University of Minnesota
B.A. Program in Earth Sciences
Semester by Semester Academic Plan
REQUIREMENTS FOR CLA EARTH SCIENCES MAJORS
Required Geology Courses (41 Credits)
Liberal Education requirements (55 Credits)
*Specific courses required of all Earth Science students - must be taken with A/F grading.
**Please note that courses and credits are subject to change**
**15-16 Credits per Semester is a Normal Load**
Freshman Year:
| Fall Semester | Credits | Spring Semester | Credits |
|---|---|---|---|
| MATH 1271 or 1371 or 1571 | 4 | MATH 1272 or 1372 or 1572 | 4 |
| PHY 1301W | 4 | PHY 1302W | 4 |
| CHEM 1061 | 4 | CHEM 1062 | 4 |
| WRIT 1301 | 4 | Liberal Education Elective | 3-4 |
*ESci 1xxx (optional)
(Phys 1301 and 1302 satisfy Writing Intensive (WI) requirements)
(Chem 1021 satisfies LIB ED physical science requirement)
Sophomore Year:
| Fall Semester | Credits | Spring Semester | Credits | Summer Term | Credits |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
ESCI 2201 – *Solid Earth Dynamics PHY 1301W # |
4 |
ESCI 2202 –Earth History CHEM 1061 # |
4 | ESCI 3911 - Introductory Field Geology | 4 |
|
ESCI 2301 -*Mineralogy CHEM 1061 # MATH 1271 # |
3 |
ESCI 2203 –Earth Surface Dynamics CHEM 1061 # |
4 | ||
| ESCI Elective | 3-4 | ESCI 3891 –Field Methods | 2 | ||
| Liberal Education Elective | 3-4 | Liberal Education Elective | 3-4 |
Junior Year:
| Fall Semester | Credits | Spring Semester | Credits | Summer Term | Credits |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
ESCI 3202 –Fluid Earth Dynamics ESCI 2201 # |
4 | ESCI Elective | 3-4 |
ESCI 4911 - Advanced Field Geology ESCI 3911 - or - ESCI 4971W - Hydrogeology |
4 |
| ESCI 3303W –Geochemical Principals | 4 | ESCI Elective | 3-4 | ||
| Liberal Education Elective | 3-4 | Liberal Education Elective | 3-4 | ||
| Liberal Education Elective | 3-4 | Liberal Education Elective | 3-4 |
Senior Year:
| Fall Semester | Credits | Spring Semester | Credits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Liberal Education Elective | 2-4 | Liberal Education Elective | 2-4 |
| ESCI Elective | 3-4 | ESCI Elective | 3-4 |
| ESCI Elective | 3-4 | ESCI Elective | 3-4 |
| ESCI Elective | 3-4 | Liberal Education Elective | 3-4 |
TOTAL CREDITS FOR EARTH SCIENCES MAJOR : 120
Classes marked with * are prerequisites for upper devision ESCI classes.
Prerequisites for courses are in italics, avaliable for concurrent registration marked with #.
Additional ESCI ELECTIVES:
-ESCI 2302- Petrology (3cr) **
-ESCI 4203 – Principles of Geophysical Exploration (3cr)
-ESCI 4204 – Geomagnatism and Paleomagnetism (3cr)
-ESCI 4211 – Solid Earth Geophysics I (3cr)
-ESCI 4212 – Solid Earth Geophysics II (3cr)
-ESCI 4401 – Aqueous Environmental Geochemistry (3cr)
-ESCI 4402 – Biogeochemical Cycles in the Ocean (3cr)
-ESCI 4403 – Atmosphere, Oceans, and the Climate System (3cr)
-ESCI 4501 – Structural Geology (3cr)**
-ESCI 4602 – Sedimentology and Stratigraphy (3cr)**
-ESCI 4701 – Geomorphology (3-4cr)
-ESCI 4702 – General Hydrogeology (3cr)
-ESCI 4703 – Glacial Geology (4cr)
-ESCI 4801 – Geomicrobiology (3cr)
-ESCI 5203 – Mineral and Rock Physics (3cr)
-ESCI 5205 – Fluid Mechanics in Earth and Environmental Sciences (3cr)
-ESCI 5302 – Isotope Geology (3cr)
** - Strongly recommended courses
See complete list of B.A. Requirments here