Dec 30, 2024

2019-2020 Undergraduate Catalog

2019-2020 Undergraduate Catalog This is not the most recent catalog version; be sure you are viewing the appropriate catalog year.

Geology Hydrogeology [BS]

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Geology is a multi-disciplinary scientific study of the Earth, its origin, structure, composition, and history. It includes the processes that have given rise to its present state and how they are interconnected. Geologists play a leading role in the discovery, utilization and management of natural resources, evaluating how natural processes impact life on Earth and how humans interact with Earth.

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Geology is the study of the Earth, the materials of which it is made, the structure of those materials, and the processes acting upon them. An important part of geology is the study of how Earth’s materials, structures, processes, and organisms have changed over time. Geologists work to understand the history of our planet. The better we can understand Earth’s history the better we can foresee how events and processes of the past might influence the future.

The Hydrogeology Concentration prepares students for graduate study or employment in the environmental industry. It focuses on those aspects of geology and related sciences that pertain to the occurrence, movement, supply and quality of water. The program is designed to provide a strong technical base. Students will be educated in skills that are required to gather and process data with particular attention to water-related problems. The program includes courses in mathematics, chemistry, and physics.

Opportunities

Geology is a highly satisfying, rewarding career. Geologists are in demand and commonly earn two to three times the national average per capita income. Sample career opportunities:

Petroleum and Mining – find and produce natural resources
Environmental Industry – assess impact of construction or protect water resources
Government – assess and monitor geologic hazards or study planetary geology

This is a designated STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) program.

Department Information

Geography & Geology | Richard Sambrook, Ph.D., Department Head | 140D Strong Hall, 734.487.8489, rsambroo@emich.edu

Advisor Information

Chris Gellasch, Ph.D., 140U Strong Hall, 734.487.8523, cgellasc@emich.edu

General Education Requirements:

For specific requirements, see General Education or print a worksheet .

Major Requirements: 69-71 hours

CHEM 121 - General Chemistry I [GEKN] 3 hrs
CHEM 122 - General Chemistry I Laboratory [GEKN] 1 hr
CHEM 123 - General Chemistry II 3 hrs
CHEM 124 - General Chemistry II Laboratory 1 hr
ESSC 110 - The Dynamic Earth System [GEKN] 4 hrs
ESSC 111 - The Earth System through Time 4 hrs
ESSC 228 - Mineralogy 4 hrs
ESSC 300 - Introduction to Hydrology 3 hrs
ESSC 325 - Geomorphology 4 hrs
ESSC 326 - Structural Geology 4 hrs
ESSC 329 - Igneous and Metamorphic Petrology 4 hrs
ESSC 330 - Sedimentology and Stratigraphy 4 hrs
ESSC 355 - Geologic Field Methods Lab 1 hr
ESSC 356 - Field Geology 4 hrs
ESSC 448 - Hydrogeology 4 hrs
ESSC 466W - Global Tectonics [GEWI] 3 hrs
MATH 120 - Calculus I [GEQR] 4 hrs
MATH 121 - Calculus II 4 hrs
PHY 221 - Mechanics, Sound and Heat [GEKN] 4 hrs
or PHY 223 - Mechanics and Sound [GEKN] 5 hrs
PHY 222 - Electricity and Light 4 hrs
or PHY 224 - Electricity and Light 5 hrs
Field Hydrogeology 2 hrs

Note: The hydrogeology field course may be selected from a number of universities with approval from a geology advisor.

Minor Requirement:

This major does not require a minor.

Program Total:

Students must earn a minimum total of 124 credits at the 100-level or above.

Beginning in Fall 2022, all baccalaureate degree programs for all undergraduates (regardless of catalog year) will require a minimum of 120 credit hours for completion.

Critical Graduation Information

Each undergraduate student will be responsible for the fulfillment of the requirements or their equivalents of the Eastern Michigan University catalog in force at the time of their initial registration at a college or university or a subsequent catalog including the one in effect at the time of their graduation.

In the event an undergraduate student does not complete the degree requirements within seven years of the date of their original registration at a college or university, the student may be required to have their credits re-evaluated by the academic department(s) of their major/minor in keeping with catalog requirements in force during the year of their graduation.

The following are minimum requirements for all bachelor’s degrees awarded by Eastern Michigan University. Some majors and minors require more than the minimum in one or more of the areas below; students are urged to consult the online catalog for the requirements of their particular programs.

Earn a minimum total of 124 credits at the 100-level and above. Courses with numbers below 100 will not be counted toward this degree requirement. At most 8 credit hours of physical education (PEGN) activity courses will be counted toward this requirement.
Meet the requirements of the General Education program (see information below).
Complete a Writing Intensive (GEWI) Course in your major.
Earn a minimum of 60 credits from a four-year college or university; courses taken at community colleges cannot be used to meet this requirement. (Some formal program-to-program articulation agreements modify this requirement. See specific agreements for details.)
Earn a minimum of 30 credits from courses taken at EMU.
Complete 10 of the last 30 hours for the degree from courses taken at EMU.
Have a minimum of 30 unique credit hours in their major and 20 unique credit hours in their minor for a total of at least 50 unique credit hours between them. Some majors that require 50 or more hours themselves do not require a minor; students should check requirements of the selected major in the undergraduate catalog to see if a minor is required.
Earn no more than 60 credit hours in one subject area (prefix). Credits in excess of the 60 maximum will not be counted toward the minimum of 124 credits required for a bachelor’s degree.
Earn the minimum number of credits in 300-level and above courses in each major and minor as specified below - these credits must be earned in distinct courses; that is, no course can be used to fulfill this requirement in more than one major or minor.
- Earn a minimum of 6 credits in 300-level or higher courses at EMU in each minor
- Earn a minimum of 9 credits in 300-level or higher courses at EMU in each major that requires a minor.
- Earn a minimum of 15 credits in 300-level or higher courses at EMU in each major that does not require a minor
Transfer credit will be awarded for courses taken at colleges and universities that are accredited by one of the recognized regional accrediting bodies only if the courses are college-level (equated to 100-level or above at EMU) and the student earned a “C” (or 2.0 on a 4 point scale) or better. Transfer credit may be awarded on a case-by-case basis for college-level courses in which a “C” (2.0) or better was earned at institutions outside the U.S. or at non-accredited U.S. institutions; individual departments/schools conduct the internal review of such courses within EMU, and additional documentation may be required. Please note: EMU awards only credit for transferred courses; grades are not used in the calculation of an EMU GPA.
Earn a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.0 in courses taken at EMU in order to graduate. In addition, a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.0 must be reached in each major and minor. Only courses taken at EMU and those applied to a student’s major or minor will be used in the calculation of their major and minor cumulative GPAs. (Note: some programs may require a higher GPA - check with your program advisor.)

General Education Requirements EMU’s General Education Program requires students to choose from a menu of approved courses in several different areas; do not assume that other courses in the same department or with similar names will fulfill these requirements. A detailed description of General Education requirements is available in the General Education section of the catalog.

Students who transferred to EMU may have modified general education requirements based on Michigan Transfer Agreement (MTA) or articulation agreements; consult your academic advisor for additional information.