Geology

Majors & Minors
Geology

Geology

"There are a lot of labs in geology, and as you get into minerology and petrology, you get to hold the minerals and learn how to identify them. It’s so hands-on that it makes sense. Once you see it in person, it sticks!”

How Niya Davis is getting hands-on experience in the geology program

You should major in geology if:

You love nature and enjoy spending time outdoors, hiking, and exploring.
You enjoy all of the sciences, including biology, chemistry, physics, and math.
You want to get hands-on experience through classes that take you into unique geological formations in Louisiana and across the country.

Geology is the study of the planet’s physical structure and substances. Learn about rocks, fossils, and minerals; the layers of the earth; earthquakes and seismic events; and much more.

As a geology major at UL Lafayette, you can specialize in one of our concentrations: earth sciences, environmental geology, paleontology, or energy resources.

You’ll get experience doing lab and field work, computer mapping, data analysis and application, and applying 3D, 4D and geological time-dimension thinking to solve environmental and industrial problems.

Related Programs

Geology at UL Lafayette

What's Geology Like?

Writing
Research
Group work & collaboration
Field work
Lab work
Presenting

3x World Champions

UL Lafayette’s student teams are the only ones in the world to win the highly competitive American Association of Petroleum Geologists’ Imperial Barrel Award competition three times.

Life as a Geology Major

Two geology researchers from UL Lafayette conducting a water quality test in the marsh

Unique Geology In Our Own Backyard

Geology majors get unique opportunities at UL Lafayette, thanks to South Louisiana's impressive geodiversity. Explore, study, and get your hands dirty in Louisiana’s many rivers, swamps, bayous, beaches, and forests.

Study Across the U.S.

Every year, the School of Geosciences leads a summer field camp (GEOL 400) to major geological sites in the American West, spanning Arizona, Utah, Colorado, Wyoming, and Montana.

Combine lab and field work

Spend as much time outside in Louisiana’s natural environment as you do in the lab. Geology majors work closely with faculty, gaining important experience and a deeper understanding of geological and environmental issues locally and globally. Explore our research areas and how you can get involved with faculty research.

Student Organizations

Connect with students and professionals in our campus-based chapters for the American Association of Petroleum Geologists, Society of Exploration Geophysicists, the Soil and Water Conservation Society, and the Association for Women Geoscientists.

Concentrations in Geology

UL Lafayette geology students reviewing bones and sediment for research

Earth Sciences Geology

The earth sciences geology concentration gives you a well-rounded understanding of the field. Get in-depth insights into geology through chemistry, geography, math, physics, and related fields including biology, environmental science, and engineering.

Environmental Geology

Use geology to solve environmental problems like coastal erosion, climate change, drought, deforestation, and environmental repercussions of human pollution through the environmental geology concentration.

Paleontology

Learn how to sort and identify fossils, conduct stable isotope research, and more in the paleontology concentration. Prepare for a career in museums, labs, and federal agencies where you work with fossils and geologic data to better understand the past.

��Ƶ geology majors learning how to extract oil

Energy Resources

Develop a deep scientific understanding of how to use geological data and mapping to explore resources in different geological environments in our energy resources concentration

Geology According to Students

Freshman Year Sophomore Year Junior Year Senior Year

GEOL 112: Historical Geology

We covered paleontology in this class, just to understand the way we classify time for the Earth based on fossils and mass extinction events. Some of the more important landmark times that we think about — the Cambrian explosion, the end-Permian extinction — those things that influence our understanding of deep time in a lot of ways.”

Jacob Hamsher, Geology Major

GEOL 460: Site Assessment & Remediation

with Stephen Sinitiere

I really enjoyed this class, because remediation is the field of work that I would like to pursue in the future. The course touches on the assessment of contaminated sites, how they are cleaned up with various remediation techniques, and the methods and regulations that are specific to the state of Louisiana.”

Agueda “Elena” Bragg, Environmental Science alum

Careers in Geology

Tim Doré

“I ended up taking a physical geology course as an elective, and two weeks in I knew I was going to be a geologist. I quickly developed a passion for geology, changed my major and never looked back. College got a lot easier after that, after you’ve found what you’re meant to do.”

Geology BS '93 and MS '96

Senior Geologist at BP

More about Tim

Jobs in Geology

Laboratory Paleontological Manager
Graduate Student in Petroleum & Sedimentary Systems
Mining Geologist
Environmental Geologist
Environmental Scientist
Hydrogeologist
Soils Engineer

Program Requirements

Admissions Requirements

To major in geology, you must meet the University's admissions requirements.

See the full admission requirements.

Graduation Requirements

Geology majors are required to maintain a grade of “C” or better in each major geosciences course and a cumulative GPA of 2.5 or better to graduate.

The courses you have to take depend on your concentration. See the full course requirements for each concentration:

To earn a minor in geology, you will need to complete 18 credits hours of geosciences courses, with a minimum of 6 credit hours being at the 300 or 400 levels.

Resources

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Geology

How Niya Davis is getting hands-on experience in the geology program

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