High school students looking to study geology in college should be adept at math, science and writing courses.
Geology is a branch of science that focuses on the Earth. Geologists study the history, composition and process of Earth through field studies and research. Those looking to become professional geologists need at least an undergraduate degree in the field. Academic, research-based, and otherwise advanced positions required applicants to hold graduate degrees. Some states require geologists working in the public sector to hold an official license. Related fields of geosciences include geophysics and hydrology.
Undergraduate Education
Becoming a geologist begins with undergraduate education. The nature of undergraduate geology programs varies; some are independent departments while others are integrated into larger Earth science programs.
The Department of Earth and Space Science at the University of Southern California Los Angeles (UCLA) offers three Bachelor of Science degrees in geology. These degrees are Geology BS, Geology/Engineering Geology BS, and Geology/Paleobiology BS.
The Ohio State Univeristy has a School of Earth Sciences that separates types of geology into divisions. These divisions are Earth History, Geodetic Sciences, Solid Earth Dynamics and Water, Climate and the Environment.
Undergraduate geology education includes sciences such as physics, biology and chemistry, higher mathematics and major-specific subjects geophysics, remote sensing for Earth sciences, tectonics, seismology, volcanology and geochemistry.
Graduate Education
Graduate degrees in the field of geology are available at the master's and doctoral levels.
UCLA awards Master of Science and Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) degrees in geology, geochemistry and geophysics and space physics. Coursework in the geology degree program includes glaciology, mineralogy, organic geochemistry, paleobiology, petrology, paleontology and more.
Other American schools with graduate geology programs include Clemson University, University of Arizona, University of Mississippi, University of Nebraska Lincoln and Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
Geologists looking for success in advanced professional positions such as researchers, public sector geologists, professors or corporate employment should pursue advanced degrees in the field.
Career Opportunities
Geologists find work in the private and public sectors. According to The Ohio State University, 100 percent of the school's geology graduates have gone on to find gainful employment.
The Ohio State University reports that environmental geology, which covers topics such as flooding, pollution, urban and sustainable development, and natural hazards, is the most rapidly growing area of geology. Hydrogeology, or the study of how water moves through the earth, is one of the largest branches in the field.
Corporate and public sector employment opportunities include locating natural resources such as minerals, water and oil for companies and governments, working on infrastructural projects in geologically complex or unstable regions and studying the Earth's reaction to global warming.
Licensure
According to the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics, a number of states require geologists working in the public sector to be officially licensed.
For example, Washington State requires licensed geologists to hold an accredited four-year degree in geology, engineering geology, or hydrogeology, or to hold a like degree in a related field and have completed coursework in geology, mineralogy, petrology, and sedimentary geology/stratigraphy.
Licensed geologists in Washington are also required to have at least five years of experience in the field of geology after completing a graduate degree course. One year of graduate study can be substituted for one year of professional experience, with a maximum permissible substitution of two years.
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