Bachelor of Science in Geology and Geophysics with emphasis areas in:

• Geochemistry
• Geology
• Geophysics
• Groundwater and Environmental Geochemistry
• Petroleum Geology

What will I be studyingif I choose this academic field?

You'll be investigating the origin and history of the Earth, the structure of the Earth, and the materials that make up the Earth. Geophysics is the branch of geology, which studies the Earth and planetary bodies using quantitative physical methods. You'll get a strong background in science including courses in chemistry, physics, biology and mathematics. In addition, you'll take courses in basic, intermediate, and advanced geology & geophysics, take numerous field trips, and take part in a 5-week summer field camp in southern Utah. Our students have also attended field camp in South Africa.

Several branches of the geological sciences that are represented in courses and research at Missouri S&T include:

• Mineralogy (the study of minerals)
• Petrology (the study of rocks and rock-fluid interactions)
• Stratigraphy & sedimentology (the study of layered sedimentary rocks)
• Structural geology and tectonics (the study of the structure and processes within the Earth)
• Paleontology (the study of past life).

Geochemistry

Students who enjoy chemistry and chemical processes should consider the emphasis area of geochemistry in the Geology & Geophysics program. Instead of working solely in a laboratory setting, the whole world becomes your laboratory. Geochemists determine the chemical compositions of rocks, minerals, soils and waters. They work with the major element, minor element, trace element, and isotopic compositions of earth materials and investigate the chemical and physical laws that influence the mobility of these elements in different geological environments. Such information is used to explore for deposits of metals and petroleum and is applied to environmental concerns such as providing adequate water supplies and the disposal of waste materials.

Geophysics

Students who are interested in or enjoy mathematics and computer science should consider the field of geophysics. Geophysicists use physical principles and state-of-the-art computers, tools and techniques to investigate the subsurface soils and rocks without drilling or excavating. Our program offers a large number of undergraduate courses in geophysics, and we have an active program in exploration and deep crustal geophysics in which undergraduates can play an important role. Participation in these projects gives students great experience that strengthens their resume when it comes to the job hunt upon graduation. We would be happy to send you a brochure that discusses the areas of employment and exciting activities of the geophysicist. 

Environmental

The Geology & Geophysics program has developed a very successful program that emphasizes the application of geology, geochemistry, and geophysics to groundwater and the environmental problems. Our recent graduates in groundwater and environmental geology have found an excellent job market, received multiple employment offers, and found their work to be very interesting and rewarding. The types of work include measurements of minor and trace elements in water, solids, rocks and minerals in order to monitor the quality and contamination of the environment by toxic metals, resolution of pollution problems, geochemical mobility of organic compounds and how they are involved in the mobility of pollutants, and the movement of man-made pollutants in soils, rocks, and water. Geophysical techniques are used to delineate groundwater reservoirs and detect buried drums, tanks, and trenches on hazardous waste sites. Recently, geophysics has been successfully applied to locating organic pollutants in the subsurface. The environmental geology program is interdisciplinary, and students may take courses in Geological Engineering, Civil Engineering, Biology, and Chemistry that strongly complement the courses in Geology & Geophysics.

Curriculum