Undergraduate Studies
Students majoring in Geology will be preparing themselves to take an active role in the utilization of the earth's resources while protecting its fragile environment. Course work involves hands-on use of modern laboratory equipment and extensive projects out in the field. The faculty combines the use of small class sizes and abundant travel opportunities with a commitment to involving students in ongoing geological projects that involve both local and far-ranging locales. The curricula are designed with three primary objectives:
- Prepare students for entry level employment with consulting and engineering companies that concentrate on environmental problems
- Prepare students for entry level employment in federal, state, and municipal environmental agencies
- Prepare students that enter graduate programs in the branch of geology of their choosing in preparation for university teaching or upper level employment with private companies or governmental agencies
The Department of Geology maintains a special relationship with the Department of Anthropology and Archaeology and is a section of the Mercyhurst Archaeological Institute. Through joint research operations with these units, Mercyhurst Geologists are actively involved in ongoing field and laboratory projects in the Eastern and Western United States, the Near East, Russia, and the Republic of the Ukraine. Interested students are strongly encouraged to participate in these joint activities, which are at the cutting edge of geoarchaeology, as well as to pursue course work in this rapidly developing field. Geoarchaeology is the interface which exists between the field of geology and the anthropological subdiscipline of archaeology. Geoarchaeologists use geological techniques to help locate, excavate, and interpret archaeological sites and materials and thereby contribute to understanding the physical stage upon which the actors of antiquity performed.
The Department offers courses leading to the Bachelor of Science (B.S.) or Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) degrees in Geology or Geology with a concentration in Geoarchaeology.
Geology Requirements
To be recommended for graduation, students must earn at least a 2.5 GPA in their major concentration. A student also must earn a grade of at least C in any Geology course that is taken to fulfill a degree requirement. One must earn at least a D in each required cognate.