Geology, Minor College of Letters & Science
The minor in Geology offers students a chance to emphasize in one of four areas: General Geology, Engineering Geology, Geochemistry, or Paleobiology.
Students majoring in Geology may elect to complete a minor in Geophysics, Environmental Geology, or Oceanography. They may not complete a minor in Geology.
Students majoring in Marine & Coastal Science may elect to complete a minor in Geology, Geophysics, or Environmental Geology. They may not complete a minor in Oceanography.
The minor is sponsored by the Department of Earth & Planetary Sciences.
Advising
Visit the staff major advisor for help navigating minor requirements, policies, prerequisites, and course offerings. Visit the faculty major advisors for additional advice on courses, careers, and graduate school.
Faculty Advisors
Same as Geology Major Faculty Advisors; except Paleobiology emphasis: R. Motani.
Work with your major advisor and college advisors to fit a minor into your overall academic plan.
Declare your minor using the OASIS Minor Declaration form, due the quarter before graduation.
| Code | Title | Units |
|---|---|---|
| Choose one of four emphases: | 19-24 | |
| Total Units | 19-24 | |
General Geology Emphasis
| Code | Title | Units |
|---|---|---|
| ESP 001/EPS 050/GEL 050 DISCONTINUED FOR FALL 2026 **/001 DISCONTINUED FOR 2026 ** | Environmental Analysis (Discontinued for fall 2026) | 3-4 |
| EPS 102 | Structural Geology | 3 |
| or GEL 101 DISCONTINUED FOR FALL 2026 ** | ||
| GEL 050L | Physical Geology Laboratory (Discontinued for fall 2026) ** | 2 |
| or EPS 050L | Physical Geology Laboratory | |
| GEL 107 | Earth History: Paleobiology (Discontinued for fall 2026) ** | 3 |
| or EPS 107 | Paleobiology | |
| GEL 108 | Earth History: Paleoclimates (Discontinued for fall 2026) ** | 3 |
| or EPS 108 | Paleoclimatology | |
| GEL 109 | Earth History: Sediments & Strata (Discontinued for fall 2026) ** | 3 |
| or EPS 109 | Sediments & Strata | |
| GEL 116N/ESP 116N DISCONTINUED FOR FALL 2026 | Oceanography (Discontinued for fall 2026) ** | 3 |
| or EPS 116 | Oceanography | |
| or EPS 134 | Environmental Geology & Land Use Planning | |
| or GEL 134 DISCONTINUED FOR FALL 2026 ** | ||
| Total Units | 20-21 | |
- **
Course(s) discontinued; see your advisor for course options.
Engineering Geology Emphasis
| Code | Title | Units |
|---|---|---|
| ECI 171 & 171L | Soil Mechanics and Soil Mechanics Laboratory | 5 |
| GEL 050 & GEL 050L DISCONTINUED FOR FALL 2026 ** | Physical Geology and (Discontinued for fall 2026) ** | 5 |
OR | ||
| Physical Geology | ||
or EPS 050L | Physical Geology Laboratory | |
| Choose three: | 9-14 | |
| Environmental Geology & Land Use Planning (Discontinued for fall 2026) ** | ||
or EPS 134 | Environmental Geology & Land Use Planning | |
GEL 156 | (Discontinued for winter 2026) ** | |
| Geophysical Field Methods (Discontinued for fall 2026) ** | ||
or EPS 161 | Geophysical Field Methods | |
| Geophysics of the Solid Earth (Discontinued for fall 2026) ** | ||
or EPS 162 | Geodynamics | |
| Fluid Mechanics Fundamentals | ||
| Groundwater Hydrology | ||
HYD 146 | (Discontinued for winter 2026) ** | |
| Soils in Land Use & the Environment | ||
| Soil Genesis, Morphology, & Classification | ||
| Total Units | 19-24 | |
- **
Course(s) discontinued; see your advisor for course options.
Geochemistry Emphasis
| Code | Title | Units |
|---|---|---|
| GEL 060 | Earth Materials: Introduction (Discontinued for fall 2026) ** | 4 |
| GEL 146 | Radiogenic Isotope Geochemistry & Cosmochemistry (Discontinued for fall 2026) ** | 3 |
| or EPS 146 | Radiogenic Isotope Geochemistry & Cosmochemistry | |
| or EPS 148 | Isotopes & Geochemical Tracers | |
| or GEL 148 DISCONTINUED FOR FALL 2026 ** | ||
| CHE 110A | Physical Chemistry: Introduction to Quantum Mechanics | 4 |
| CHE 110B | Physical Chemistry: Properties of Atoms & Molecules 1 | 4 |
| Choose two electives: | 6-9 | |
| Physical Chemistry: Thermodynamics, Equilibria & Kinetics | ||
| Earth History: Paleoclimates | ||
| Radiogenic Isotope Geochemistry & Cosmochemistry (Discontinued for fall 2026) | ||
or EPS 146 | Radiogenic Isotope Geochemistry & Cosmochemistry | |
| Stable Isotopes & Geochemical Tracers (Discontinued for fall 2026) ** | ||
or EPS 148 | Isotopes & Geochemical Tracers | |
| Aqueous Geochemistry | ||
| Environmental Soil Chemistry | ||
| Total Units | 21-24 | |
- 1
Chemistry majors may substitute one of the elective courses for Chemistry CHE 110B.
- **
Course(s) discontinued; see your advisor for course options.
Paleobiology Emphasis
| Code | Title | Units |
|---|---|---|
| GEL 107 | Earth History: Paleobiology (Discontinued for fall 2026) ** | 3 |
| or EPS 107 | Paleobiology | |
| GEL 107L | Earth History: Paleobiology Laboratory (EPS 107) ** | 2 |
| or EPS 107L | Paleobiology Laboratory | |
| GEL 108 | Earth History: Paleoclimates (Discontinued for fall 2026) ** | 3 |
| or EPS 108 | Paleoclimatology | |
| GEL 141 | Evolutionary History of Vertebrates (Discontinued for fall 2026) ** | 3 |
| or EPS 141 | Evolutionary History of Vertebrates | |
| or EPS 144 | Historical Ecology | |
| or GEL 144 DISCONTINUED FOR FALL 2026 | ||
| Choose at least 9 additional units: | 9 | |
| Primate Evolution | ||
| Human Evolution | ||
| Introduction to Evolution | ||
| Introduction to Ecology | ||
| Population & Quantitative Genetics | ||
EVE 105 | (Discontinued for winter 2026) ** | |
| Biology of Invertebrates | ||
| Biology of Invertebrates Laboratory | ||
EVE 140 | (Discontinued for winter 2026) ** | |
EVE 149 | (Discontinued for winter 2026) ** | |
| Earth History: Sediments & Strata (Discontinued) ** | ||
or EPS 109 | Sediments & Strata | |
| Biological Oceanography (GEL 150C Discontinued for fall 2026) ** | ||
or EPS 150C | Biological Oceanography | |
| Total Units | 20 | |
- **
Course(s) discontinued; see your advisor for course options.