May 01, 2025  
2025-2026 General Catalog [Effective Fall 2025] 
    
2025-2026 General Catalog [Effective Fall 2025]

Geosciences (BA)

Location(s): Main Campus



Program Information

  • All courses must be passed with a “C” (2.0) or better to be counted in the major.
  • All prerequisite courses must be passed with “C” (2.0) or better.
  • Credits greater than 10 years old will not be accepted for this major.
  • Some courses are taught every other year. Consult your Student Success Advisor for scheduling help.
  • This program requires the completion of MATH 1050 - College Algebra  and MATH 1060 - Trigonometry . Students who are not prepared for these math courses may need additional math credits/preparation, which may affect time to graduation. Please consult your Student Success Advisor for more information.

Bachelor of Arts (BA) Degree Requirement (16 Credits**)


  • Bachelor of Arts Degree - Foreign Language requirement 16 Credits

** Note: One semester of a foreign language may also fulfill the General Education  Humanities requirement. The 16 credits may be fulfilled by taking four semesters of a foreign language or by testing out of a language and purchasing the credits. Consult your Student Success Advisor for details. 

General Education Requirement (28+ Credits)


See General Education  for course options.

  • Core Course Requirements (12+ Credits)
  • Breadth Area Requirements (16+ Credits)

Geosciences Curriculum (67 Credits)


Introductory Requirement (4 Credits)


Complete 4 credits from one of the following lecture/lab pairings:

Integrative Electives (15 Credits)


Students must complete 15 credits from any of the following courses in any of the areas/sections. Students are not restricted to any one discipline or category, but upper-level courses generally require other courses from this list as a prerequisite. These prerequisites thus count as integrative electives toward the final degree.

Biology


Mathematics


Free Electives and University Requirements


Students’ total free elective credit is determined by their General Education courses taken, degree type selected (if applicable), additional credits earned, and any additional math or other prerequisite courses needed. Some students and/or programs may not have any free electives.

For a bachelor’s degree, students must earn

  • A minimum of 120 total credits;
  • A minimum cumulative GPA of 2.0 in both SUU coursework and combined transfer/SUU coursework;
  • 40 upper-division credits , 20 of which are earned from SUU (students may need to select additional upper-division courses not included in their major requirements in order to reach this minimum 40); and
  • 30 credits completed  through SUU.

Total Credits, BA Degree: 120


Licensure Notification


This program typically leads to licensure/certification and was designed to meet such qualifications for the state of Utah. Students who are or may be planning to pursue licensure/certification in any other US state or territory may need to meet additional education requirements. This is not a reflection of SUU’s accreditation or quality, as each state and territory regulates their own education requirements for occupational licensure.

Students enrolled in a teacher preparation program may potentially be able to use a Utah educator license to obtain licensure through reciprocity. Additional information may be found through the Department of Teacher Education’s reciprocity table.

Program Learning Outcomes


  • Students will gain a broad education that includes significant exposure to geology subfields and a variety of other disciplines. Their exposure to other disciplines will help students make connections regarding geology’s influence on our society.