Geology Major

Certificate of Achievement
2022-2023

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About the Program

Geology is the study of the Earth, its features and processes. Geology affects populations worldwide through earthquakes, volcanic events, natural resource mining and management, soils, water resources, and more. Geologic areas of study include volcanoes; earthquakes and seismology; the Geologic Time Scale and the formation of the earth; petrology (rocks) and minerals; hydrology; erosion; oceanography, including beach systems; environmental geology (resources, hazards, etc.); glaciers and Ice Ages; groundwater; deserts, and extra-terrestrial planets. The Las Positas College Geology Program features lectures and laboratories for both Geology majors and non-science majors.

About the Certificate

The Geology Major Certificate of Achievement is designed for geology students working towards completing lower-division transfer courses that apply towards four-year Geology baccalaureate programs. The courses in this program satisfy lower division requirements at most 4-year universities and colleges. Students should work with academic counselors at both Las Positas and their transferring institutions with regards to the full breadth and scope of the courses that students should complete for their baccalaureate degree.

Career Opportunities

With further study, students can pursue geologic specialties which include geologic mapping, earthquakes and seismology, volcanology, hydrology, earth resources and environmental impacts, paleontology, glaciology, petrology and mineralogy, mass wasting (landslides and slope stability), marine geology, paleoclimatology, soil science, the geology of other planets, etc. Geologic and engineering firms have geologists on staff working on geologic mapping, hazard assessment/evaluation, water resource planning, etc. At research facilities such as Sandia and LLNL, geologists work on projects such as modeling the earth’s interior, studying climate change, groundwater remediation, etc. The USGS, CGS, NOAA, NASA, EPA, and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers have geologists on staff, as do museums, colleges, and universities.

Program Outcomes

• Upon completion of the Certificate of Achievement in Geology Major, students are able to demonstrate proficiency in geologic processes and concepts (e.g., plate tectonics, earthquakes, volcanoes, landslides, hydrology, geochronology, etc.).
• Upon completion of the Certificate of Achievement in Geology Major, students are able to demonstrate proficiency with geologic analysis and/or geologic tools (e.g., mineralogy, petrology, topography and/or geologic maps and structures, unraveling the chronology of geologic events, earth materials identification/evaluation, etc.).

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Required Core: (17 Units) Units

Course	Units
CHEM 1A General College Chemistry I	5
GEOL 1 Physical Geology	3
GEOL 2 Historical Geology with Lab	4
MATH 1 Calculus I	5

Units

Units Category	Units
Total Units	17