Cal State LA's Geology program will prepare you to take on some of the most critical problems for current and future generations - energy sources and sustainability, climate change, water management, natural hazards, and mitigation of environmental problems.
Why Study Geology?
Cal State LA Geology's program trains students to think like geologists and develop and practice skills that can be applied to a wide range of jobs, including:
- Real-world problem solving
- Spatial and temporal reasoning
- Data collection and synthesis
- Quantitative and geospatial skills:
- Systems Scientific communication
A Rewarding
Career
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the 2022 median salary for Geoscientists/Geologists was $87,480 per year ($42.06 per hour). Geology graduates are employed in a wide variety of fields ranging from Local, State, and Federal Government, Environmental Services, Higher Education, Oil and Gas, among many others. The job outlook for Geologists is also projected to grow 5 percent from 2022 to 2032, faster than the average for all occupations!
Why Geology at Cal State LA
Our location, nestled between the Pacific Coast, Transverse and Peninsular Mountain Ranges, and the San Andreas Fault system, provides a remarkable setting for field studies, and Cal State LA Geology students have many opportunities to study geology in these world-class geologic settings with faculty. The natural field and geological laboratories accessible within 130 km of our campus include coastal marine environments, channel islands, alpine forests, and arid basins. Cal State LA Geology students can take their education one step further by engaging in active research projects with faculty or as an independent study. Cal State LA Geology students have researched a wide variety of geologic topics, including:
- Water Resources
- Slope Stability
- Coastal Erosion
- Volcanology
Courses
Both Geology BS options require the completion of the following core curriculum:
- CHEM 1100 - General Chemistry I [5]
- CHEM 1110 - General Chemistry II [5]
- GEOG 1550 - Cultural Geography [3]
- GEOG 2680 - Introduction to Geospatial Sciences [4]
- GEOL 1500 - Earth Revealed [3]
- GEOL 2520 - Historical Geology [4]
- MATH 2110 - Calculus I [4]
Select one course:
- GEOL 3120 - Global Climate Change (also listed as GEOG 3120) [3]
- GEOL 3330 - Environment and Development in the Third World (also listed as GEOG 3330) [3]
And complete the following:
- GEOL 3010 - Mineralogy and Petrology [4]
- GEOL 3600 - Geological Mapping [4]
- GEOL 4010 - Igneous and Metamorphic Petrology [4]
- GEOL 4100 - Structural Geology [3]
- GEOL 4300 - Stratigraphy and Sedimentology [4]
- GEOL 4600 - Advanced Undergraduate Field Geology [3]
- GEOL 4840 - Hydrogeology [3]
Alumni Success
Graduates from the Geology BS program have gone on to achieve rewarding careers after graduating from Cal State LA
Here are just a few examples of positions attained by recent Geology graduates:
• Geologist, Rincon Consultants
• Project Geologist, Partner Engineering & Science, Inc.
• Geologist, US Army Corps of Engineers
• Engineering Geologist, State Water Resources Control Board
Geology Advisor Contact
DR. JOSHUA T. KELLY
[email protected]