Academics | Geological Sciences

Dr. Susan McGeary, Department Chair

Dr. Susan McGeary, Department Chair

About Our Department

The Department of Geological Sciences offers those students who are interested in the processes that affect the Earth and the environment the opportunity to learn and conduct research in the field, laboratory, and classroom.   The department offices and labs are housed in Penny Hall on the Newark Campus. The Irénée duPont Mineralogical Museum is located within Penny Hall and the Delaware Geological Survey is next door. Our location permits easy access to field sites along the Atlantic coast, on the Coastal Plain, and in the Piedmont and Appalachians.

Our Degree Programs

Undergraduates can earn degrees in Geology or in Earth Science Education. Bachelor of Science degree students in Geology may additionally choose a Concentration in Paleobiology or in Coastal and Marine Geoscience. Geological Sciences is also one of the core departments in the Environmental Science B.S. degree program.

Graduate students can earn an M.S. degree or Ph.D. in Geology. Special emphasis is placed on near surface processes, geomorphology, and coastal and marine geology. Numerous collaborative research programs exist with other units on campus, including Oceanography, Geography, Plant and Soil Science, Bioresources Engineering, the Delaware Geological Survey, the School of Education, and Civil and Environmental Engineering.

Undergraduate students on their trek across New Zealand's Tongariro Crossing during a Study Abroad Experience in New Zealand.

Undergraduate students on their trek across New Zealand's Tongariro Crossing during a Study Abroad Experience in New Zealand.

A World of Opportunities

Career opportunities for geology graduates are diverse. They focus on understanding geologic hazards and in defining and efficiently using land, water, energy, and mineral resources. These careers require integrative knowledge of the chemical, physical, and biological processes above, on, and below the earth's surface. Our teaching and research emphasize how these processes operate through time to mold our planet's surface and near surface environment.