Geology

What are geologists? They are trained scientists who understand the Earth's natural processes, manmade technologies, and the intersection of the two. They work with raw data to evaluate the causes and consequences of significant geological events and material discoveries.

Geologists help identify and mitigate such large-scale geological hazards as earthquakes, volcanoes, and floods. They work in fossil fuel exploration and production, overseeing the extraction of raw resources to meet society's energy needs. They are also climate scientists who address the impacts and future of climate change at a global level.

Geologists may enter the workforce with an undergraduate degree, but many employers prefer graduate-level study. All undergraduate programs should be accredited by the Accreditation Board for Engineering & Technology (ABET).

Degrees in Geology

Bachelor Degrees

A 4-year Bachelor of Science (B.S.) or Arts (B.A.) degree in Geology should familiarize students with the fundamental origins, structural composition, and physical properties of the Earth. Students at this level explore major natural processes and events, and become versed in the global distribution of raw earth materials and natural resources.

Bachelors can usually find work as entry-level technicians for mining companies, environmental firms, and government entities. Some employers will finance in whole or part an established employee's graduate education. Entering the workforce after earning a bachelor's can thus be a strategic way to pursue subsidized graduate studies while gaining valuable industry experience.

In addition to general education, Geology majors take classes in:

  • Mineralogy & Petrology
  • Physical Geology
  • Structural Geology
  • Stratigraphy & Sedimentation
  • Invertebrate Paleontology
  • Hydrogeology
  • Environmental Geology
  • Field Geology Methods

Bachelor programs may focus on general Geology, Petroleum Geology, Engineering Geology, or Environmental Geology. Environmental geology students study topics like natural resources, water and air quality, planetary history, soil science, and environmental law.

Engineering geology students learn to apply their scientific knowledge to real-world interactions between built and natural environments, specifically in the geo-construction industry. They may explore, for example, remote sensing technologies, soil mechanics and rock slope stability, and contaminant hydrogeology.

Petroleum geology students at this level may study, for instance, statistics, applied geophysics, petroleum & well logging, depositional environments, and geochemistry. In general, major resource companies prefer applicants from accredited geology graduate programs, although the American Association of Petroleum Geologists says these requirements are flexible during “boom times” when the supply of geologists lags demand.

Which jobs are available to students with a B.S. or B.A. in Geology?

  • Petroleum Geotechnician
  • Disaster Assistance Scientist (FEMA)
  • Environmental Field Geologist

Master Degrees

In graduate school, students who haven't already done so should pick an employment sector and design an educational plan based on this choice. Aspiring petroleum geologists, for instance, will ultimately need a graduate degree to become full-title professionals in the oil and gas sector.

For those planning to ultimately earn a Ph.D., a master's degree is useful for learning how to conduct experimental research. Even where doctoral programs do not require Ph.D. applicants to hold a master's, acquiring one could prove a valuable learning experience.

It's not uncommon to combine a graduate degree in Geology with a degree in a related field, such as Civil Engineering. Additionally, some students pursue an MBA after a master's in Geology; business skills are highly valued in this line of work.

Students at the master's level typically collaborate with a faculty committee and advisor to plan graduate coursework around their interests. They may be required to submit a thesis to a graduate committee in order to finish the program.

Incoming master candidates are usually expected to have completed at least a year of college-level Calculus, Physics, and Chemistry. Graduate transfer applicants may need to submit GRE scores. The top geology schools expect applicants to have an undergraduate degree from an ABET-accredited institution.

What kinds of jobs are available to master degree-holders?

  • Research & Development Geophysicist
  • Operations Supervisor — Water Management
  • Principal Geosciences Consultant

Here are some examples of master's-level coursework in Geology:

  • Advanced Structural Geology & Tectonics
  • Carbonate Depositional Systems
  • Subsurface Methods

Doctoral Work

Master geologists can get solid, well-paying jobs, but more extensive career options await those who finish a 1- to 3-year Ph.D. at one of the best geology schools in the U.S. Students who anticipate, for instance, organizing their own research projects or teaching at some point should consider a Ph.D.

Geological positions that require a Ph.D. include:

  • Seismic Stratigrapher
  • Atmospheric Scientist (NASA)
  • Geochemical Research Scientist

Ph.D. candidates may pursue specialized research in, for example:

  • Urban Geology
  • Paleoecology
  • Geoarchaeology

We found 386 schools offering geology degree programs in the U.S.

>> See all 386 Geology Colleges in the U.S.

Geology Schools Ranked By US News and World Report

1
University of Arizona
Tucson, AZ  |  Total Enrollment: 34488

Degrees Offered: Bachelor's, Master's, Post-Masters certificate, Doctor's, First-professional degree
1
University of Michigan - Ann Arbor
Ann Arbor, MI  |  Total Enrollment: 38103

Degrees Offered: Bachelor's, Postbaccalaureate certificate, Master's, Post-Masters certificate, Doctor's, First-professional degree
3
Pennsylvania State University - Main Campus
University Park, PA  |  Total Enrollment: 40571

Degrees Offered: Less than one year, One but less than two years, Associate's, Two but less than 4 years, Bachelor's, Postbaccalaureate certificate, Master's, Doctor's
3
The University of Texas at Austin
Austin, TX  |  Total Enrollment: 49996

Degrees Offered: Bachelor's, Master's, Doctor's, First-professional degree
5
Stanford University
Stanford, CA  |  Total Enrollment: 18549

Degrees Offered: Bachelor's, Master's, Post-Masters certificate, Doctor's, First-professional degree
6
California Institute of Technology
Pasadena, CA  |  Total Enrollment: 1968

Degrees Offered: Bachelor's, Master's, Post-Masters certificate, Doctor's
7
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Cambridge, MA  |  Total Enrollment: 10090

Degrees Offered: Bachelor's, Master's, Doctor's, First-professional degree
8
University of Wisconsin - Madison
Madison, WI  |  Total Enrollment: 40658

Degrees Offered: Bachelor's, Postbaccalaureate certificate, Master's, Post-Masters certificate, Doctor's, First-professional degree
9
University of California - Berkeley
Berkeley, CA  |  Total Enrollment: 31277

Degrees Offered: Bachelor's, Postbaccalaureate certificate, Master's, Post-Masters certificate, Doctor's, First-professional degree, First-professional certificate
10
Harvard University
Cambridge, MA  |  Total Enrollment: 24279

Degrees Offered: Associate's, Bachelor's, Postbaccalaureate certificate, Master's, Post-Masters certificate, Doctor's, First-professional degree, First-professional certificate

Browse All 386 Colleges With Geology Programs


Title City State Enrollment
Abilene Christian University Abilene TX 4739
Hardin - Simmons University Abilene TX 2304
University of Akron Main Campus Akron OH 21363
Adams State College Alamosa CO 8188
Suny at Albany Albany NY 16751
University of New Mexico - Main Campus Albuquerque NM 23670
Alfred University Alfred NY 1607
Grand Valley State University Allendale MI 18569
Sul Ross State University Alpine TX 2838
Amarillo College Amarillo TX 8422
Georgia Southwestern State University Americus GA 2622
Iowa State University Ames IA 26845
Amherst College Amherst MA 1695
University of Massachusetts - Amherst Amherst MA 24416
University of Michigan - Ann Arbor Ann Arbor MI 38103
Lawrence University Appleton WI 1228
Humboldt State University Arcata CA 7433
The University of Texas at Arlington Arlington TX 20424
Ashland University Ashland OH 6055
Southern Oregon University Ashland OR 5493
University of Georgia Athens GA 31288
Ohio University - Main Campus Athens OH 19920
Georgia State University Atlanta GA 23625
Auburn University Main Campus Auburn University AL 21860
The University of Texas at Austin Austin TX 49996
California State University - Bakersfield Bakersfield CA 6397
Louisiana State University and Agricultural & Mechanical College Baton Rouge LA 31527
Lamar University Beaumont TX 11550
Coastal Bend College Beeville TX 3259
Western Washington University Bellingham WA 12307
Beloit College Beloit WI 1262
Bemidji State University Bemidji MN 4118
Lake Michigan College Benton Harbor MI 3411
University of California - Berkeley Berkeley CA 31277
Suny at Binghamton Binghamton NY 12473
University of Alabama at Birmingham Birmingham AL 14951
Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University Blacksburg VA 27869
Indiana University - Bloomington Bloomington IN 37076
Bloomsburg University of Pennsylvania Bloomsburg PA 7548
Florida Atlantic University Boca Raton FL 21046
Boise State University Boise ID 16287
Appalachian State University Boone NC 13227
Boston University Boston MA 28318
Northeastern University Boston MA 23897
University of Colorado at Boulder Boulder CO 29352
Olivet Nazarene University Bourbonnais IL 2859
Western Kentucky University Bowling Green KY 15481
Bowling Green State University - Main Campus Bowling Green OH 18096
University of Pittsburgh - Bradford Bradford PA 1204
Bridgewater State College Bridgewater MA 8839
Suny College at Brockport Brockport NY 8524
Cuny Lehman College Bronx NY 8768
Cuny Brooklyn College Brooklyn NY 15039
Long Island University - C W Post Campus Brookville NY 9627
Bowdoin College Brunswick ME 1609
Bryn Mawr College Bryn Mawr PA 1784
Suny at Buffalo Buffalo NY 24830
University of Vermont and State Agricultural Coll Burlington VT 10118
California University of Pennsylvania California PA 5899
Harvard University Cambridge MA 24279
St Lawrence University Canton NY 2092
West Texas A & M University Canyon TX 6775
Southern Illinois University Carbondale Carbondale IL 22552
Dickinson College Carlisle PA 2115
University of West Georgia Carrollton GA 8959
California State University - Dominguez Hills Carson CA 12848
Casper College Casper WY 3972
Southern Utah University Cedar City UT 5963
University of Northern Iowa Cedar Falls IA 14106
University of Illinois at Urbana - Champaign Champaign IL 38465
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Chapel Hill NC 24892
Eastern Illinois University Charleston IL 10637
College of Charleston Charleston SC 11129
University of North Carolina at Charlotte Charlotte NC 17241
The University of Tennessee - Chattanooga Chattanooga TN 8319
Eastern Washington University Cheney WA 8597
Boston College Chestnut Hill MA 15240
University of Illinois at Chicago Chicago IL 24942
California State University - Chico Chico CA 15912
University of Cincinnati - Main Campus Cincinnati OH 27327
Harvey Mudd College Claremont CA 719
Pomona College Claremont CA 1574
Clarion University of Pennsylvania Clarion PA 6192
Austin Peay State University Clarksville TN 7121
Clemson University Clemson SC 17465
Cleveland State University Cleveland OH 15294
Case Western Reserve University Cleveland OH 9304
Hamilton College Clinton NY 1765
University of Maryland - College Park College Park MD 33189
Texas A & M University College Station TX 44026
Colorado College Colorado Springs CO 1942
University of Missouri - Columbia Columbia MO 23309
University of South Carolina - Columbia Columbia SC 23728
Columbus State University Columbus GA 5187
Ohio State University - Main Campus Columbus OH 47952
Texas A & M University - Commerce Commerce TX 7508
Tennessee Technological University Cookeville TN 8410
University of Miami Coral Gables FL 13963
Del Mar College Corpus Christi TX 9936
Texas A & M University - Corpus Christi Corpus Christi TX 6823
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