Geology (B.S.)

ABOUT

Earth is the only home we have, so we must study and learn the Earth’s natural processes and how they impact our society. Environmental issues, water availability, energy resources, climate change and natural disasters all impact our health, our safety and our economy. As a geology major at Clemson, you’ll study all of these issues plus traditional topics including rocks, minerals and fossils, which reveal information about Earth’s history and provide the raw materials that our society and technology are built upon. This degree is designed to help you develop quantitative skills, while familiarizing you with the topics, technologies and resources needed to follow a career path in the geosciences. Geologists’ career paths can range from traveling and collecting data at field sites to working in high-tech laboratories using advanced software and technology.

FAST FACTS

  • Our faculty are respected scholars who take a genuine interest in students’ success and are actively engaged in students’ research.
  • You’ll have opportunities to travel to the Bahamas and the western United States for field excursions.
  • Our graduates have gone on to work for environmental agencies, energy and water authorities, and oil, gas and other mineral-producing industries.
  • Geology majors experience fun and educational trips with chances to see natural processes in person.

WHAT YOU'LL STUDY

To prepare you for the wide range of career options available to geology majors, Clemson’s program provides you with a well-grounded background in geology and related fields. In fact, we have built the curriculum around three critical themes:

  1. appreciation for spatial and temporal scales,
  2. knowledge of earth materials and compositions of environmental systems and
  3. understanding of geological and environmental processes.

No matter the area of geology you’re interested in, we have a flexible curriculum plan that allows you to tailor your degree to your future goals. Within that, you can choose to do a general geology degree — which allows for more electives within a specific interest area such as geophysics, paleontology, sustainability and geological engineering — or a concentration in environmental science or hydrogeology. These two concentrations provide structured course work to help prepare you for a career in these areas.

Environmental Science Concentration: For students interested in learning how to collect and analyze environmental data, this concentration provides a solid introduction to environmental systems. You’ll graduate prepared for a career in natural resources, the environmental consulting industry and government agencies, or graduate studies in environmental fields.

Hydrogeology Concentration: Water is a resource everyone needs to access. This program focuses on understanding water availability and problems that could limit or restrict access to clean water. Graduates work for consulting companies, government agencies and natural resource management groups.

Popular Minors

  • Environmental Science and Policy
  • Geography
  • International Engineering and Science
  • Mathematical Sciences
  • Natural Resource Economics

EXPERIENCES BEYOND THE CLASSROOM

Geology majors have numerous opportunities to gain hands-on experience, apply what you’ve learned in the classroom to real-world situations and network with professionals in earth science fields.

Join Clemson’s Geology Club and meet other students who share your interest in earth science. The club organizes field trips, invites professional speakers to campus and participates in service and outreach projects.
Geologists, hydrogeologists and scientists from other universities, the USGS and consulting companies join Clemson faculty to facilitate the Hydrogeology Field Camp. The trips and exercises provide insights into researching hydrologic issues.
Starting your sophomore year, geology majors take a sequence of courses to learn the basics of geologic research by participating in ongoing group projects. Faculty also mentor students on independent research projects.
The annual Clemson Hydrogeology Symposium focuses on geoscience issues in the southeastern U.S. It provides an opportunity for students to present their research and meet professionals and employers from around the Southeast.

AFTER GRADUATION

Your college decision isn't really about the next four years. We get it. It's about what doors are opened by your degree and whether those opportunities are what you had envisioned for yourself. Here's a snapshot of what life after graduation looks like for some of our most recent students.

RECENT EMPLOYERS

  • Subsurface Project Assistant

    ExxonMobil

  • Environmental Consultant

    Texidyne

  • Field Technician

    Golars Environmental Engineering

  • Environmental Consultant

    Environmental Engineering & Technology, Inc.

  • Petroleum Field Technician

    Mid-Continent Well Logging Services

  • Environmental Consultant

    Northwind

  • Sample Collection / Data Logger

    British Petroleum

RECENT POSTGRADUATE STUDIES

  • Ph.D.Hydrology

    Colorado School of Mines

  • M.S. Hydrogeology

    Clemson University

  • Masters, Environmental Law

    University of Strathclyde (Scotland)

  • Ph.D. Geophysics

    University of Wyoming

  • M.S. Geology and Geological Engineering

    South Dakota School of Mines

  • M.S. Geology

    University of South Carolina

COMMON CAREER AREAS

  • Energy Resources
    • Structural Geology
    • Geophysics
    • Economic Geology
    • Paleontology
    • Fossil Energy
  • Mineral Resources
    • Mining Geology
    • Mineralogy
    • Geochemistry
    • Economic Geology
    • Paleontology
    • Stratigraphy
    • Sedimentology
    • Crystallography
  • Environmental Geology
    • Sedimentology
    • Hydrology
    • Geomagnetism
    • Earth Surface Dynamics
    • Coastal and Marine Geology
  • Geologic Mapping
    • Astrogeology and Space Sciences
      • Earthquakes, Volcanoes, Landslides, Floods
        • Seismology
        • Geomagnetism
        • Global Seismic Networks

      Used with permission from the University of Tennessee.

      FIND OUT MORE

      Have more questions or want more information? Fill out the form below, which goes directly to the following department contact. If you’d also like to receive general University information from Clemson’s admissions office, please follow the link to the right and sign up to join our mailing list.

      Christopher Porter

      CECAS Undergraduate Recruitment Director
      864-656-7870
      cporter@clemson.edu

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