Overview
The Department of Earth and Environmental Science provides students the opportunity to study the Earth with a variety of traditional and environmental geology course work. The faculty work closely with students to give a combination of field-based experience and current laboratory and computational techniques.
Students in the Bachelor of Arts in Geology acquire a solid foundation in the Earth and Environmental Sciences.
Delve into the physical, chemical and biological processes of Earth, from the remote past to the distant future. Learn how humans are impacted by and are impacting our planet. Explore climate change, energy resources and natural planetary forces.
The BA offers the opportunity to complete a second major or to prepare for post-graduate degrees in law, medicine or education. The BA program is not intended for prospective geologists, but for pre-med or pre-law students, or for those planning to teach earth science in secondary school.
Campus Location: Main
Program Code: ST-GEOL-BA
Distinction in Major
To graduate with distinction in this major, a student must satisfy the following criteria:
- achieve a 3.5 GPA in EES and Upper-Level Science Electives for the major
- no grade below C in the remaining courses required for the major
Senior Research Project
Students whose cumulative GPA is at least 3.25 at the end of the first semester of their junior year are eligible to undertake a senior research project. In the second semester of their junior year, students must select a faculty research advisor and, with the advisor, prepare a written research proposal. After the research advisor and the undergraduate Earth and Environmental Science advisor approve the proposal, the student may register for up to four (4) hours of EES 4082 Individual Study Program II for a grade. Additional credits may be offered in subsequent semesters, but only for Credit/No-Credit (CR/NC), to carry out the research project. Normally, the project will involve field or laboratory work in the summer between the junior and senior years and lead to presentation of the results at a departmental seminar.
Accelerated Programs
Accelerated programs provide a pathway for students to pursue both an undergraduate degree and an advanced degree in a shorter amount of time. Below is a list of available accelerated programs for students in the BA in Geology.
- BA in Geology / MEd in Middle Grades Education with a Concentration in Science
- BA in Geology / MEd in Middle Grades Education with a Concentration in Science and Language Arts
- BA in Geology / MEd in Secondary Education with a Concentration in Science Education
Undergraduate Contact Information
Nicholas Davatzes, Chair
Beury Hall, Room 307
215-204-2319
davatzes@temple.edu
Atsuhiro Muto, Vice Chair
Beury Hall, Room 317B
215-204-3699
amuto@temple.edu
Allison Tumarkin-Deratzian, Faculty Advisor
Beury Hall, Room 308
215-204-2321
altd@temple.edu
Ilya Buynevich, Faculty Advisor
Beury Hall, Room 313
215-204-3635
coast@temple.edu
These requirements are for students who matriculated in academic year 2025-2026. Students who matriculated prior to fall 2025 should refer to the Archives to view the requirements for their Bulletin year.
Bachelor of Arts Requirements
Summary of Requirements for the Degree
- University Requirements (123 total s.h.)
- Students must complete all University requirements including those listed below.
- All undergraduate students must complete at least two writing-intensive courses for a total of at least six credits at Temple as part of their major. The specific writing-intensive course options for this major are:
Course List Code Title Credit Hours EES 2096 Climate Change: Oceans To Atmosphere (S) 4 EES 2097 Process Geomorphology (F) 4 EES 4696 Vertebrate Paleontology and Taphonomy 3 EES 4796 Soils and Paleosols 4 EES 4896 Planetary Geology (Fall of even years) 4 - Students must complete the General Education (GenEd) requirements.
- See the General Education section of the Undergraduate Bulletin for the GenEd curriculum.
- Students who complete CST majors receive a waiver for 2 Science & Technology (GS) and 1 Quantitative Literacy (GQ) GenEd courses.
- Students must satisfy general Temple University residency requirements.
- College Requirements
- A minimum of 90 total credits within the College of Science & Technology (CST), the College of Liberal Arts (CLA), and/or the College of Engineering (ENG).
- A minimum of 45 of these credits must be upper-level (courses numbered 2000 and above).
- A minimum of 6 of these credits must be upper-level (courses numbered 2000 and above) CLA credits.
- Successful completion or waiver from the second level of a foreign language.
- Complete a one-credit first-year or transfer seminar.
- A minimum of 90 total credits within the College of Science & Technology (CST), the College of Liberal Arts (CLA), and/or the College of Engineering (ENG).
- Major Requirements for Bachelor of Arts (51-56 s.h.)
At least 7 courses required for the major must be completed at Temple. At least 4 EES courses must be completed at Temple.Course List Code Title Credit Hours Chemistry Select one of the following: 4 General Chemistry I
and General Chemistry Laboratory IHonors General Chemical Science I
and Honors Chemical Science Laboratory I (F)Mathematics MATH 1041 Calculus I 4 or MATH 1941 Honors Calculus I Select one of the following: 4 Introduction to Probability and Statistics for the Life Sciences Calculus II Honors Calculus II Physics Select one of the following: 4 Elementary Classical Physics I Honors Elementary Classical Physics I (F) General Physics I (F) Honors General Physics I (F) Earth & Environmental Science EES 2001 Physical Geology 4 EES 2011 Mineralogy I (F) 4 Select one EES course between 3020-3025: 4 Groundwater Hydrology (S) Physical Hydrology (F) Earth & Environmental Science Electives 1 Five EES electives 2002 or above 15-20 Science Foundation Electives Select two of the following: 8 Introduction to Organismal Biology or BIOL 1911Honors Introduction to Organismal Biology Introduction to Biomolecules, Cells and Genomes or BIOL 1912Honors Introduction to Biomolecules, Cells and Genomes or BIOL 2112Introduction to Cellular and Molecular Biology or BIOL 2912Honors Introduction to Cellular and Molecular Biology General Chemistry II
and General Chemistry Laboratory IIHonors General Chemical Science II
and Honors Chemical Science Laboratory IIOrganic Chemistry I
and Organic Chemistry Laboratory IOrganic Chemistry for Honors I
and Organic Honors Laboratory IElementary Classical Physics II or PHYS 1962Honors Elementary Classical Physics II or PHYS 2022General Physics II or PHYS 2922Honors General Physics II Total Credit Hours 51-56 Course List Code Title Credit Hours (F) - Fall only course (S) - Spring only course - 1
Earth & Environmental Science electives must be 3 or 4 credit courses above 2001, and at least two of the Earth & Environmental Science electives must be writing-intensive courses. One of the five EES elective courses can be outside of the department with faculty advisor approval.
Suggested Academic Plan
Bachelor of Arts in Geology
Suggested Plan for New Students Starting in the 2025-2026 Academic Year
| Year 1 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Fall | Credit Hours | |
| EES 2001 | Physical Geology | 4 |
| MATH 1041 or MATH 1941 | Calculus I or Honors Calculus I | 4 |
| SCTC 1001 | CST First-Year Seminar | 1 |
| ENG 0802 | Analytical Reading and Writing [GW] or Analytical Reading and Writing: ESL [GW] or Honors Analytical Reading and Writing [GW] | 4 |
| Elective | 2 | |
| Credit Hours | 15 | |
| Spring | ||
| Select one of the following: | 4 | |
| General Chemistry I and General Chemistry Laboratory I | ||
| Honors General Chemical Science I and Honors Chemical Science Laboratory I (F) | ||
| Select one of the following: | 4 | |
| Introduction to Probability and Statistics for the Life Sciences | ||
| Calculus II | ||
| Honors Calculus II | ||
| IH 0851 or IH 0951 | Intellectual Heritage I: The Good Life [GY] or Honors Intellectual Heritage I: The Good Life [GY] | 3 |
| Elective | 3 | |
| Elective | 2 | |
| Credit Hours | 16 | |
| Year 2 | ||
| Fall | ||
| EES 2011 | Mineralogy I (F) | 4 |
| Select one of the following: | 4 | |
| Elementary Classical Physics I | ||
| Honors Elementary Classical Physics I (F) | ||
| General Physics I (F) | ||
| Honors General Physics I (F) | ||
| IH 0852 or IH 0952 | Intellectual Heritage II: The Common Good [GZ] or Honors Intellectual Heritage II: The Common Good [GZ] | 3 |
| Elective | 4 | |
| Credit Hours | 15 | |
| Spring | ||
| Earth & Environmental Science Elective (see Requirements page) | 4 | |
| GenEd Breadth Course | 3 | |
| Elective | 3 | |
| Elective | 3 | |
| Elective | 3 | |
| Credit Hours | 16 | |
| Year 3 | ||
| Fall | ||
| Select one EES course between 3020-3025: | 4 | |
| Groundwater Hydrology (S) | ||
| Physical Hydrology (F) | ||
| Science Foundation Elective (see Requirements page) | 4 | |
| Foreign Language 1001 - First Level | 4 | |
| GenEd Breadth Course | 3 | |
| Credit Hours | 15 | |
| Spring | ||
| Earth & Environmental Science Elective WI (see Requirements page) | 4 | |
| Science Foundation Elective (see Requirements page) | 4 | |
| Foreign Language 1002 - Second Level | 4 | |
| GenEd Breadth Course | 3 | |
| Credit Hours | 15 | |
| Year 4 | ||
| Fall | ||
| Earth & Environmental Science Elective (see Requirements page) | 4 | |
| Upper-level CLA Course (numbered 2000 and above) | 3 | |
| GenEd Breadth Course | 3 | |
| Elective | 3 | |
| Elective | 3 | |
| Credit Hours | 16 | |
| Spring | ||
| Earth & Environmental Science Elective WI (see Requirements page) | 4 | |
| Earth & Environmental Science Elective (see Requirements page) | 4 | |
| Upper-level CLA Course (numbered 2000 and above) | 3 | |
| GenEd Breadth Course | 3-4 | |
| Elective | 1-0 | |
| Credit Hours | 15 | |
| Total Credit Hours | 123 | |
| Code | Title | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|
| (F) - Fall only course | ||
| (S) - Spring only course | ||
Accelerated Programs
Students may opt to pursue an accelerated +1 program, enabling them to complete both a bachelor's degree and master's degree in less time than the traditional route.
The following accelerated programs may be of interest for students in the Geology BA:
College of Education and Human Development