Geological Sciences

Earth, Ocean and Atmospheric Sciences offers two undergraduate specializations in geology: Major in Geology and Honours in Geological Sciences. For information on graduate degrees, see Geological Sciences.

Either specialization may be used by students who wish to undertake graduate studies or apply for professional registration as a geologist in industry. Students who desire to register as Professional Geoscientists (P.Geo.) after graduating should contact the Association of Professional Engineers and Geoscientists of British Columbia to ascertain course and other requirements.

Students taking geology courses may be required to participate in field trips.

For details of other undergraduate Science specializations available in the department, see Atmospheric Science, Earth and Ocean Sciences , Environmental Sciences, Geophysics, and Oceanography. The department also offers Geological Engineering as part of the B.A.Sc. degree program.

Co-operative Education Option

This option integrates academic study and supervised work experience. Enrolment is limited. Admissibility to Major in Geology or Honours Geological Sciences or Combined Honours Geology and another subject is prerequisite for admission. Detailed information is available from Earth, Ocean and Atmospheric Sciences or the Science Co-operative Education Office.

Specializations

Major (3193): Geology
 

First Year 
Communication Requirement13
CHEM_V 121 (or 111 or 141)24
CHEM_V 12324
EOSC_V 110, 111, 11637
MATH_V 100 or 102 or 10443
MATH_V 101 or 103 or 10553
PHYS_V 117 (or 101 or 106 or 107 or 131)63
PHYS_V 118 (or 108)63
Total Credits30
Second Year 
Communication Requirement13
EOSC_V 211 or GEOS_V (or GEOB_V) 2703
EOSC_V 2123
EOSC_V 220, 221, 2229
EOSC_V 22373
Electives89
Total Credits30
Third and Fourth Years 
EOSC_V 320, 321, 3229
EOSC_V 3233
EOSC_V 325, 3289, 330, 33212
EOSC_V 333 or 350103
EOSC_V courses numbered 420-4396
EOSC_V / ATSC_V / ENVR_V 300-level or higher3
Electives824
Total Credits60
Total credits for the degree120
1 A total of 6 credits of coursework is required to meet the Communication Requirement. For a full list of acceptable courses see Communication Requirement.
2 Students who do not have B.C. High School Chemistry 12 (or its equivalent) must write the UBC Chemistry Basic Skills Test and may be required to take CHEM_V 100. CHEM_V 110 and 115 may substitute for CHEM_V 111, CHEM_V 120 and 115 may substitute for CHEM_V 121, CHEM_V 130 and 135 may substitute for CHEM_V 123. 
3 Three credits may be deferred until second year. The requirement for these courses may be waived if a student has completed upper-level courses in each of the solid and fluid earth sciences.
4 MATH_V 180 or 184 or 120 may substitute for any of the specified differential calculus courses listed by decreasing the electives by 1 credit. MATH_V 110 may substitute for any of the specified differential calculus courses listed by decreasing the electives by 3 credits.
5 MATH_V 121 may substitute for any of the specified integral calculus courses listed by decreasing the electives by 1 credit.
6 Students without credit for Physics 12 must take PHYS_V 100 prior to any other 100-level PHYS_V courses. PHYS_V 100 will count as an elective. Students may delay taking 3 credits of PHYS_V 100-level to second year.
7 Includes a field school in May of second year (extra fee to be paid).
8 Elective credits together with required courses must fulfill the Faculty of Science’s:
a) Foundational Requirement;
b) Laboratory Science Requirement;
c) Science Breadth Requirement;
d) Science and Arts Requirements;
e) Upper-level Requirement;
f) General Degree Requirements.
9 Field School in May after third year (extra fee to be paid). 
10 Students may substitute EOSC_V 250, but EOSC_V 350 is recommended. 

Specialization Objectives

Mastery of the curriculum will provide a thorough background in a wide range of geological sciences:

  1. that students may use towards registration as a Professional Geoscientist (P.Geo.) with the Association of Professional Geoscientists of British Columbia (APEGBC);
  2. that will qualify students for graduate school in geological sciences.

Learning Goals

Students completing this specialization will be able to:

  1. integrate concepts related to the unifying theory of geosciences (plate tectonics) across multiple sub-disciplines within geological sciences and the wider Earth sciences;
  2. identify rocks, minerals, fossils and geological structures in the field and in the laboratory;
  3. demonstrate an ability to systematically map various geological features in the field;
  4. demonstrate an understanding of the varying time scales over which geological processes occur and how those time scales are calibrated;
  5. use numerical problem solving (using computer programming and data manipulation skills) both with models and with real geological data;
  6. write reports and communicate through oral presentations;
  7. demonstrate an understanding of professional ethics and practice in academia and industry from a geological sciences perspective.

Honours (0462): Geological Sciences
 

First Year 
Communication Requirement16
CHEM_V 121 (or 111 or 141)24
CHEM_V 12324
EOSC_V110 or 112 or 114 or 1163
EOSC_V 1111
MATH_V 100 or 102 or 10433
MATH_V 101 or 103 or 10543
PHYS_V 117 (or 101 or 106 or 107 or 131)53
PHYS_V 118 (or 108)53
Elective63
Total Credits33
Second Year 
CHEM_V 2053
EOSC_V 211 or GEOS_V (or GEOB_V) 2703
EOSC_V 212, 220, 221, 222, 223715
MATH_V 2003
MATH_V 221 or STAT_V 2003
Electives69
Total Credits36
Third and Fourth Years 
EOSC_V 320, 321, 3229
One of EOSC_V 327, 3333
EOSC_V 323, 325, 32889
EOSC_V 330, 332, 44912
EOSC_V 250 or 3503
Additional EOSC_V 300-level3
Additional EOSC_V 400-level6
Electives618
Total Credits63
Total Credits for Degree132
1 A total of 6 credits of coursework is required to meet the Communication Requirement. For a full list of acceptable courses, see Communication Requirement.
2 Students who do not have B.C. High School Chemistry 12 (or its equivalent) must write the UBC Chemistry Basic Skills Test and may be required to take CHEM_V 100. CHEM_V 110 and 115 may substitute for CHEM_V 111, CHEM_V 120 and 115 may substitute for CHEM_V 121, CHEM_V 130 and 135 may substitute for CHEM_V 123. 
3 MATH_V 180 or 184 or 120 may be substituted for any of the specified differential calculus courses listed and the elective credits decreased by 1. MATH_V 110 may be substituted for any of the specified differential calculus courses listed and the elective credits decreased by 3.
4 MATH_V 121 may be substituted for any of the specified integral calculus courses listed and the elective credits decreased by 1.
5 Students without credit for Physics 12 must take PHYS_V 100 prior to any other 100-level PHYS_V courses. PHYS_V 100 will count as an elective. Qualified students are encouraged to take PHYS_V 106/108. Students may delay taking 3 credits of PHYS_V 100-level to second year.
6 Elective credits together with required courses must fulfill the Faculty of Science’s:
a) Foundational Requirement;
b) Laboratory Science Requirement;
c) Science Breadth Requirement;
d) Science and Arts Requirements;
e) Upper-level Requirement;
f) General Degree Requirements.
7 Includes a field school in May of second year (extra fee to be paid).
8 Field School in May after third year (extra fee to be paid).

Specialization Objectives

Honours will provide more depth than the Major. Mastery of the curriculum will provide a thorough background in a wide range of geological sciences:

  1. that will qualify students for graduate school in geological sciences;
  2. that students may use towards registration as a Professional Geoscientist (P.Geo.) with the Association of Professional Geoscientists of British Columbia (APEGBC).

Learning Goals

Students completing this specialization will be able to:

  1. integrate concepts related to the unifying theory of geoscience (plate tectonics) across multiple sub-disciplines within geological science and the wider earth sciences;
  2. identify rocks, minerals, fossils and geological structures in the field and in the laboratory;
  3. demonstrate an ability to systematically map various geological features in the field;
  4. demonstrate an understanding of the geological processes responsible for the transfer of mass and energy within the Earth;
  5. demonstrate an understanding of the varying time scales over which geological processes occur and how those time scales are calibrated;
  6. demonstrate an understanding of the patterns of geological change that occurred over the course of Earth's history;
  7. use numerical problem solving (using computer programming and data manipulation skills) both with models and with real geological data;
  8. define, conduct and present the results of an independent research project;
  9. write reports and communicate through oral presentations;
  10. demonstrate an understanding of professional ethics and practice in academia and industry from a geological sciences perspective.

Combined Honours: Geology and Another Subject (GEOL)
 

First Year 
Communication Requirement16
CHEM_V 121 (or 111 or 141)24
CHEM_V 12324
EOSC_V 110 or 112 or 114 or 1163
EOSC_V 1111
MATH_V 100 or 102 or 10433
MATH_V 101 or 103 or 10543
PHYS_V 117 (or 101 or 106 or 107 or 131)53
PHYS_V 118 (or 102 or 108)53
Elective63
Total Credits33
Second Year 
EOSC_V 211 or GEOB_V 2703
EOSC_V 212, 220, 221, 222, 223715
MATH_V 2003
Credits required by other discipline12
Total Credits33
Third and Fourth Years 
Geology courses numbered 300 and above821
EOSC_V 32893
Credits required by other discipline24
Electives612
EOSC_V 449 or other department 4496
Total Credits66
Total Credits for Degree132
1 A total of 6 credits of coursework is required to meet the Communication Requirement. For a full list of acceptable courses, see Communication Requirement.
2 Students who do not have B.C. High School Chemistry 12 (or its equivalent) must write the UBC Chemistry Basic Skills Test and may be required to take CHEM_V 100. CHEM_V 110 and 115 may substitute for CHEM_V 111, CHEM_V 120 and 115 may substitute for CHEM_V 121, CHEM_V 130 and 135 may substitute for CHEM_V 123.
3 MATH_V 180 or 184 or 120 may be substituted for any of the specified differential calculus courses listed and the elective credits decreased by 1. MATH_V 110 may be substituted for any of the specified differential calculus courses listed and the elective credits decreased by 3.
4 MATH_V 121 may be substituted for any of the specified integral calculus courses listed and the elective credits decreased by 1.
5 Students without credit for Physics 12 must take PHYS_V 100 prior to any other 100-level PHYS_V courses. PHYS_V 100 will count as an elective. Qualified students are encouraged to take PHYS_V 106/108. Students may delay taking 3 credits of PHYS_V 100-level to second year.
6 Elective credits together with required courses must fulfill the Faculty of Science’s:
a) Foundational Requirement;
b) Laboratory Science Requirement;
c) Science Breadth Requirement;
d) Science and Arts Requirements;
e) Upper-level Requirement;
f) General Degree Requirements.
7 Includes a field school in May of second year (extra fee to be paid).
8 EOSC_V courses numbered 320 to 339, excluding EOSC_V 326.
9 Field School in May after third year (extra fee to be paid).

Timetabling and other problems may not permit Combined Honours in Geological Sciences and certain other specializations. Students planning careers in Geological Sciences should consult the departmental advisor for elective courses appropriate to their interests.

UBC Academic Calendar

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