Bachelor of Science in Geosciences

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Dig Deeper Into Geoscience

In the Bachelor of Science in Geosciences program, you’ll get the scientific background needed for graduate school or a career as a professional geologist.

The curriculum provides a comprehensive understanding of geology and general chemistry. You’ll also choose from various electives in general physics, introductory physics, or biology.

You can even tailor the degree to your interests or goals by stacking certificates or concentrating on areas such as geology or climate change and environmental justice.

Concentrations

  • Geosciences: Build your own geoscience degree.
  • Professional Geology: Apply skills for professional geology licensing and research.
  • Climate Change & Environmental Justice: Decipher human-environmental interactions.

For more information, please contact geosciences@ewu.edu or Department Interim Chair, Dr. Robert Sauders, at rsauders@ewu.edu.

Why Study Geoscience at the Region's Polytechnic?

Get a hands-on education, real-world experience, and personalized support so you can launch your career with confidence.

Industry-Connected Learning

You will work with state, federal, and industry professionals to solve geological and environmental problems in the region.

Faculty-Mentored Research

Work one-on-one with faculty to plan, carry out, and present research at local, regional, and national conferences, including the Geological Society of America.

Real-World Fieldwork

Experience geoscience outside the classroom with a variety of field-oriented courses and hands-on learning opportunities.

What You Get To Do

  • Research to better understand how humans and environments interact
  • Apply geoscience techniques to a complex problem
  • Produce materials that professionally and effectively communicate to a range of audiences
  • Use analytical skills in geosciences to prepare for the professional job market or graduate studies
“[My research] set the foundation for my role as a project manager for Spokane County Stormwater Utility. Most students do not have the opportunity to work on a research project and co-author a paper in their undergraduate studies." — Christa Riley '17

Applied Learning Opportunities

  • Applied Laboratory Work: Build practical, career-ready skills by working in labs that mirror professional lab environments.
  • Co-ops (Cooperative Education): Spend six months or more in a full-time, career-related job that alternates with classes so you graduate with professional experience.
  • Community-Based Projects: Team up with local organizations on projects that allow you to solve problems and make a difference.
  • Field Work: Take your learning outside the classroom to research sites like wildlife refuges, dig sites, archives, or field camps.
  • Internships: Get real-world experience (and often credit or pay) by working in a professional setting connected to your career goals.
  • Practicums: Build hands-on skills in structured field placements—like classrooms, clinics, or community agencies—that are often required for professional certification.
  • Service-Learning Experiences: Work on critical issues—such as food security, poverty, or climate change—that connect community service with what you’re learning in class.
  • Study Abroad: Travel, learn, and experience new cultures while earning credit and building communication skills that help you thrive anywhere.
  • Undergraduate Research: Collaborate with professors on real-world research projects where you ask questions, solve problems, and present what you discover.
  • Volunteerism: Give back to your community while gaining experience, building connections, and seeing how you can apply your classroom knowledge to make an impact in the world.

What You'll Learn

The following information comes from the official EWU catalog, which outlines all degree requirements and serves as the guide to earning a degree. Courses are designed to provide a well-rounded and versatile degree, covering a wide range of subject areas.

Geosciences Major, Bachelor of Science (BS)

Geoscientists study the Earth and our relationship to it by providing opportunities to observe natural processes in action. By applying knowledge of the forces that are constantly reshaping our planet, one can seek to reconstruct the past and anticipate the future. Students can benefit society by understanding our planet and the life it sustains.  Employed in a wide spectrum of academic, industrial, and government positions, geoscientists can be found collecting samples from the moon, the ocean floor, and active lava flows. They discover and manage resources, consult on engineering and environmental issues, conduct research, teach, write, and use Geographic Information Systems (GIS) to make positive change.

Career opportunities can include:  Geotechnical and environmental fields, Hydrology, economic geology, GIS, energy companies, Governmental regulation and natural resource departments, and public health. 

Required Quantitative Core: 5
Choose one of the following quantitative courses. Note: for the Professional Geology certificate, students are required to take MATH 142.
INTRODUCTION TO PROGRAMMING
PRECALCULUS MATH II
Required Science Core:10
Choose two from the following list. Note: for the Professional Geology certificate, students are required to take CHEM 171 & CHEM 171L.
INTRODUCTION TO BIOLOGY
and INTRODUCTION TO BIOLOGY LAB
BIOLOGY I
and BIOLOGY I LAB
BIOLOGY II
and BIOLOGY II LAB
GENERAL CHEMISTRY I
and GENERAL CHEMISTRY LABORATORY I
GENERAL CHEMISTRY II
and GENERAL CHEMISTRY LABORATORY II
PROGRAMMING PRINCIPLES I
CALCULUS I
CALCULUS I
DESCRIPTIVE ASTRONOMY
MAKING SENSE OF THE COSMOS
INTRODUCTORY PHYSICS I
and MECHANICS LABORATORY
GENERAL PHYSICS I
and MECHANICS LABORATORY
Required Core30
DISCOVERING GEOLOGY
and DISCOVERING GEOLOGY LAB
THE EARTH'S CLIMATE AND WEATHER
and THE EARTH'S CLIMATE AND WEATHER LAB
GLOBALIZATION AND THE ENVIRONMENT
GEOGRAPHIC INFORMATION SYSTEMS I: SPATIAL ANALYSIS
and GEOGRAPHIC INFORMATION SYSTEMS I: SPATIAL ANALYSIS LAB
GEOSTATISTICS
and GEOSTATISTICS LAB
WORKSHOP, SHORT COURSE, CONFERENCE, SEMINAR
Elective Credits45
In consultation with a faculty advisor, take one of the following certificates or minor, a GEOS capstone and additional GEOS electives to total at least 45 credits.
Note that 60 credits of 300- or 400-level courses are required for graduation.
Earth Systems Science Minor (25 credits) + 20 credits of GEOS electives and capstone
Geographic Information Systems Certificate (30 credits) + 15 credits of GEOS electives and capstone
Professional Geology Certificate (42 credits) and capstone
Capstone
Choose a capstone course option in consultation with a faculty advisor. A minimum of 4 credits in capstone is required for graduation.
THE GEOSCIENTIST'S CAPSTONE
SENIOR CAPSTONE: WATER AND THE WEST, WATER RESOURCES IN ARID LANDS
and SENIOR CAPSTONE: WATER AND THE WEST, WATER RESOURCES IN ARID LANDS LAB
CAPSTONE: ENVIRONMENTAL GEOCHEMISTRY
and CAPSTONE: ENVIRONMENTAL GEOCHEMISTRY LAB
SENIOR CAPSTONE: GEOLOGY FIELD CAMP
SENIOR THESIS
Total Credits90

The following plan of study is for a student with zero credits. Individual students may have different factors such as: credit through transfer work, Advanced Placement, Running Start, or any other type of college-level coursework that requires an individual plan.

Courses could be offered in different terms, checking the academic schedule is paramount in keeping an individual plan current. Students should connect with an advisor to ensure they are on track to graduate.

All Undergraduate students are required to meet the Undergraduate Degree Requirements.

First Year
Fall QuarterCreditsWinter QuarterCreditsSpring QuarterCredits
ENGL 1015ENGL 2015GEOS 113
& 113L (Natural Science BACR 2)		5
GEOS 100
& 100L (Natural Science BACR 1)		5GEOS 200 (Social Science BACR 1)5MATH 142 or CSCD 1105
MATH 1145MATH 1415Diversity - graduation requirement15
 15 15 15
Second Year
Fall QuarterCreditsWinter QuarterCreditsSpring QuarterCredits
GEOS 321
& 321L		5Geosciences Concentration Elective25Geosciences Concentration Elective25
Global Studies - graduation requirement (GEOS 230 recommended)15Science Core35Humanities & Arts BACR 215
Humanities & Arts BACR 115Social Science BACR 215Elective - minor or general elective5
 15 15 15
Third Year
Fall QuarterCreditsWinter QuarterCreditsSpring QuarterCredits
GEOS 4975GEOS 460
& 460L		4GEOS 4971
Geosciences Concentration Elective25Geosciences Concentration Elective25Geosciences Concentration Elective25
Elective - minor or general elective5Science Core35Elective - minor or general elective5
  Elective - minor or general elective5
 15 14 16
Fourth Year
Fall QuarterCreditsWinter QuarterCreditsSpring QuarterCredits
Geosciences Concentration Elective25Geosciences Concentration Elective25Geoscience capstone - select from approved list (Senior Capstone - graduation requirement)5
Elective - minor or general elective5Elective - minor or general elective5Geosciences Concentration Elective25
Elective - minor or general elective5Elective - minor or general elective5Elective - minor or general elective5
 15 15 15
Total Credits 180
1

University Graduation Requirements (UGR) and Breadth Area Course Requirements (BACR) courses may be less than 5 credits and additional credits may be required to reach the required 180 total credits needed to graduate.  Students should connect with an advisor to ensure they are on track to graduate.

2

Electives: In consultation with a faculty advisor, take one of the listed minors or certificates, a GEOS capstone, and additional GEOS electives to total at least 45 credits. Note that 60 credits of 300- or 400-level courses are required for graduation.

  • Earth Systems Minor
  • Geographic Information Systems Certificate
  • Professional Geology Certificate
3

Required Science Core–choose two courses from the approved list (CHEM 171 and CHEM 171L are required for the Professional Geology certificate).

General Education Requirements (GER)

  • Minimum Quarter Credits—180 cumulative credit hours
    • 60 upper-division credits (300 level or above)
    • 45 credits in residence (attendance) at EWU, with at least 15 upper-division credits in major in residence at EWU
  • Minimum Semester Credits—120 cumulative credit hours
    • 40 upper-division credits (300 level or above)
    • 30 credits in residence (attendance) at EWU, with at least 10 upper-division credits in major in residence at EWU
  • Minimum Cumulative GPA ≥2.0

University Competencies and Proficiencies

Writing 
Quantitative and Symbolic Reasoning 

Placement and Clearance 
Prior Learning/Sources of Credit AP, CLEP, IB

Breadth Area Core Requirements (BACR)

Humanities and Arts 
Natural Sciences 
Social Sciences

University Graduation Requirements (UGR)

Diversity Course List
Global Studies Course List
Minor or Certificate
Senior Capstone Course List 
World Language (for Bachelor of Arts)

Application for Graduation (use EagleNET) must be made at least two terms in advance of the term expected to graduate (undergraduate and post-baccalaureate).

Use the Catalog Archives to determine two important catalog years.

  1. The catalog in effect at the student's first term of current matriculation is used to determine BACR (Breadth Area Core Requirements) and UGR (Undergraduate Graduation Requirements).
  2. The catalog in effect at the time the student declares a major or minor is used to determine the program requirements.

Students who earn a BS in Geosciences from EWU should be able to:

  • demonstrate knowledge of human–environment interactions;
  • apply geoscience techniques to a complex problem;
  • produce a professionally formatted report that effectively communicates;
  • demonstrate advanced analytical skills in the geosciences in preparation for the professional job market or graduate studies.
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