Environmental Geology BS - Florida Gulf Coast University

Unlocking Earth's Secrets Through Science

The Environmental Geology BS combines the traditional geology curriculum with courses focused on the interaction between humans and Earth's environment providing students with breadth and depth of knowledge that can be applied to complex issues such as identifying and dealing with natural hazards and managing the use of natural resources.

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About the Program

The Environmental Geology Bachelor's Degree program is a dynamic and interdisciplinary educational offering that equips students with the knowledge and skills necessary to address real-world research questions and meet the growing demands of the geology workforce. Our program focuses on environmental geology and emphasizes practical experience, collaboration, and preparation for professional licensure.

The Environmental Geology Bachelor's Degree program is committed to providing students with a well-rounded education, practical experience, and the necessary qualifications to excel in the field of geology, while also promoting a strong commitment to environmental sustainability.

Who Should Consider This Degree?

This interdisciplinary perspective utilizes existing FGCU strengths in environmental studies and marine science and will better prepare graduates for the workforce

Currently, the largest sectors of geology-based employment involve environmentally applied geology concepts such as groundwater flow.
Provide graduates with sufficient content and credit hours to become Professionally Licensed Geologists – a State of Florida legal requirement after 5 years in the geology workforce if employees desire advancement.
The Environmental Geology BS focus on environmental geology over traditional geology emphasizing the ability to address emerging critical needs in local, state and national job markets
Is Florida's first environmentally focused geology program.

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Develop your scientific knowledge and skills and gain valuable experience in a chosen career through internships with our community partners.

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Program Specifications

Accreditation
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Admissions Information
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Admissions Information for the 2024-2025 Catalog Year
If you are not yet an FGCU student, visit the Admissions Office Website
If you are a newly-admitted FGCU student please be sure to sign up for an Eagle View Orientation session. As part of this session you will be meeting with an academic advisor who will assist you in registering for classes for your major.
Admission Deadlines
Visit the Admissions Office Web site for information on admission deadlines of the university.
Program Requirements
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Program Requirements for the 2024-2025 Catalog Year
The General Education Program Website is located at https://www.fgcu.edu/academics/undergraduatestudies/generaleducation/
Program Progression and Additional Graduation Requirements
- Attend an orientation session.
- Sign an Advising Agreement document.
In addition to the program requirements, students must:
- Complete a minimum of 120 credits.
- Complete a minimum of 48 of the 120 credits at the upper division (3000 - 4999 level).
- Earn a cumulative GPA of 2.0 for all coursework attempted at FGCU.
- Satisfy the College-Level Skills and foreign language entrance requirements.
- Satisfy the Service-Learning requirement.
- Satisfy the Civic Literacy requirement.
- Satisfy the residency requirement: 30 of the last 60 credits must be completed at FGCU.
- Complete the summer course enrollment requirement.
- Submit an Application for Graduation by the deadline listed in the FGCU Academic Calendar.
Program Requirements
1. FGCU General Education Program (https://www.fgcu.edu/academics/undergraduatestudies/generaleducation/)
  To prevent or minimize excess hours, select general education courses that satisfy common prerequisite requirements for your intended major.
2. Common Prerequisites
  For this major, common prerequisite courses with an asterisk (*) require prior knowledge and skills demonstrated through degree acceleration programs (e.g., the College Board's Advanced Placement Program [AP], International Baccalaureate Program [IB], College-Level Examination Program [CLEP], Advanced International Certificate of Education Program [AICE]); dual enrollment; placement exam; or college coursework.
  
  FGCU Course: *CHM 1045 General Chemistry I (3) and CHM 1045L General Chemistry I Laboratory (1) Minimum grade of C
  Acceptable Substitute: CHMX045C or (CHMX045 and CHMX045L)
  [Prerequisites of MAT 1033 minimum grade of C then MAC 1105 minimum grade of C; or relevant accelerated credit; or placement exam]
  
  FGCU Course: CHM 1046 General Chemistry II (3) and CHM 1046L General Chemistry II Lab (1) Minimum grade of C
  Acceptable Substitute: CHMX046C or (CHMX046 and CHMX046L)
  
  FGCU Course: GLY 1010C Physical Geology (4) Minimum grade of C
  Acceptable Course: GLYX010C or (GLYX010 and GLYX010L)
  
  FGCU Course: GLY 2100C Historical Geology (3) Minimum grade of C
  Acceptable Course: GLYX100C
  
  FGCU Course: *MAC 2311 Calculus I (4) Minimum grade of C
  Acceptable Substitute: MACX311
  [For MAC 2311 Prerequisites of MAT 1033 minimum grade of C then MAC 1105 minimum grade of C then MAC 1147 minimum grade of C; or relevant accelerated credit; or placement exam]
  
  FGCU Course: *PHY 2053 College Physics I (3) and PHY 2053L College Physics I Laboratory (1) Minimum grade of C
  Acceptable Substitute: PHYX053C or PHYX048C or (PHYX048 and PHYX048L)
  [Prerequisites of MAT 1033 minimum grade of C then MAC 1105 minimum grade of C then MAC 1147 minimum grade of C; or relevant accelerated credit; or placement exam]
  
  FGCU Course: *PHY 2054 College Physics II (3) and PHY 2054L College Physics II Laboratory (1) Minimum grade of C
  Acceptable Substitute: PHYX054C or PHYX049C or (PHYX049 and PHYX049L)
  
  FGCU Course: STA 2023 Statistical Methods (3) Minimum grade of C
  Acceptable Substitute: STAX023
1. Required Courses in the Major (30 credits)
  A minimum grade of C is required in each course.
  
  GLY 2030C Environmental Geology (3)
  GLY 3202C Mineralogy & Petrology (3)
  GLY 3603C Paleontology (3)
  GLY 3820C Introduction to Hydrology (3)
  GLY 4071C Paleoclimatology (3)
  GLY 4074C Meteorology & Climatology (3)
  GLY 4400C Structural Geology (3)
  GLY 4700C Coastal and Watershed Geology (3)
  GLY 4892 Senior Capstone: Env Geology (3)
  ISC 3154C Environmental Research Design (3)
2. Restricted Electives in the Major (12 credits)
  A minimum grade of C is required in each course.
  
  Select one of the following:
  ISC 4910 Sr. Proj Rsch Intrdisc Nat Sci (3)
  ISC 4940 Internship in Interdis Nat Sci (3)
  
  Select 9 credits from the following courses:
  EVR 4028 Simulation and Modeling (3)
  EVR 4043C Environmental GIS (3)
  EVR 4324 Integrated Ecosystems Mgmt (3)
  GLY 3420C Tectonics and Marine Geology (4)
  GLY 4244C Biogeochemistry (3)
  GLY 4930 Special Topics in Geology(3)
  GLY 4952 Carbonate Deposition Environs (3)
  PCB 3460C Ecosystem Monit & Resea Method (3)
  PCB 4036C Landscape & Ecosystems Ecology (3)
3. University Requirements (3 credits)
  Select one of the following:
  IDS 3920 University Colloquium (3)
  Or at least 3 credits in sustainability coursework (SCGR Attribute)
4. Additional Electives - as needed to reach total credits required for the degree
Total Credits Required: 120
Degree Map
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Degree Maps are to be used as a general guideline for students. Some students scheduling needs may vary based upon completed courses and transfer credits. Please see your advisor for assistance and verification.
2024-2025 Environmental Geology BS Degree Map

Additional Graduation Requirements include:
- A minimum of 120 credit hours.
- A minimum of 48 of the 120 hours must be at the upper division (3000 - 4999) level.
- A cumulative GPA of 2.0 for all coursework attempted at FGCU.
- A minimum grade of C for each course used to satisfy the following categories: common prerequisites, required courses in the major, and courses in the concentration.
- Satisfaction of the College-Level Skills and foreign language entrance requirements.
- Satisfaction of the Service Learning requirement (See www.fgcu.edu/connect).
- Satisfaction of the residency requirement: thirty of the last sixty credits must be completed at FGCU.
- Completion of the summer course enrollment requirement.
- Submit an online Application for Graduation via Gulfline by the deadline listed in the FGCU Academic Calendar.
Transfer Notes and Acceptable Substitutes

For All Majors: Students are strongly recommended to select required lower division electives that will enhance their General Education coursework and that will support their intended baccalaureate degree program. Students should consult with an academic advisor in their major degree area.
Course Schedule
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Getting Started With the Course Schedule Search

Search for program courses by using the Course Schedule Search utility.

Go to the Course Schedule Search Web page, then follow these steps:
1. Select an Academic Year from the TERM dropdown (required)
2. Select one or more of the search options to narrow your results (for example, CAMPUS, COLLEGE, DEPARTMENT, LEVEL, PREFIX*, COURSE ATTRIBUTE**). For virtual or web courses, select VIRTUAL in the CAMPUS field.
3. Press Search.
*A course prefix is a three-letter designator for a major division of an academic discipline (for example, ACG for Accounting , BSC for Biological Science, ENC for English Composition). See the Degree Requirements page for a list of courses (with prefix and number) that can be used to fulfill degree requirements.

**A course attribute identifies specific characteristics of courses that can be used in a Degree Evaluation to satisfy a degree requirement. (Course attribute examples are Humanities courses - GEHM and Social Science courses - GESO.)
Learning Outcomes
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Academic Learning Compact

Consistent with its mission and guiding principles, Florida Gulf Coast University is committed to academic excellence and continuous quality improvement, as supported by a sound teaching-learning process. Within this process, students and instructors share responsibility for learning that is a movement from the simple to the complex, the concrete to the abstract, and the dependent to the independent. The Academic Learning Compact (ALC) initiative supports the teaching-learning process by clearly identifying expected core student learning outcomes in the areas of content/discipline knowledge and skills, communication skills, and critical thinking skills; aligning curricula with expectations; and using assessment to guide continuous improvement.

Content/Discipline Knowledge and Skills
Graduates will be able to:
1. Understand basic physical geology and hydrologic processes.
2. Understand methods and concepts of interpreting the Earth’s history.
3. Understand human interaction with geologic processes.
4. Develop skills conducting field and laboratory experiences
Content/Discipline Knowledge and Skills are assessed at the program level possibly using pre- and post-tests, content instruments, research proposals and course projects in one or more of the following: GLY 1000C, Physical Geology, Senior Capstone in Env. Geology, ISC 3154C Environmental Research Design and/or ISC 4910/4911 Senior Research/Presentation.

Communication Skills
Graduates will be able to:
1. Organize and effectively communicate in written form, using the language and concepts of environmental geology in a coherent, clear and unified manner.
2. Organize and effectively communicate in oral and visual formats, using the language and concepts of environmental geology, in an engaging, clear and coherent manner to the community and the profession.
3. Communication Skills are assessed at the program level through scientific research proposals and course projects in one or more of the following: Senior Capstone in Env. Geology, ISC 3154C Environmental Research Design and/or ISC 4910/4911 Senior Research/Presentation.
Critical Thinking Skills
Graduates will be able to:
1. Critically evaluate arguments and assumptions, and interpret published data relating to environmental geology.
2. Identify, synthesize environmental geology information, analyze and solve environmental geology problems so that reasoned inferences can be drawn.
3. Use the scientific process to form hypotheses and to design studies for gathering and analyzing data from which to draw scientifically valid conclusions.
Critical Thinking Skills are assessed at the program level using final course projects in one or more of the following: Senior Capstone in Env. Geology, ISC 3154C Environmental Research Design and/or ISC 4910/4911 Senior Research/Presentation.
Tuition, Fees, and Financial Assistance
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Tuition and Fees

Information on Tuition, Fees and estimated total Cost of Attendance is available on the Student Account Services website.

Financial Aid Opportunities

Visit FGCU's Financial Aid Web site for information about grants, additional scholarships, loans, and student employment.

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