The Bachelor of Arts with a major in geoscience requires a minimum of 120 s.h., including at least 56 s.h. of work for the major (at least 37 s.h. in earth and environmental sciences courses, at least 16 s.h. in supporting disciplines, and a field requirement course). Students must maintain a g.p.a. of at least 2.00 in all courses for the major and in all UI courses for the major. A cumulative g.p.a. of at least 2.00 is required for graduation. Students must also complete the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences GE CLAS Core. Transfer students must complete a minimum of 15 s.h. of coursework in the Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences.

The geoscience major for the B.A. is designed to provide students with a varied background in geology and a broader choice of electives than is practical in the Bachelor of Science program. It is intended for students who are interested in the fundamentals of geology or earth science teaching (see "Teacher Licensure" below). Completing the minimum requirements for this degree may not adequately prepare a student for an entry-level professional job in geology.

The department recommends that students fulfill the GE CLAS Core World Languages requirement with French, German, Russian, or Spanish and the Social Sciences requirement with approved coursework in economics, geography, or anthropology.

Listed below are the general categories of coursework required to earn the degree; for more specific information on courses, curriculum, and requirements of the Bachelor of Arts in geoscience, visit the UI General Catalog.

Field Requirement

To complete the major, students must have field experience. They may take at least 4 s.h. of EES:1180 - Geology Field Trip: Selected National Parks and/or EES:3160 - Field Trip to satisfy this requirement. Either course may be repeated and/or combined to fulfill the necessary semester hours. Or they may take one semester of EES:2831 - Geologic Field Methods or the Iowa Lakeside Laboratory session.

Teacher Licensure

Students interested in teaching in elementary and/or secondary schools should seek admission to the Teacher Education Program (TEP) in the College of Education.

To qualify for licensure in secondary teaching, students in the TEP complete a degree in education as well as a related College of Liberal Arts and Sciences degree. See Teacher Education Program Application and Admission on the College of Education website for details on requirements and deadlines for applying to the College of Education and about TEP choices of majors leading to licensure.