University of Montana Catalog 2023-2024

Earth, Water, and Climate Science B.S.

Bachelor of Science - Earth, Water, and Climate Science

General Education Requirements

Information regarding these requirements can be found in the General Education Section of the catalog. 

Summary

Lower-Division Core13
Upper-Division Core6
Upper-Division Electives18-24
Upper-Division Experiential Learning3
Cognate Sciences24-26
Total Hours64-72

Degree Specific Credits: 64-72

Required Cumulative GPA: 2.0

Note: This degree is designed for students who seek post-graduate employment as a professional geoscientist or preparation for graduate study in Geosciences.

Lower-Division Core

Complete one of the following courses:4
Earth Systems Science
and Earth Systems Science Lab
Introduction to Environmental Geology
and Introduction to Environmental Geology Laboratory
Natural Disasters
and Introduction to Environmental Geology Laboratory
Complete all of the following courses:
ERTH 194Getting to Know Earth, Water, and Climate Science1
GEO 201Geologic Evolution of North America4
GEO 202The Water Planet4
Total Hours13

Minimum Required Grade: C-


Upper-Division Core

Complete all of the following courses:
GEO 323Computational Methods for Earth and Environmental Scientists3
GEO 428Field Methods: Earth, Water, and Climate Science3
Total Hours6

Minimum Required Grade: C-


Upper-Division Electives

Rule: Complete two courses from each of the following three categories. At least one course from each category must be a GEO course.

Earth Science

Complete two of the following courses:6-8
Mineralogy and Optical Mineralogy
Igneous & Metamorph Petrology
Sedimentation/Stratigraphy
Earth Resources and Sustainability
Geochemistry
Global Tectonics
Geophysics
Principles of Sedimentary Petrology
Total Hours6-8

Minimum Required Grade: C-

Water Science

Complete two of the following courses:6-8
Global Water
Hydrogeology
Hydrology
Process Geomorphology
Watershed Hydrology
Total Hours6-8

Minimum Required Grade: C-

Climate Science

Complete 3 credits of the following courses:3
Weather and Climate
Earth's Changing Climate
Energy and the Environment
Snow, Ice and Climate Change
Global Cycles and Climate
Total Hours3

Minimum Required Grade: C-


Upper-Division Experiential Learning

Rule: Complete 3 credits of experiential learning. Course substitutions must be approved by the department.

Complete 3 credits of the following courses:3
Getting Started in Research
Independent Study
Careers in Geosciences
Internship
Senior Thesis /Capstone
Total Hours3

Minimum Required Grade: C-


Cognate Sciences

Rule: The following cognate courses are required. Course substitutions must be approved by the department.

Physics

Complete one of the following sequences:10
Algebra- and Trigonometry-based Physics:
College Physics I
and College Physics I Laboratory
College Physics II
and College Physics II Laboratory
Calculus-based Physics:
Fundamentals of Physics with Calculus I
and Physics Laboratory I with Calculus
Fundamentals of Physics with Calculus II
and Physics Laboratory II with Calculus

Minimum Required Grade: C-

Chemistry

Complete one of the following:3-5
Introduction to General Chemistry
College Chemistry I
and College Chemistry I Lab
Total Hours3-5

Minimum Required Grade: C-

Mathematics and Statistics

Complete the following courses:
M 171Calculus I4
M 172Calculus II4
or STAT 216 Introduction to Statistics
Total Hours8

Minimum Required Grade: C-

Computer Science

Complete the following course:
CSCI 150Introduction to Computer Science3
Total Hours3

Minimum Required Grade: C-