Environmental Geology

Explore the relationship between humans and the environment on Earth by studying environmental geology. You’ll address critical needs of our society, ranging from groundwater protection and waste disposal to the identification and assessment of natural hazards.

As an environmental geologist, you will predict, prevent and remediate hazards related to human activity or the Earth’s dynamic processes such as beach erosion, earthquakes, flooding, groundwater contamination, landslides and volcanic activity.

Program Overview

The environmental geology program addresses the ever-growing need for environmental professionals through a multifaceted program emphasizing the interdisciplinary nature of environmental problems.

To gain an understanding of the broad range of factors relevant to geology and environmental geology, you will take courses such as hydrogeology and geochemistry, along with other courses in biology, chemistry, and civil and environmental engineering. Additional courses with an environmental emphasis are available through the Perspectives in Global Environmental Issues Cluster, which examines environmental issues and their multifaceted scope and global extent.

In addition, you will have opportunities to collaborate with faculty conducting research on diverse issues related to environmental challenges such as the history and impacts of global climate change, wetlands restoration or risk evaluation based on field investigation of fault systems, landslides or volcanic eruptions.

Students with an interest in environmental policy can augment their degree in environmental geology with a minor in sustainability, energy and environment.

As an undergraduate, you can also earn a graduate certificate in Geographic Information Systems (GIS). GIS is the science of displaying and analyzing any feature or variable that can be shown on a map, from geologic formations to bodies of contaminated groundwater in an aquifer.

For more information, visit the internal Department of Geology website.