University of Maine at Farmington 2014-2015 Catalog
 
The University
Academic Organization, Faculty Listing
Academic Programs
Courses
Admission, Costs, Farmington in Four, Financial Aid
Academic Policies
Personnel
Notices
UMF Logo
 
Context

Geology
Print This Page

Degree Earned
Bachelor of Arts: Geology

Students in the UMF Geology Program engage in diverse field and laboratory investigations in order to develop their understanding of the past, present, and future behavior of the whole earth system. The program especially values field experiences both at nearby field sites and, during travel courses, other geologically rich locations such as Newfoundland, Ireland and Scotland, and the Grand Canyon. Students graduate with a solid foundation for careers in the earth and environmental sciences, K-12 science education, or graduate school, ready to tackle resource, energy, and environmental challenges of the 21st century.

Learning Goals:

Students will be able to:

General

  • design and conduct original scientific research including the processes of recognizing problems in geology, developing testable hypotheses, carrying out pertinent investigations, and communicating results.
  • demonstrate an understanding of the nature of science, especially the interactions between imaginative hypothesis generation and rigorous observation and data collection.

Knowledge

  • demonstrate knowledge of the major geologic processes including:
    • formation of minerals, rocks, and other earth materials;
    • geochemical cycling (especially the rock, water, and carbon cycles);
    • circulation of the solid earth, oceans, and atmosphere;
    • deformation (plate tectonic to micro-scale);
    • energy flows (internal heat and solar);
    • processes pertinent to stratigraphy and the geologic record; and
    • the origin/evolution of the earth system (tectonic, climatic, and biologic events).
  • demonstrate an awareness of the range of earth system behaviors (steady-state, secular trends, cyclical, chaotic) and factors that tend to maintain or drive a system from equilibrium.
  • demonstrate knowledge of the history of science, including the major scientific revolutions, and how most problems require an integrative approach, applying tools from chemistry, physics, biology, mathematics, and other subdisciplines of geology.

Skills

  • document and decipher geologic records through:
    • geologic field methods (e.g., pacing, GPS, hand specimen description, Brunton compass) and
    • laboratory procedures (e.g., petrography; grain size analysis); and
    • techniques for data documentation, manipulation, and display (e.g., GIS, spreadsheets, graphing).

Attitude

  • exhibit professional behavior and become aware of their ethical responsibility to portray the results of investigations in an unbiased nature.
  • gain a deeper appreciation of their planet through exploration of the landscape, motivating them to embrace an ethic of environmental stewardship.

 

Assessment Criteria:

Assessments include preliminary and final course examinations; abundant written and illustrated summaries of field and laboratory investigations, including modeling studies; review papers; and oral and poster presentations of original research.

 
 
MAJOR REQUIREMENTS
 
One of the following 100-level courses (4 credits):
 
GEY 101N Environmental Geoscience 4
GEY 102N The Dynamic Earth 4
GEY 103N The Earth System 4
GEY 104N Oceans: Ancient and Modern                     4
 
All of the following 200-level courses (24 credits):
 
GEY 201N Earth History 4
GEY 202 Mineralogy 4
GEY 203 Surficial Processes 4
GEY 251 Stratigraphy and Sedimentation 4
GEY 252 Introduction to Petrology 4
GEY 254 Structural Geology and Tectonics            4
 
Two of the following 300-level courses (8 credits):
 
GEY 301 Terrain Analysis 4
GEY 302 Advanced Petrology                          4
GEY 303 Climate Change 4
GEY 304 Geochemistry 4
 
Required Courses in Science and Mathematics (12 credits):
 
CHY 141 General Chemistry I 4
CHY 142 General Chemistry II                            4
PHY 141 General Physics I  
or    
PHY 116 Energy, Physics, and the Environment 4

 

Total Credits for the Major: 48

Program Options

1.  As an alternative to fulfilling the requirements above for a straight geology major, students may opt to pursue a Geology B.A. with a concentration in geochemistry (requirements listed below).

2. An Honors option, consisting of an additional 6 credits of senior research (GEY 496 Senior Research I and GEY 499 Senior Research II) is available to students who demonstrate initiative and the capacity for original work in their introductory and mid-level courses.

 
REQUIREMENTS FOR CONCENTRATION IN GEOCHEMISTRY
 
One of the following 100-level courses (4 credits):
 
GEY 101N Environmental Geoscience 4
GEY 102N The Dynamic Earth 4
GEY 103N The Earth System 4
GEY 104N Oceans: Ancient and Modern                     4
 
All of the following courses (32 credits):
 
CHY 141 General Chemistry I 4
CHY 142 General Chemistry II 4
GEY 201N Earth History 4
GEY 202 Mineralogy 4
GEY 203 Surficial Processes 4
GEY 252 Introduction to Petrology                           4
GEY 302 Advanced Petrology 4
GEY 304 Geochemistry 4
 
One full-year sequence chosen from the following (8 credits):
 
CHY 241 Organic Chemistry I 4
CHY 242 Organic Chemistry II                           
or    
CHY 291 Analytical Chemistry 4
CHY 392 Instrumental Analysis 4
 
One 200-level or 300-level chemistry elective (4 credits):
 
CHY 241 Organic Chemistry I  4
CHY 242 Organic Chemistry II 4
CHY 291 Analytical Chemistry 4
CHY 384 Environmental Chemistry                     4
CHY 392 Instrumental Analysis 4
 
 
Total Credits for the Concentration: 48
 
NOTES:
1.  A grade of C- or above must be earned in all science courses and their prerequisites.
2.  Geology courses from the major may not be used to fulfill the General Education requirement in Natural Sciences.

 

FOREIGN LANGUAGE REQUIREMENT
One year of one foreign language at the college level or two years of one foreign language at the high school level.

GENERAL EDUCATION REQUIREMENTS
For specific information about general education requirements and expectations, see the General Education Requirements in the Academic Programs section of this catalog.

MINIMUM TOTAL CREDITS FOR THE DEGREE: 128

See other years' Catalogs