Science Academic Plans

Geology is the study of the Earth, its structure and composition, and the physical, chemical, and biological processes that have affected and continue to shape this planet over a variety of time scales. Training in geology leads to numerous challenging career paths such as exploration for natural resources (minerals, oil and gas), environmental protection, identifying geological hazards, and understanding global climate change. Graduates are in great demand in a variety of employment sectors that include the exploration industry, mining, government, education, and consulting.

Continuation in Honours Earth Sciences, Geology Specialization, requires a cumulative overall average of 60% and a cumulative average of 60% in all EARTH courses.

Successful completion of this program requires:

1. 21.75 units that include:
   
   • 8.75 EARTH units: EARTH 121, EARTH 121L, EARTH 122, EARTH 122L, EARTH 123, EARTH 123L, EARTH 221, EARTH 231, EARTH 232, EARTH 235, EARTH 238, EARTH 260, EARTH 331, EARTH 332, EARTH 333, EARTH 342, EARTH 358, EARTH 390, and EARTH 471
   • 1.0 EARTH unit: EARTH 436A and EARTH 436B or EARTH 499 and one EARTH elective at 300-level or higher
   • 3.5 EARTH electives units with the following conditions:
     
     • 3.0 unit must be 300-level or higher
     • 0.5 unit must be 200-level or higher
   • 1.5 CHEM units: CHEM 120, CHEM 120L, CHEM 123, and CHEM 123L
   • 1.5 PHYS units: PHYS 111 and PHYS 111L or PHYS 121 and PHYS 121L; PHYS 112 and PHYS 112L or PHYS 122 and PHYS 122L
   • 1.5 MATH units: MATH 106 or MATH 114; MATH 127 and MATH 128
   • 0.5 STAT unit: STAT 202
   • 1.0 Program elective unit chosen from any 200-level or higher BIOL, CHEM, PHYS, MATH, AMATH course or chosen from BIOL 120, BIOL 130, BIOL 150, CS 115, or CS 116
   • 0.5 Program elective unit chosen from the Faculty of Arts
   • 2.0 elective units chosen from any 0.5 unit lecture course
2. Completion of the English Language Proficiency Requirement

Notes

1. The Faculty of Arts Program elective should be taken in Year Two.
2. The Faculty of Arts Program elective is recommended to be a course in oral or written communication (e.g. SPCOM 223, ENGL 109, ENGL 129R, ENGL 140R, ENGL 209,ENGL 210E, ENGL 210F or PHIL 145).
3. SCI and EARTH courses may not be counted as Program elective options.
4. A maximum of 1.5 SCI units may be counted as elective courses.

Recommended Course Sequence

Year One

Fall

CHEM 120/CHEM 120L Physical and Chemical Properties of Matter/Laboratory
EARTH 121/EARTH 121L Introductory Earth Sciences/Laboratory
EARTH 123 Introductory Hydrology
MATH 127 Calculus 1 for the Sciences
PHYS 111/PHYS 111L Physics 1/Laboratory
 or PHYS 121/PHYS 121L Mechanics/Laboratory

Winter

CHEM 123/CHEM 123L Chemical Reactions, Equilibria and Kinetics/Laboratory
EARTH 122/EARTH 122L Introductory Environmental Sciences/Laboratory
MATH 128 Calculus 2 for the Sciences
PHYS 112/PHYS 112L Physics 2/Laboratory
 or PHYS 122/PHYS 122L Waves, Electricity and Magnetism/Laboratory

Year Two

Fall

Winter

Year Three

Fall 

EARTH 331 Volcanology and Igneous Petrology
 or EARTH 332 Metamorphic Petrology
EARTH 342 Applied Geomorphology
STAT 202 Introductory Statistics for Scientists
Two EARTH electives 300-level or higher (1.0 unit)

Winter

EARTH 333 Introductory Sedimentology
EARTH 358 Earth System Science
EARTH 390 Methods in Geological Mapping
Two Program electives (1.0 unit)
One elective (0.5 unit)

Year Four

Fall

Winter