Geosciences Minor
The Geosciences minor is a flexible six-course program for students of any major who want to explore this discipline beyond the introductory level. Students considering this minor are advised to complete their first geoscience course (ideally GEOS 150 Introduction to Geology) by the end of sophomore year, and they are advised to declare the minor no later than the end of spring semester junior year.
Requirements
| Code | Title |
|---|---|
| Required introductory course: | |
| Introduction to Geology | |
| Select five of the following additional Geosciences electives: 1,2 | |
| Freshwater Ecology | |
| Environmental Forensics | |
| Geohazards | |
| Geomorphology | |
| Watershed Hydrology | |
| Paleoclimatology | |
| Oceanography | |
| Undergraduate Research | |
| Directed Reading | |
| Honors Research | |
| Because the Geosciences draw on tools and techniques from many disciplines, students may substitute one Geosciences elective with one of these complimentary courses: 2 | |
| Biological Statistics | |
or ECON 149 | Statistical Analysis |
or PSYC 200 | Statistics |
or SOCL 226 | Social Statistics |
or STAT 220 | Statistics |
| Equilibrium & Reactivity | |
| Techniques of Programming | |
| Introduction to Geographic Info Systems | |
| Calculus 2 | |
| Introductory Physics 1: Mechanics, Fluids and Waves | |
| Introduction to Data Science | |
| 1 | Students may count up to two pre-approved geosciences courses taken through the Colleges of Worcester Consortium or a Holy Cross Study Abroad program toward their electives. |
| 2 | Only one 100-level, non-lab geosciences course (e.g. GEOS 120) and only one semester of GEOS 401, 405, or 407 may be counted toward the minor. |
Students ordinarily may not count more than two courses taken for their major toward the Geosciences minor. Students thinking about applying to graduate school in the Geosciences are further advised to complete at least two semesters each of Chemistry, Physics, and Calculus, as most programs currently require these courses for admission, regardless of major or minor.