Geoscience Programs
WSU’s Geoscience programs provide students with a discovery-based curriculum rich in field and research opportunities. Our programs will prepare students for a broad spectrum of careers or graduate school.
The Geoscience curriculum is focused on developing and deepening observational skills, hypothesis building, idea testing and critical thinking—while also providing a foundational liberal arts education.
Our department has it all—we offer two Bachelor of Science programs, a Bachelor of Teaching program, and a Bachelor of Arts program.
We offer two BS majors: Environmental Science and Geology.
Both BS majors provide students with the classroom, laboratory and field experience they need to be successful geoscientists.
View the Environmental Science Major Map (PDF).
View the Geology Major Map (PDF).
In partnership with the College of Education, we offer the BT major Earth Science Teaching.
Through both science and teacher education courses, this major prepares students to become licensed high school and middle school teachers.
The BA major in Geoscience prepares students for success in our increasingly interdisciplinary world.
This major must be combined with another major or minor.
View the Geoscience Major Map (PDF).
The Geoscience minor is a great option for students majoring in other disciplines who want to enhance their degree.
This minor also provides students with a background in the field and laboratory skills that geologists and environmental scientists rely on.
The Geospatial Information Science minor provides students with a background in powerful computing technology used to solve problems with mapping and spatial analytics.
This minor is great for both Geoscience majors and many other majors.
Careers
Geoscience is an interdisciplinary field that connects in with many other disciplines in many ways.
Employment opportunities and compensation in the geosciences have rapidly grown in recent years, and the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics forecasts continued growth during the next decade.
Geoscience majors are equipped with a wide range of skills that open doors to countless possibilities. Here are some of the things Geoscience graduates do:
- Solve a broad range of environmental problems as consultants in both industry and government
- Discover and manage our planet’s mineral and energy resources
- Teach in our elementary schools, high schools and colleges
- Work in museums and national parks
- Practice environmental law and write for newspapers and magazines
- Explore other planets
Explore careers in the geosciences, including Earth Science Teaching.