Program Description:
Earth Sciences:
The department offers programs leading to the Bachelor of Science and Bachelor of Arts degrees in earth sciences. Both programs are designed to include earth and related sciences and to prepare students for graduate study or professional employment. Professional earth scientists are employed in protecting and enhancing natural resources (environment, surface, and ground waters), as well as in exploring for new resources (oil, gas, and minerals). The Bachelor of Science program is more highly structured and through the various options offered is intended to prepare students for specific professional or technical careers. The Bachelor of Arts program is intended to be more flexible and to permit students with either broad or specialized interests to fulfill their program needs. The Bachelor of Arts program readily permits interdisciplinary programs such as a dual major in an unrelated field.
Honors Program:
Candidates for the B.A. or B.S. degree who have a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher may apply at the end of their junior year for admission to the departmental honors program. Requirements for graduation with honors are a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher and satisfactory completion of a senior thesis under the guidance of a faculty member. The thesis requires a total of six to nine credits of EES 4960 - Senior Thesis Research . Students may choose the topic from any branch of earth and environmental sciences; current course listings in this catalog may be taken as a rough indication of the range available.
Application forms for the honors program are available in the department office and require the following:
- A summary proposal of the senior thesis topic;
- Expected date of graduation (which must be at least three full quarters, not including summer quarter, after the date of the application);
- The endorsement of the student’s departmental advisor and that of the senior thesis advisor, if not the same
Bachelor of Arts Degree:
The Bachelor of Arts curriculum is designed for students who desire scientific training, especially through interdisciplinary programs. Because of its broad and flexible approach, students who elect to follow a Bachelor of Arts program should have specific educational objectives that can be reasonably attained through this program.
Earth Sciences Education:
Students who wish to teach earth sciences in Ohio public high schools can pursue the Bachelor of Arts degree. Upon completion of this undergraduate degree program in the College of Science and Mathematics, students then must complete the Professional Educators Program (PEP) Master of Education (M.Ed.) degree through Wright State’s College of Education and Human Services. Graduates of the B.A. or B.S. in earth sciences and the M.Ed. Professional Educators Program are eligible to seek licensure from the Ohio Department of Education in Earth and Space Sciences, Earth Sciences/Chemistry or Life Sciences/Earth Sciences, depending on the content of the undergraduate curriculum.
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