Our Geology B.A. and B.S. degrees focus on the history of Earth and life on Earth (fossils, geologic time, climate change), its composition (minerals, rocks, soil, water), the processes that shape our planet’s surface (earthquakes, volcanoes, floods, etc.), and the geologic/physiographic features that define it (mountains, oceans, etc.). Practical applications of coursework cover everything from the material resources that society is built on to environmental concerns regarding soil, water, pollution, climate change, and natural disasters. Geologists play a critical role in the protection of the environment, public health, and natural resources and as such our Bachelor of Science degree is registered as a Licensure-Qualifying Geology Program with the New York State Education Department.
The B.S. in Environmental Science focuses on experiential learning from across the natural sciences as a way to understand the physical, biological, and chemical aspects of the environment. This interdisciplinary major provides a broad cross-training in environmental science that pairs well with a minor or double major in many of the environmentally relevant degrees offered by our department and others.