Geology
Are you fascinated by the natural world?
Geologists study the Earth’s materials, structures and processes, and how they have changed over the 4.6 billion years of the Earth’s history. In doing so, geologists address some of society’s most important problems, such as finding energy, water and mineral resources; environmental pollution and its prevention; and natural hazards such as landslides, volcanoes and earthquakes.
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80%
of our majors participate in faculty-mentored research
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95%
of our majors attend graduate school or find a job in their field after graduation
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$92,000
median annual salary of geologists in 2019 based on U.S. Labor statistics
A High-Quality Education
Majors gain hands-on experience in Geology Field Camp, which takes place in New Zealand and Colorado. All upper-level courses have extensive field components taking place in the U.S. and faculty share the opportunity with students to conduct field-based research around the world in places like Nepal, China, Ethiopia, Europe and South America.
Faculty-mentored research is strongly encouraged as our faculty have active research programs funded by the National Science Foundation, NASA and other major funding agencies. Personal attention between students and faculty provides students with great research experience leading to presentations at national and international conferences, publication in peer-reviewed science journals, student awards and fellowships.
Modern geoscience techniques and instrumentation have continuously been incorporated into our curriculum. Students are better prepared for a career in modern geosciences with the knowledge they gain learning how to use geographic information systems (GIS) and remote sensing and by working in our state-of-the-art labs.
Learn MoreExplore
Visit Campus
Interested in learning more about geology and environmental geosciences? We'd love to meet with you. Schedule an academic appointment by calling our department at 937-229-1720. You can also choose to schedule a general campus tour and admission presentation.
General Campus Tour and Admission PresentationGIS Certificate
Undergraduate majors may begin working on a graduate level certificate in geographic information systems (GIS). GIS integrates hardware, software and data for capturing, managing, analyzing and displaying all forms of geographically referenced information. Recent decades have seen a revolution in GIS technology and a consequent explosion of its applications in many areas. As a result, there is a great demand for people with GIS skills.
Hanley Sustainability Institute
Nationally recognized for work on campus and within the Dayton community, the Institute allows students to engage with faculty and community stakeholders to help make campus and the community more sustainable.
Rivers Institute
Students engage with faculty and community members to build community around the rivers by preserving and protecting our watershed.
Bachelor of Science in Sustainability
Our majors have the opportunity to earn a double major in the new Bachelor of Science in Sustainability.
Experiential Learning
Real-World Experience
Through practical learning opportunities like internships and co-ops, you can build your resume, gain practical experience and prepare for a successful career.
Next Steps
12
the average class size for geology courses