | |
Total Hours | 157 |
University Requirements
Code | Title | Hours |
---|---|---|
General Education Foundations (GEF) 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, and 8 (31-37 Credits) | ||
Outstanding GEF Requirements 1, 5, 6, and 7 | 15 | |
ENGR 191 | First-Year Seminar | 1 |
Total Hours | 16 |
Fundamentals of Engineering Requirements
Code | Title | Hours |
---|---|---|
A minimum grade of C- is required in all Fundamentals of Engineering courses. | ||
ENGR 101 | Engineering Problem Solving 1 | 2 |
Engineering Problem Solving (Select one of the following): | 3 | |
Introduction to Chemical Engineering | ||
Engineering Problem-Solving 2 | ||
Introduction to Nanotechnology Design | ||
Introduction to Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Design | ||
Total Hours | 5 |
Math and Science Requirements
Code | Title | Hours |
---|---|---|
A minimum grade of C- is required in all Math and Science courses. | ||
CHEM 115 & 115L | Fundamentals of Chemistry 1 and Fundamentals of Chemistry 1 Laboratory | 4 |
CHEM 116 & 116L | Fundamentals of Chemistry 2 and Fundamentals of Chemistry 2 Laboratory | 4 |
GEOL 101 & 101L | Planet Earth and Planet Earth Laboratory | 4 |
GEOL 342 | Structural Geology for Engineers | 3 |
Calculus I (GEF 3): | 4 | |
Calculus 1 | ||
Calculus 1a with Precalculus and Calculus 1b with Precalculus | ||
MATH 156 | Calculus 2 | 4 |
MATH 251 | Multivariable Calculus | 4 |
MATH 261 | Elementary Differential Equations | 4 |
PHYS 111 & 111L | General Physics 1 and General Physics 1 Laboratory | 4 |
PHYS 112 & 112L | General Physics 2 and General Physics 2 Laboratory | 4 |
STAT 215 | Introduction to Probability and Statistics | 3 |
Total Hours | 42 |
Mining Engineering and Geology Program Requirements
Code | Title | Hours |
---|---|---|
ECON 201 | Principles of Microeconomics | 3 |
ESWS 455 | Reclamation of Disturbed Soils | 3 |
GEOL 103 & 103L | Earth Through Time and Earth Through Time Laboratory | 4 |
GEOL 286 & 286L | Introduction to Minerals & Rocks and Introduction to Minerals & Rocks Laboratory | 4 |
GEOL 311 & 311L | Stratigraphy and Sedimentation and Stratigraphy and Sedimentation Laboratory | 4 |
GEOL 341 & 341L | Structural Geology and Structural Geology Laboratory | 4 |
GEOL 403 | Geological Data Analysis | 3 |
GEOL 404 | Geology Field Camp | 3 |
Geology Elective (select three of the following): | 9 | |
Geology of West Virginia | ||
Paleontology | ||
Geomorphology | ||
Environmental Geology | ||
Introduction to Petroleum Geology | ||
Igneous and Metamorphic Petrology | ||
Environmental and Exploration of Geophysics 1 | ||
Physical Hydrogeology | ||
Geographic Information Systems and Science and Geographic Information Systems and Science Laboratory | ||
Introduction to Remote Sensing and Introduction to Remote Sensing Laboratory | ||
MAE 241 | Statics | 3 |
MAE 242 | Dynamics | 3 |
MAE 243 | Mechanics of Materials | 3 |
MAE 320 | Thermodynamics | 3 |
MAE 331 | Fluid Mechanics | 3 |
MINE 201 & 201L | Mine Surveying and Mine Surveying Laboratory | 3 |
MINE 205 | Underground Mining Systems | 3 |
MINE 206 | Surface Mining Systems | 4 |
MINE 261 | Engineering Computer Aided Design | 2 |
MINE 306 | Mineral Property Evaluation | 3 |
MINE 331 | Mine Ventilation | 3 |
MINE 382 | Mine Power Systems | 3 |
MINE 411 & 411L | Rock Mechanics/Ground Control and Rock Mechanics/Ground Control Laboratory | 4 |
MINE 427 & 427L | Coal Preparation and Coal Preparation Laboratory | 4 |
or MINE 425 & 425L | Mineral Processing and Mineral Processing Laboratory | |
MINE 461 | Applied Mineral Computer Methods | 3 |
MINE 471 | Mine and Safety Management | 3 |
MINE 483S | Mine Design-Exploration Mapping | 3 |
MINE 484 | Mine Design-Report Capstone | 4 |
Total Hours | 94 |
Suggested Plan of Study
First Year | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Fall | Hours | Spring | Hours | ||
MATH 155 (GEF 3) | 4 | GEOL 103 & 103L | 4 | ||
ENGR 101 | 2 | MATH 156 (GEF 8) | 4 | ||
ENGR 191 | 1 | ENGR 102 | 3 | ||
CHEM 115 & 115L (GEF 2) | 4 | PHYS 111 & 111L (GEF 8) | 4 | ||
ENGL 101 (GEF 1) | 3 | GEF 5 | 3 | ||
GEOL 101 & 101L | 4 | ||||
18 | 18 | ||||
Second Year | |||||
Fall | Hours | Spring | Hours | ||
MAE 241 | 3 | CHEM 116 & 116L | 4 | ||
MATH 251 | 4 | GEOL 286 & 286L | 4 | ||
MINE 201 & 201L | 3 | MINE 206 | 4 | ||
MINE 205 | 3 | MAE 242 | 3 | ||
MINE 261 | 2 | PHYS 112 & 112L (GEF 8) | 4 | ||
15 | 19 | ||||
Third Year | |||||
Fall | Hours | Spring | Hours | Summer | Hours |
GEOL 341 & 341L | 4 | MINE 331 | 3 | GEOL 404 | 3 |
ECON 201 | 3 | ENGL 102 (GEF 1) | 3 | ||
MATH 261 | 4 | MAE 243 | 3 | ||
MINE 461 | 3 | MAE 331 | 3 | ||
STAT 215 | 3 | GEOL 311 & 311L | 4 | ||
GEOL 403 | 3 | ||||
17 | 19 | 3 | |||
Fourth Year | |||||
Fall | Hours | Spring | Hours | ||
MAE 320 | 3 | MINE 484 | 4 | ||
Geology Elective | 3 | ESWS 455 | 3 | ||
MINE 382 | 3 | MINE 427 & 427L | 4 | ||
MINE 306 | 3 | GEF 6 | 3 | ||
MINE 483S | 3 | Geology Elective | 3 | ||
MINE 411 & 411L | 4 | ||||
19 | 17 | ||||
Fifth Year | |||||
Fall | Hours | ||||
GEF 7 | 3 | ||||
MINE 471 | 3 | ||||
Geology Elective | 3 | ||||
GEOL 342 | 3 | ||||
12 | |||||
Total credit hours: 157 |
Degree Progress
- By the 4th semester in the major students will have a mid-semester review and should be progressing through calculus, chemistry, physics, and GEOL 286 with an adviser-approved plan and maintain a 2.0 GPA in Geology.
- All majors must meet with a G&G department adviser each semester.
Students who do not meet these benchmarks may be removed from their major.
Major Learning Outcomes
Geology
Upon successful completion of the B.S. degree, Geology majors will be able to:
- Show competence in the identification of minerals, rocks, and fossils using various field and lab techniques.
- Demonstrate the application of geological principles in solving problems needed for entry-level employment in Earth Science-related professions or for admission to graduate school.
- Demonstrate competence in the use of quantitative methods for geological problem solving.
- Demonstrate understanding of the Earth as a complex system of interacting rock, water, air, and life in the context of Deep Time.
- Understand the origin of energy, mineral, and hydrological resources and the impact of their use on Earth environments and human life.
- Characterize and determine the history of a geological site using the appropriate methods.
- Generate 2D and 3D representations of geologic data collected by the student in the field and the laboratory.
- Communicate geological knowledge through effective written and oral presentation skills.
WVUTeach: Earth and Space Science
Code | Title | Hours |
---|---|---|
ARSC 120 | Inquiry Approaches to Teaching | 1 |
ARSC 220 | Inquiry-Based Lesson Design | 1 |
GEOL 376L | Research Methods Laboratory | 3 |
MATH 318 | Perspectives on Mathematics and Science | 3 |
UTCH 221 | Knowing and Learning in Mathematics and Science | 3 |
UTCH 322 | Classroom Interactions in Math and Science | 3 |
UTCH 420 | Project-Based Instruction in Mathematics and Science | 3 |
UTCH 430 | Apprentice Teaching in Math and Science | 10 |
Total Hours | 27 |