The undergraduate curriculum also emphasizes the practical aspects of geology and geophysics, including its applications to petroleum and mineral exploration, environmental management, and siting of man-made structures. Graduate students in geology study the fundamentals of geology and related disciplines, and perform research investigations in one or more areas of their choice and interest. Graduate students in geophysics study the fundamentals of the physical state of the planets and the dynamic physical processes that act on and within the planets. They also perform research investigations in one or more areas of their choice and interest. Specialties Undergraduates can specialize in geology, geophysics, engineering geology, Earth Science.
Graduate students can specialize in either geology or geophysics.
Geology research topics include ground water investigations, sedimentation, clay mineralogy, paleontology, and paleoecology, stratigraphy, structural geology, tectonophysics, petrology, field geology, engineering geology and geochemistry, and much more. Geophysics research topics include seismology and seismic exploration, properties and failure characteristics of rocks, marine studies of the structure of the oceanic crust and continental margins in the Gulf of Mexico, the Caribbean Sea and the Western Pacific, global tectonics, and much more. Students interested in entering the petroleum industry can enroll in a two-year intensive Master of Science program in Geophysics. Careers Geologists and geophysicists work as explorers for new mineral or energy resources, consultants on engineering or environmental problems, researchers, teachers, and in many other challenging positions. In general the B.S . should usually be considered as preparatory, the M.S. should be considered the professional degree, and the Ph.D . should be considered the teaching and research degree.