Bachelor [Geosciences] From Denison University

The Geosciences program at Denison provides a comprehensive geoscience undergraduate education through the combination of classroom, laboratory and field experiences.  Our small upper division classes (average 10 students) promote close faculty-student cooperation and a sense of camaraderie. Students gain a strong sense of real-world geology, earth resources and land use through frequent field trips.

The faculty also has a strong interest in the environmental sciences and plays a key role in the Environmental Studies Program at Denison. The complex and crucial issues concerning energy, water, material resources and environmental quality are central to many courses in the Geosciences curriculum. The department helps students develop both the scientific background and the breadth of understanding necessary to contribute significantly to fields such as energy resources, groundwater, land use planning and waste management.

 In the Department of Geosciences we investigate the Earth in the broadest sense: how it formed, how it evolved and continues to evolve, how Earth systems interact to produce the environment in which we live, and how present and future changes may affect the habitability of Earth. The central goal of the department is to educate students about the nature and history of the Earth, the processes that shape the Earth, and the impacts those processes have on human populations.

An understanding of the Earth is an important component of global citizenship. Many critical environmental issues face humanity, including global climate change, water shortages, loss of arable land, natural hazards such as earthquakes and flooding, and the availability of petroleum and other energy resources. Citizens and professionals with training in the geosciences will contribute to addressing these and other problems, while increasing opportunities for humans to live sustainably on the Earth.

There are two possible paths to the bachelor’s degree in Geoscience: a Bachelor of Science in anticipation of advanced study in the Geosciences, or a Bachelor of Arts for those who seek a less specialized course of study. Earning a B.A. degree does not preclude a professional career in the Geosciences, although admission to some graduate programs may require completion of additional science and mathematics courses.