BS in Geology with concentration in Geophysics

Below is a sample 4-year plan for students pursuing the BS in Geology with a concentration in Geophysics. To view the list of courses approved to fulfill KU Core Goals, please visit the KU Core website.

Freshman
FallHoursSpringHours 
ENGL 101 (Goal 2.1 Written Communication (1 of 2))3ENGL 102 (Goal 2.1 Written Communication (2 of 2))3 
MATH 125 (Goal 1.2 Quantitative Reasoning, Major Pre-requisite)4MATH 126 (Major Pre-requisite)4 
Goal 3 Arts and Humanities3PHSX 211
PHSX 216 (Major Pre-requisite)
5 
GEOL 101
GEOL 103 (Goal 3 Natural Science, Major Requirement)
5GEOL 304 (Major Requirement)13 
 15 15 
Sophomore
FallHoursSpringHoursSummerHours
Goal 1.1 Critical Thinking23Goal 4.1 US Diversity3GEOL 360 (Major Requirement)32
MATH 127 (Major Pre-requisite)4COMS 130 (Goal 2.2 Communication)3 
CHEM 130 (Major Pre-requisite)5PHSX 212
PHSX 236
4 
GEOL 311
GEOL 312 (Major Requirement)1
4GEOL 331 (Major Requirement)4 
 MATH 290 (Major Pre-requisite)2 
 16 16 2
Junior
FallHoursSpringHoursSummerHours
Goal 3 Social Science3Goal 4.2 Global Awareness3GEOL 560 (Goal 6 Integration & Creativity, Major Requirement )33
MATH 320 (Major Pre-requisite)3PHSX 313 (Major Pre-requisite)3GEOL 561 (Major Requirement)33
EECS 138 or GEOL 503 (Major Pre-requisite)3GEOL 512 (Major Requirement)13 
GEOL 572 (Major Requirement)13GEOL 562 (Major Requirement)14 
 12 13 6
Senior
FallHoursSpringHours 
PHSX 521 (Major Pre-requisite)3Goal 5 Social Responsibility & Ethics3 
Additional GEOL Course (Major Requirement)43Additional GEOL Course (Major Requirement)43 
Technical Required Elective (Major Requirement)53Additional GEOL Course (Major Requirement)43 
EECS 220 or PHSX 531 (Major Pre-requisite)3-4Technical Required Elective Course (Major Requirement)53 
 GEOL 500+ elective1-3 
 12-13 13-15 
Total Hours 120-123
1

All major required Geology courses and most Geology elective courses numbered 300 and above are offered once a year, either in the fall, spring or summer term.  

2

Geology BS majors are required to complete a third English, and a list of possible courses can be found under the Degree Requirements tab. 

3

GEOL 360, GEOL 560, and GEOL 561 are offered only in the summer. 

4

Majors with a concentration in Geophysics are required to complete 9.0 hours of additional Geology courses. A list of possible courses can be found on the Degree Requirements tab.  

5

Majors with a concentration in Geophysics are required to complete 6.0 hours of Technical Required Elective courses. A list of courses can be found under the Degree Requirements tab.  

Please note:

All students in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences are required to complete 120 total hours of which 45 hours must be at the Jr/Sr (300+) level.

The same course cannot be used to fulfill more than one KU Core Goal. However, overlap of a KU Core course with a major or degree-specific requirement is allowed. Overlapping is recommended to allow more opportunities to explore other majors and/or minors.