About Geology
Earth materials, processes, and history. Courses carry the GEOL subject code and are offered through the College of Science & Mathematics. Numbers below 300 are introductory, 300–499 advanced undergraduate, and 500 and above graduate. Prerequisites are enforced at registration.
How the sequence works
Of the 9 GEOL courses listed, 2 are introductory (numbers under 300), 2 are advanced undergraduate (300–499). 1 course has no prerequisite and is a reasonable first step. Later courses assume the earlier ones, so read prerequisites before you plan a term — they are enforced at registration and an override from the Geology department is the only way around them.
GEOL 1010 — Physical Geology 4 cr
Minerals and rocks, plate tectonics, volcanism, earthquakes, weathering, rivers, glaciers, and groundwater, with lab.
Prerequisite: none.
GEOL 1020 — Historical Geology 4 cr
The rock and fossil record, geologic time, and the evolution of Earth and life, with lab.
Prerequisite: GEOL 1010.
GEOL 2100 — Mineralogy 4 cr
Crystal chemistry, mineral identification, and optical mineralogy, with lab.
Prerequisite: GEOL 1010, CHEM 1050.
GEOL 2300 — Sedimentology and Stratigraphy 4 cr
Sediment transport, depositional environments, and correlating and interpreting rock sequences, with field work.
Prerequisite: GEOL 1020.
GEOL 3100 — Structural Geology 4 cr
Stress and strain, folds, faults, and reconstructing the deformation history of a region, with lab.
Prerequisite: GEOL 1010.
GEOL 3300 — Hydrogeology 3 cr
Groundwater flow, aquifer properties, wells, and contaminant transport.
Prerequisite: GEOL 1010.
GEOL 3500 — Environmental and Engineering Geology 3 cr
Geologic hazards, site characterization, and geology applied to land use and construction.
Prerequisite: GEOL 1010.
GEOL 3700 — Geochemistry 3 cr
Element behavior in Earth systems, isotopes, water–rock interaction, and analytical methods.
Prerequisite: GEOL 2100.
GEOL 4900 — Field Geology 4 cr
A multi-week field course mapping bedrock and surficial geology and producing a professional report.
Prerequisite: senior standing.
Planning and advising
Your degree audit shows exactly how GEOL courses apply to your requirements; this list only shows what is offered. If you are choosing between two courses, deciding when to take a heavy one, or wondering whether a course will run next term, your academic adviser can tell you. Course availability by term is set close to registration and is not guaranteed by anything on this page.
Fictional information
UW–Porter Falls is a work of parody. Every course, prerequisite, credit value, and department on this page is invented; nothing here describes a real curriculum or a course you can enroll in.