geology.wvu.eduGeology and Geography at West Virginia University | Department of Geology and Geography | West Virgi

nia University West Virginia University Department of Geology and Geography Top Department of Geology and Geography DEPARTMENT OF GEOLOGY AND GEOGRAPHY WVU Home Eberly Home Apply Now Search Would you like to search this site specifically, or all WVU websites? Search this site Search WVU Home About Students Faculty and Staff Research News and Events Give Explore Your World. Our programs give students the chance to study complex geosystems and spatial patterns around the globe and in our backyard. From field geology to global climate change, our undergraduate and graduate programs in Geology, Geography and Environmental Geoscience offer countless opportunities to dig down deep or take you far across the planet. Learn about our programs. UNDERGRADUATE PROGRAMS In SUSTAINABILITY Sustainability Studies BA Earth & Environmental Science BS New degree programs in Sustainability are here! The Earth and Environmental Science BS degree covers core geological principles with applications in sustainability. The Sustainability Studies BA degree covers core geographical principles with applications in sustainability. Email Tara Robbins for details ( tara.robbins@mail.wvu.edu ). Old Degree Programs Geology Geography Environmental Geoscience *Geology, Geography, and Environmental Geoscience programs are not admitting any new majors. The links above for these majors are for current students only. Read the FAQs GRADUATE PROGRAMS in Geology & Geography Geology Geography GIS and Spatial Analysis Department News Academic Transformation FAQs The Department of Geology and Geography started two new degrees as part of the first round of Academic Transformation in 2021. The two new degrees are a BA in Sustainability Studies and a BS in Earth and Environmental Science. Current students in the Geology, Geography, and Environmental Geoscience programs can stay in their current major or they can choose to move into one of these new degrees. For more information, read our Frequently Asked Questions. Academic Transformation FAQs for Current Students Is my major going away? Your major is NOT going away if you are currently enrolled in Environmental Geoscience, Geography, and Geology. What are these new majors we’ve heard about? The Department of Geology and Geography has started two new degrees as part of the first round of Academic Transformation in 2021. The two new degrees are a BA in Sustainability Studies and a BS in Earth and Environmental Science . Do I have to change my major? NO! You can STAY in your current major or you can choose to move into one of these new degrees (no action is necessary unless you want to change your major). There are a few exceptions to this: If you ever need to apply for readmission to WVU you will be put into the current catalog year and will not be able to move back to your old degree. If you want to add any new curriculum to your current major (a second degree, a new minor, etc.) you might need to update your catalog year. Please have this discussion with your advisor, Tara Robbins, before making a decision. What do I do if I want more information or would like to change my major? For more information or if you’d like to explore your options, please visit Tara Robbins at 330 Brooks Hall or email Tara.Robbins@mail.wvu.edu . I want to be able to certify as a professional geologist. What AoE should I consider and what courses do I need to take? In order to qualify for the ASBOG Fundamentals of Geology exam, students should pick the Earth Science BS option. Its curriculum is designed to fulfill the core academic courses required by most state’s certification boards. WV does not require a professional license to be a Geologist, but 32 other states do including Pennsylvania and Virginia. I am interested in continuing on to a graduate program in Geology. How can I best prepare myself for graduate school as I pursue my undergraduate degree? Depending on your interests, any of our three BS majors will prepare you for graduate school because they include a rigorous set of physical science and mathematics courses. Most graduate schools accept applicants coming from a broad set of natural science programs. For example, the graduate program at Penn State expects applicants to havecompleted standard introductory courses in geosciences, chemistry, physics, and mathematics through integral calculus, plus an equivalent of 15 credits of intermediate-level work in one or a combination of these subjects ”. Notice that our BS programs offer you a choice of which Math path to complete. If you intend to go to graduate school in Geology (or similar), it is best to take the path that leads to Math 156. I am interested in GIS but see that there are AoEs relating to this in both the Earth and Environmental Science BS and Sustainability BA. How can I choose between the BS and BA? The choice of BA or BS depends on your long-term career goal. The BS will best prepare you to work in technical research or industry jobs that involve Geospatial Science. The BA is more appropriate if you want to pursue a career in the policy, advocacy, NGO, or government fields where you will use GIS as a tool. I am considering pursuing a dual degree or a double major. What majors best complement the Earth and Environmental Science BS or the Sustainability Studies BA? You can take two very different paths when you choose a minor or a double major. You can look for fields that are allied to your major in order to increase the depth of your training. These include Chemistry, Biology, Forestry, Resource Management, Soil Sciences, Environmental Protection, Environmental and Civil Engineering, or Political Science, History, English, International Studies, etc. You can pursue courses in fields that are different from your major-specific courses and thus broaden your background in ways that make you stand out to employers. These include Political Science, History, Mathematics, Computer Science, Business and Economics, Arts, English, etc.Help Support our Geology Field Camp We need your help to lessen the financial burden of attending field camp for five geology students. Field camp provides an incredible opportunity for our students and creates meaningful hands-on experiences that will last a lifetime. Dan and Pat Billman have launched a challenge to support Geology field camp: As geologists we know, the best geologists see the most rocks. Future WVU geologists need our support now. Please join us in championing WVU Geology’s field camp and courses.” - Dan Billman (1989 MS Geology) and Pam Billman (1988 MS Geology) Make a Donation Department Research Spotlight Mapping West Virginia New research from West Virginia University is transforming understanding of the Mountain State’s famous landscape – and identifying ways to preserve it. As WVU’s latest NSF CAREER Award winner, Assistant Professor of Geography Aaron Maxwell will use big data to map what the surface of West Virginia looked like over the last 60 years. The funding includes $636,785 over five years. Learn more about his research. Mapping a Legacy: New Geography Endowment After a 35-year career in the Department of Geology and Geography , Professor Emeritus Gregory Elmes aspires to give back to the university that has given him so much. He and wife Jeanne (MM Music Performance, 1999) have established a planned gift, the Dr. Gregory and Mrs. Jeanne Elmes Geography Endowment, to support undergraduate geography students in their research endeavors. Learn more about endowment. WVU Geology Faculty Develops Virtual Lab When the coronavirus began to spread around the world in early 2020, West Virginia University Department of Geology and Geography ’s Graham Andrews knew he needed to act fast. He already had 3D photography software and a drone on hand for a volcanology research project. But with some quick thinking and the help of five students, an idea was borna virtual geology lab. Read more in Eberly Magazine. News: Students from across Eberly have...