Many students are already familiar with Geosciences through what is commonly called "earth science" in high school. Geosciences covers our Planet Earth - its soil, minerals, climate change, magnetic fields, earthquakes, water, plants, fossils, volcanoes and more.
Students can opt for either a Bachelor of Science degree (BS) or a Bachelor of Arts degree (BA) in geosciences.
The Bachelor of Science (BS) degree in Geosciences is designed to prepare students to become professional Earth scientists in a wide range of disciplines, as well as to enter graduate programs for further advanced training. The BS curriculum includes more science requirements than the BA and is designed for students who plan professional employment or advanced study in the geosciences. Graduates seek employment with environmental and water resource management; energy and mineral industries; and government agencies.
Geosciences majors at UWM can organize their electives around a particular area of interest if they wish:
- Hard Rock - the study of structural geology, mineralogy, petrology, volcanology and tectonics
- Hydrogeology - the study of water resources
- Paleontology - the study of evolutionary patterns in history
- Sedimentary Geology - the study of rocks, fossils, and the biological and chemical make-up of landforms
Geosciences touches on all aspects of the other natural sciences including chemistry, biology, mathematics and physics, so the ideal student for Geosciences loves all types of science and is curious about how they interrelate. Many Geosciences students also love the outdoors and traveling off of the beaten path.
Required outdoor field work prepares students for jobs with environmental and water resource management; energy and mineral industries; and government agencies.
UWM students often participate in research abroad in places as diverse as Iceland, Turkey, South America, Spain, and New Zealand. Others gain hands-on experience in the dirt of Montana, the hills of South Dakota or the volcanoes of Hawaii.
Course of Study – Bachelor of Science Degree
Complete 120 credits including 75 credits in the College of Letters & Science and with 36 of the 75 credits in L&S upper-level (numbered above 300) courses and 30 of those 36 credits in designated L&S Advanced Natural Science courses.
The College requires that students complete in residence at UWM at least 15 credits in upper-division (numbered 300 or above) courses in their major. The College also requires that students complete at least 30 credits overall in residence at UWM. For additional residency and transfer credit limitations, see L&S Undergraduate Policies and Regulations.
Students are also required to complete University-wide General Education Requirements and the specific L&S requirements listed below.
To complete a major, students must satisfy all the requirements of the major as stated in this catalog. Students who declare their majors within five years of entering the UW System as a degree candidate may satisfy the requirements outlined in any catalog issued since the time they entered. Credits used to satisfy the major also may be used to satisfy other degree requirements.
University General Education Requirements (GER)
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Oral and Written Communication | ||
| Part A | ||
| Achieve a grade of C or better in the following course: | ||
| ENGLISH 102 | College Writing and Research (or equivalent) | |
| Part B | ||
| Course designated as OWC-B; may be completed through a major-specific course requirement | ||
| Quantitative Literacy | ||
| Part A | ||
| Earn at least 3 credits with a grade of C or higher in one of the following courses or an equivalent course, or achieve a placement code of at least 30 on the mathematics placement test (or other appropriate test, as determined by the Mathematical Sciences Department) | ||
| Mathematical Literacy for College Students II | ||
| Contemporary Applications of Mathematics | ||
| Introduction to College Algebra | ||
| Algebraic Literacy II | ||
| Introduction to Logic - Critical Reasoning 1 | ||
or PHILOS 111 | Introduction to Logic - Critical Reasoning | |
| College Algebra | ||
Or equivalent course | ||
| Part B | ||
| Course designated as QL-B; may be completed through a major-specific course requirement | ||
| Arts | ||
| Select 3 credits | 3 | |
| Humanities | ||
| Select 6 credits | 6 | |
| Social Sciences | ||
| Select 6 credits | 6 | |
| Natural Sciences | ||
| Select 6 credits (at least two courses including one lab) | 6 | |
| UWM Foreign Language Requirement | ||
| Complete Foreign Language Requirement through: | ||
Two years (high school) of a single foreign language | ||
Two semesters (college) of a single foreign language | ||
Or equivalent | ||
| UWM Cultural Diversity Requirement | ||
| One course from the Arts, Humanities, or Social Sciences must also satisfy UWM's Cultural Diversity requirement | ||
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Math 111 and Philosophy 111 are jointly offered and count as repeats of one another. Students cannot receive credit for both courses.
College of Letters & Science Requirements
The degree requirements in the College of Letters and Science build on the University General Education Requirements to provide a broad base of knowledge as well as an array of skills cited by employers as critical to professional success: critical thinking, problem solving, oral and written communication, ability to work well with others, and adaptability to change.
For the Bachelor of Science (B.S.), you must complete the UWM General Education Requirements as well as these L&S requirements: the International requirement, the Breadth requirement, and the Research requirement. The International requirement develops your potential for cross-cultural understanding in a globalizing world. The Breadth requirement ensures that you take classes in a wide variety of subjects, across humanities, natural sciences, and social sciences. The Research requirement calls for you to build your critical thinking and oral and written communication skills through conducting an independent research project, usually in your major.
For the Bachelor of Science (B.S.) you will complete additional coursework in L&S Advanced Natural Science courses.
I. Total Credits and Upper-Division Courses Requirement
Students must complete 120 credits including 75 credits in the College of Letters & Science and with 36 of the 75 credits in L&S upper-level (numbered above 300) courses.
II. L&S Advanced Natural Sciences Requirement
For the Bachelor of Science, students must complete 30 credits of the 36 credits in upper-division courses in designated L&S Advanced Natural Science courses.
III. International Requirement
To meet the International Requirement, students must successfully complete some three course (minimum 9 credits) combination of
- language other than English (not including American Sign Language) at 3rd semester level or above, and/or
- non-language courses with L&S approved international content (see Courses Approved for the L&S International Requirement for course options).
IV. Breadth Requirement
In addition to completing the University General Education Requirements, L&S students must complete the Breadth requirement.
The L&S Breadth requirement calls for 6 credits each in L&S courses designated L&S Humanities, L&S Natural Sciences, and L&S Social Sciences breadth. One of the L&S Natural Science breadth courses must be a laboratory or fieldwork course. These courses must be beyond and in addition to courses in those areas used to satisfy General Education Requirements.
Please refer to the list of Courses Approved for the L&S Breadth Requirement.
V. The Major
The College requires that students attain at least a 2.0 GPA in all credits in the major attempted at UWM. In addition, students must attain a 2.0 GPA on all major credits attempted, including any transfer work. Individual departments or programs may require higher GPAs for graduation. Some departmental majors require courses from other departments. Contact your major department for information on whether those credits will count as part of the major GPA. The College requires that students must complete in residence at UWM at least 15 credits in upper-division (numbered 300 or above) courses in their major.
Research Requirement
Within their majors, students must complete a research experience approved by the L&S faculty. A list of courses satisfying the research requirement in each major can be found here.
VI. The Minor
Students are encouraged to consider completing a minor, but it is not required. To complete a minor, the College of Letters and Science requires that students attain at least a 2.0 GPA in all credits in the minor attempted at UWM. In addition, students must attain a 2.0 GPA on all minor credits attempted, including any transfer work. The minor must contain at least 9 credits in upper-division (numbered 300 and above) courses.
Major Requirements
All students who major in Geosciences must complete at least 15 credits in Geosciences courses at the advanced level (numbered 300 or above) in residence at UWM as part of the 36 advanced-level credits required for the L&S degree. The College requires that students attain at least a 2.0 GPA on all credits in the major attempted at UWM. In addition, students must attain a 2.0 GPA on all major credits attempted, including any transfer work.
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Required | ||
| GEO SCI 100 | Introduction to the Earth | 3 |
| GEO SCI 102 | Evolution of the Earth | 3 |
| GEO SCI 301 | Principles of Mineralogy | 4 |
| GEO SCI 302 | Elementary Petrology | 4 |
| GEO SCI 316 | Introduction to Geophysics | 4 |
| GEO SCI 414 | Structural Geology (satisfies L&S research requirement) | 4 |
| GEO SCI 455 | Field Geology (normally taken over the summer) 1 | 4-8 |
| GEO SCI 511 | Stratigraphy and Sedimentation | 4 |
| Electives | ||
| Select two (6 – 8 credits) of the following: | 6-8 | |
| Water Quality | ||
| Process Geomorphology | ||
| Glacial and Pleistocene Geology | ||
| Physical Hydrogeology | ||
| Chemical Hydrogeology | ||
| Physical Sedimentology | ||
| Terroir: Geology in a Glass | ||
| Field Methods in Hydrogeology | ||
| Principles of Stream Management and Restoration | ||
| Select 10-12 additional credits from Geosciences Department courses at the 300 level or above, for a total of 18 elective credits. | 10-12 | |
| Other Requirements | ||
| Mathematics | ||
| MATH 231 | Calculus and Analytic Geometry I | 4 |
| Students are encouraged to take the following: | ||
| Calculus and Analytic Geometry II | ||
| Calculus and Analytic Geometry III | ||
| Linear Algebra and Differential Equations | ||
| Chemistry | ||
| CHEM 102 | General Chemistry | 5 |
| Students are encouraged to take the following course as well as courses in organic and inorganic chemistry: | ||
| General Chemistry and Qualitative Analysis | ||
| Physics | ||
| Select one of the following options: | 5 | |
| Option 1: | ||
| General Physics I (Non-Calculus Treatment) and General Physics Laboratory I (Non-Calculus Treatment) | ||
| Option 2: | ||
| Physics I (Calculus Treatment) and Lab Physics I (Calculus Treatment) | ||
| Students are encouraged to take: | ||
| General Physics II (Non-Calculus Treatment) and General Physics Laboratory II (Non-Calculus Treatment) | ||
| OR | ||
| Physics II (Calculus Treatment) and Lab Physics II (Calculus Treatment) | ||
| Total Credits | 60-68 | |
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GEO SCI 455 is required but not offered at UWM. Students must enroll in a field course at another university to satisfy the requirement.
Students are advised strongly to increase their scholastic breadth by selecting courses from among several subdisciplines of the geosciences, in consultation with Geosciences Department faculty.
Students who are interested in general geology are encouraged to include courses from among the following:
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| GEO SCI 409 | Process Geomorphology | 4 |
| GEO SCI 420 | Methods in Paleomagnetism and Environmental Magnetism | 3 |
| GEO SCI 515 | Physical Sedimentology | 4 |
| GEO SCI 520 | Introduction to Paleontology | 4 |
| GEO SCI 545 | X-Ray Analytical Methods | 3 |
| GEO SCI 614 | Advanced Structural Geology | 3 |
| GEO SCI 635 | Volcanology | 3 |
| GEO SCI 638 | Advanced Igneous Petrology | 3 |
| Students are encouraged to consider topics offered under the following: | ||
| GEO SCI 696 | Topics in the Geological Sciences: | 1-3 |
| GEO SCI 697 | Seminar in the Geological Sciences: | 1-3 |
Students who are interested in environmental geology or hydrogeology are encouraged to include courses from among the following:
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| GEO SCI 400 | Water Quality | 4 |
| GEO SCI 409 | Process Geomorphology | 4 |
| GEO SCI 443 | Glacial and Pleistocene Geology | 4 |
| GEO SCI 463 | Physical Hydrogeology | 4 |
| GEO SCI 464 | Chemical Hydrogeology | 4 |
| GEO SCI 545 | X-Ray Analytical Methods | 3 |
| GEO SCI 562 | Environmental Surface Hydrology | 3 |
| GEO SCI 563 | Field Methods in Hydrogeology | 4 |
Geosciences BS Learning Outcomes
Students graduating from the Geosciences BS program will be able to:
- recognize basic earth materials and geological processes.
- apply the scientific method to geological problems.
- communicate scientific findings both orally and in writing.
- apply field and laboratory skills to investigate geological questions.
- use quantitative skills for geologic research.
Letters & Science Advising
During your time at UWM, you may have multiple members of your success team, including advisors, peer mentors, and success coaches. Letters and Science students typically work with at least two different types of advisors as they pursue their degrees: professional College Advisors and Faculty Advisors. L&S College Advisors advise across your entire degree program while departmental Faculty Advisors focus on the major.
College Advisors are located in Holton Hall and serve as your primary advisor. They are your point person for your questions about navigating college and completing your degree. College Advisors will:
- assist you in defining your academic and life goals;
- help you create an educational plan that is consistent with those goals;
- assist you in understanding curriculum, major and degree requirements for graduation, as well as university policies and procedures;
- provide you with information about campus and community resources and refer you to those resources as appropriate; and
- monitor your progress toward graduation and completion of requirements.
Faculty Advisors mentor students in the major and assist them in maximizing their development in the program. You will begin working with a Faculty Advisor when you declare your major. Faculty Advisors are an important partner and will:
- help you understand major requirements and course offerings in the department;
- explain opportunities for internships and undergraduate research and guide you in obtaining those experiences; and
- serve as an excellent resource as you consider potential graduate programs and career paths in your field.
Students are encouraged to meet with both their College Advisor and Faculty Advisor at least once each semester. Appointments are available in-person, by phone or by video.
Currently enrolled students should use the Navigate360 website to make an appointment with your assigned advisor or call (414) 229-4654 if you do not currently have an assigned Letters & Science advisor. Prospective students who haven't enrolled in classes yet should call (414) 229-7711 or email let-sci@uwm.edu.
College of Letters and Science Dean's Honor List
GPA of 3.750 or above, earned on a full-time student's GPA on 12 or more graded credits in a given semester.
Honors College Degree and Honors College Degree with Distinction
Granted to graduating seniors who complete Honors College requirements, as listed in the Honors College section of this site.
Commencement Honors
Students with a cumulative GPA of 3.500 or above, based on a minimum of 40 graded UWM credits earned prior to the final semester, will receive all-university commencement honors and be awarded the traditional gold cord at the December or May Honors Convocation. Please note that for honors calculation, the GPA is not rounded and is truncated at the third decimal (e.g., 3.499).
Final Honors
Earned on a minimum of 60 graded UWM credits: Cum Laude - 3.500 or above; Magna Cum Laude - 3.650 or above; Summa Cum Laude - 3.800 or above.