Overview

The environmental geosciences emphasis combines geology with an elective co-disciplinary area (e.g. biology, geography) to provide a broader, interdisciplinary study of the environmental field. The program prepares students to:

• Work as geologists in environmental companies, state agencies, etc.
• Enter a broad range of careers in environmental science or environmental management and planning.
• Use the environmental geosciences foundation for entry into non-science employment areas.
• Or go on to graduate study in geological or other environmental science areas.

Faculty and students in the department are active in research projects such as aquifer studies, groundwater contamination, and groundwater geophysical investigations in areas ranging from Illinois to Mexico to China. Interested undergraduates have the opportunity to be involved in research projects in various ways, such as through senior thesis, supervised independent study, University Research Apprenticeship Program ( URAP ), and student help. You will find individual faculty research interests described on their home pages.

Admission Requirements

• Admission: These requirements are essentially the same as those for admission to NIU, as described in the NIU Undergraduate Catalog.
• Transfer Students: Undergraduate transfer students with 30 or more semester hours of credit who wish to major in Geology/Environmental Geosciences are advised to have completed courses in physical geology and at least a semester each of general chemistry with laboratory and of calculus, prior to entering NIU.
• Consult Advisor: Students should consult with the undergraduate adviser ( Dr. Colin Booth, 753-7933 ) as early as possible to plan the start of their program.

Curriculum

NIU baccalaureate degree programs require a minimum of 120 semester hours, including the 29-41 credit hours of the general education program.

The Environmental Geosciences curriculum consists of:

• One 100-level elective and four 300-level required GEOL courses (19-20 credit hours)
• A four-week environmental geosciences field course, offered annually between spring semester and summer term (4 credit hours)
• Core requirements in math, chemistry, and either biology, physics, or geography (18-23 credit hours)
• Upper-division electives in geology (9-12 credit hours) and the cross-disciplinary area (9-12 credit hours), together totaling at least 20 credit hours.

The approved program will satisfy:

• The NIU baccalaureate requirement of a minimum of 40 semester hours in upper-division (300/400-level) courses, including at least 12 credit hours in Geology and Environmental Geosciences (taken at NIU).
• The College of Liberal Arts and Sciences math and laboratory science requirements for the BS degree, provided that the required minimum 2.0 GPA is satisfied.
• The minimum number of geology course credits required for eventual licensing as a professional geologist (P.G.) in the state of Illinois.

Detailed Requirements:

One of the following introductory geology courses: (3-4 credit hours)

Each of the following geology core courses: (16 credit hours)

GEOL 320 Environments & Life Through Time (4 hours)
GEOL 325 Solid Earth Composition (4 hours)
GEOL 330 Global Cycles (4 hours)
GEOL 335 Dynamics & Structure of the Earth (4 hours)

Field Course: (4 credit hours)

GEOL 477 Field Methods in Environmental Geosciences (4 hours)

Mathematics: (4-7 credit hours)

Either MATH 229 Calculus I (4 hours), or ...

Chemistry: (8 credit hours)

CHEM 210T and 212 General Chemistry I (3/1 hours) and ...
CHEM 211T and 213 General Chemistry II (3/1 hours)

Other Lab Science: (6-8 credit hours)

Any one of the two-semester lab science sequences, except CHEM and GEOL, listed in the Undergraduate Catalog, that satisfies the LA&S lab science requirements for the B.S. degree. The sequence would normally be selected from the various BIOS, GEOG and PHYS options to match the cross-disciplinary focus.

Upper-Division Electives: (should total at least 20 credit hours)

GEOL: (9-12 credit hours) electives at 300/400 level; at least 9 hours must be in courses other than GEOL 489 (Undergraduate Research), GEOL 498 (Senior Thesis) or GEOL 499H (Senior Thesis Honors).

Cross-Disciplinary Area: (9-12 credit hours)

Electives at 300/400 level, selected with the approval of the Undergraduate Advisor, typically from the departments of Biological Sciences, Chemistry, Economics, Geography, Physics, or Political Science. (Selected courses may require additional prerequisites not included in the Environmental Geosciences curriculum.) Other areas may be approved if they form part of a logical environmental program.

A selection of suggested elective GEOL courses for Environmental Geosciences

GEOL 390, Introduction to Groundwater
GEOL 405, Stratigraphy
GEOL 420, Geochemistry of the Earth's Surface
GEOL 421, Environmental Geochemistry
GEOL 425, Engineering Geology
GEOL 442, Geomorphology
GEOL 468, Geomicrobiology
GEOL 488, Environmental Change
GEOL 490, Hydrogeology
GEOL 491, Geophysical Well Logging
GEOL 492X, Hydrology
GEOL 493, Groundwater Geophysics
GEOL 496, Geophysics

Further Information

For further information on geology and environmental geosciences programs contact the undergraduate advisor:

Chair of the Undergraduate Committee and Environmental Geosciences advisor
Dr. Melissa Lenczewski - E-mail