Dr. Drew S. Coleman, Mitchell 209.
The following staff are available to provide you with a wide variety of information.
Wendy Dale, office assistant
Miriam Kennard, librarian
Darrell Sandiford, electronics technician
A.K. Straus, accountanting technician
Marissa Reavis, receptionist: supplies, copier problems, travel, purchasing, mail
Yvette Thompson, student services coordinator
Lynn Turner, library technical assistant
Patsy Webb, departmental administrative manager
Graduate students make up a significant part of the Department of Geological Sciences. Undergraduates and graduates run into each other at every turn: they participate in classes together, go on field trips, work in labs and socialize together. Get to know these cohorts--you can learn from each other!
Our department has ten teaching faculty, plus up-to-date facilities and an active research program that includes interests in the earth's interior, studies of volcanism and plate tectonics, the processes operating on the continental margins and in the ocean, and studies on the history and processes operating in lakes, rivers and the atmosphere. Please check the faculty directory for a list of faculty and their current research interests.
The location of things in Mitchell might be helpful to you as you get acquainted with the department. If you need something you haven't seen or can't locate, ask!
Colloquia are scheduled every other week on Thursday afternoons at 4:00 pm and often feature speakers from outside the department and university, as well as local speakers. Notification of colloquia are posted on bulletin boards on first floor. Everyone is encouraged to attend!
Social events, such as picnics, cocktail parties, and birthday celebrations are scheduled throughout the year. Notices are placed on bulletin boards and in mail boxes. These are good ways for departmental members to get acquainted.
The Director of Undergraduate Studies, Dr. Drew S. Coleman, provides advising to undergrad Geology majors. Students need to complete a course worksheet prior to an advising session to be kept in their departmental file. Personal Identification Numbers (PIN's) for registration are received from these advisors following a discussion of the students' coursework. Appointments are not necessary, but please note posted advising hours. Dr. Coleman does not advise on General College or Arts and Sciences requirements.
Advising by the College of Arts and Sciences is offered on 3rd Floor of Steele Building. Appointments must be made to see these advisors.
The Department of Geological Sciences offers a variety of undergraduate programs tailored to particular student interests and career goals. Students may earn a B.S. in Geology with a concentration in Traditional Geology, Environmental Geology, Geophysics, Geochemistry, or Paleobiology. Alternatively, they may elect an A.B. in Geology with a concentration in Earth Systems. The latter (A.B.) degree is required of all Geology double majors.
Students minoring in Geology are required to take one introductory geology course (11 with lab, 12, 13, 16 with lab, 18 with lab, or 41) and at least three geology courses above GEOL 41, for a minimum of 12 semester hours.
Departmental requirements for the various A.B. and B.S. programs are summarized below:
B.S. in Geology with concentration in Traditional GeologyThe Geology summer field camp is a six-week program in northern New Mexico, south-central Colorado, and north-central Arizona designed to develop professional-level skills in geologic field mapping and basic skills in the acquisition and analysis of hydrologic data. In addition to the acquisition of practical skills in field geology, emphasis is placed on the regional geology of the southwestern United States. Applications generally are available from the secretary the end of February. Applications are submitted to the Division of Continuing Education in mid-March along with a deposit of about 20% of the total cost. The remaining balance is usually due by mid-April. Final schedules and specific information will be distributed during a meeting in early April of those planning to enroll. See Dr. Louis Bartek if you have questions about field camp.
The Department of Geological Sciences provides a limited number of scholarships to geology majors to help with the cost of attending the UNC System-Wide Geology Field Camp. The selection of the recipient(s) of this scholarship is based on academic scholarship, faculty recommendations, and voluntary personal statements of financial need. UNC geology majors who are currently enrolled in and in good standing with the department, are either a Junior or Senior, or in first year of Graduate School (admitted with field camp deficiency) may apply for this scholarship. Application deadline: early March.
Undergraduates are encouraged to conduct independent research under the direction of any geology faculty member. If there is a particular geologic topic which is of interest to you, discuss this with an appropriate faculty member, or you may simply approach a faculty member, and ask for suggestions for a research topic. Research can be conducted in either of the following courses:
Geology 98 and Geology 99, "HONORS COURSES" (3 credit hours each). The Geology Honors Program is open to undergraduates with an overall grade point average of 3.2 or better at the beginning of the fall semester of the senior year. To participate in this program, the student chooses a research topic in consultation with his or her chosen faculty sponsor prior to his/her senior year, and conducts the research during the last two semesters in residence. The research project should represent the equivalent time expenditure of six hours of course credit and is taken as Geology 98 (fall semester) and Geology 99 (spring semester).
Geology 199, "SPECIAL PROBLEMS IN GEOLOGY" (1-4 credit hours) - The student chooses a research topic in consultation with his or her chosen faculty sponsor; the number of credit hours should represent the time expenditure appropriate to the project. Students typically register for this course during their senior year.
Registration for these courses is done electronically by the student services assistant after the completion of appropriate paperwork and approval of the chair of the department.
Limited funds to support the cost of travel are available to students presenting their research at a regional or national geological meeting. Requests for funds are made in writing to the chairman outlining anticipated costs and attaching a copy of the acceptance of the abstract.
Established in 1966, the Op White Prize in Geology is given annually to the outstanding senior in Geology. This award is a memorial tribute to the wife of William A. White, Professor Emeritus of Geology, and consists of a cash prize and an engraved bronze plaque displayed in the Geology Library.
Where you go from here may be one of the most important decisions you have ever made, do not leave it to chance. THE FIRST RULE OF PLANNING FOR POST- BACCALAUREATE LIFE IS TO TALK WITH AS MANY KNOWLEDGEABLE PEOPLE AS YOU CAN--AND START TALKING WITH THEM EARLY. Talk to faculty and staff. Get names of recent graduates and email them or give them a call for their advice or experiences. Get networked!!
The Office of University Career Services, located in Hanes Hall, offers assistance in many aspects of the job hunt, e.g., resume writing, practice interviews, workshops, etc. They probably cannot find you a job, but they can sure help you get your resume in shape. [Also, if you get a job interview, get a hair cut (if needed) and wear nice clothes. It is a small compromise to make for a steady paycheck and your hair will always grow back.] Job listings which are sent to the department are posted outside Mitchell 107, and faculty and staff strive to keep students informed of any job openings of which we are aware.
If you wish a job in a geology-related field with a bachelor's degree, you should be aware of several things. First, almost all employers of bachelor's level geologists will want a Bachelor of Science. Second, most of these jobs are best characterized as technician jobs. They may be with state agencies (state geological surveys, hydrologic branches, highway departments, for example) or with geotechnical, environmental, or engineering firms of one kind or another. In the mid-90's, there are very few bachelor's level jobs in mineral or petroleum exploration--seeking one of these will be a long shot. In general, these jobs are highly task-oriented, e.g., supervising the drilling of test wells or coring for foundation and slope stability studies. You will have a minimum of independence and creative control over what you do. One rule of thumb: the smaller the company, the more things you will get to do, the more varied your work experiences will be. Promotions likely will be limited for those who enter the workforce with only the bachelor's degree; there are always exceptions, but most exceptions involve the individual moving out of the technical area and into management or administrative areas.
Employers of bachelor's level geologists are impressed by strong communications skills--written and oral. Any practical work experience is helpful as are applied courses like Field Camp and Geology 163 or independent work like an honor's thesis. Employers tell us they are not looking for the highest GPA in the department, but for reliable, motivated self-starters with a good work ethic and integrity. A good recommendation from an employer, geological or not, can be very helpful.
A bachelor's level technical job followed, after a few years of on-the-job experience, by a business or law degree is a very powerful combination if this interests you. Some students work for a few years in these jobs and then return for a master's in engineering and are quite successful.
A final point on employment in the private sector: Most states require licensure or certification to practice geology in construction, environmental areas, or other regulated, technical fields if you are not employed by a governmental agency. Board certification varies from state to state, but all require a period of apprenticeship under the direct supervision of a licensed geologist and the successful completion of a pretty tough licensing exam. Typically it takes, by statute, four to five years to get a license after completion of the B.S. Almost all licensing agencies require the B.S. or M.S. in Geology. They are not impressed by Ph.D.'s.
Remember, a B.S. in Geology is a good pre-professional degree. People in law schools, schools of business, even health career professional schools are impressed by a science degree. There are many good reasons why a geologist might be interested in law, business, or public policy. Creative selection of a second major or a minor can make you especially attractive to professional schools.
If you plan to go on to graduate school, you need to consider why. It is a full-time, low-paying job whose rewards are deferred. The M.S. is the typical professional degree for most practicing, non-academic and non-research geologists. With an M.S., you can be successful in almost any technical branch of public or private practice of geology. The Ph.D. is the professional, pre-academic degree. It actually makes very little difference whether you have a B.S. or an A.B. as far as getting into grad school is concerned. The courses you have taken, your GPA (especially in science and math courses), your GRE's, and letters of recommendation are far more important. If you choose the A.B. to avoid physics or field camp, most grad schools will insist that you remedy this right away. On the other hand, the A.B. may allow you a whole lot more freedom to take courses that grad schools will be impressed by, like linear algebra, differential equations, fluid dynamics, or physical chemistry. An A.B. may allow you to begin to specialize in your areas of interest earlier. Thus if you are interested in organic geochemistry or paleobiology, you can hit the ground running in grad school by using the freedom of the A.B. to take organic chemistry or genetics as an undergrad.
Where to go? There are lots of good M.S. programs. With the exception of the top ten or so research institutions (of the ilk of CalTech, MIT, or Stanford), most major institutions that offer geology have solid M.S. programs. Many research universities often allow their students to by-pass the M.S. and enroll directly in their Ph.D. programs. You want to be very sure that you want a Ph.D. before going this route, since you can end up, after two to three years, with a thesis-less M.S. as a booby prize that will impress no one except your Mother. You can always go to CalTech after you get a real M.S. elsewhere! There are any number of schools without Ph.D. programs that offer solid masters degrees as well. How to identify the program for you depends on many factors. Any good program will require a thesis and take anywhere from two (most optimistic) to three years for completion. Any school that you select should want you enough to offer an assistantship.
You want to talk with faculty here about your interests and any locational criteria you might have for a graduate school. This can provide you lots of free, solid advice on schools and individuals to work with that might otherwise escape you. At the M.S. level, it is not always the most obvious place that is best for you. For example, it might be that New Mexico Tech is better than UNM or that UC-Davis is better than Berkeley.
If you are interested in the Ph.D., first identify the field you are interested in, read papers and figure out in conversation with faculty here who are the best people in the world in your area of interest, and then apply to the very best schools you can get into where one of these people is working. [If you do not know what that area is, it is probably premature to go on for a Ph.D. You will want to go to a good strong M.S. program and find your niche.] Also, and very important, contact the person(s) you are interested in working with. Find out what he or she is doing now and plans to do in the next few years. Find out if they want you as a student; if not, go elsewhere. If it is at all possible, arrange to visit the school in the winter or early spring of your senior year. See the facilities, talk to your intended advisor, and, most important of all, talk with current graduate students. Ask students how they like the faculty, the program, the research facilities, the university in general. Find out what recent graduates are doing--do they have jobs? Plan on five years at least (six is more realistic) from the bachelor's to the Ph.D. Again, as with the M.S., but more so, do not go without an assistantship.
Finally, a word about grad school application etiquette. Most students apply to a number of schools and receive offers of assistantships from more than one. Don't be pressured into making a decision before you hear from all the schools in which you are interested. Consistent with the policies of the American Council of Graduate Schools, most offers of admission and assistantship must be maintained until April 15. However, once you have made your choice, immediately advise all the schools to which you applied of that decision. This enables those that you turn down to make assistantship offers to others--maybe your roommate.
The Department takes pride in the achievements of our graduates and strives to maintain contact after graduation. We ask that you provide a forwarding address upon your departure from the university so we can stay in touch with you. An annual alumni newsletter (Paleopals) is sent to alumni for whom we have addresses; this contains news from the department as well as from alumni, and we encourage you to send us your news! An alumni directory is compiled and mailed out about once every five years which allows you to keep in touch with your fellow UNC graduates. The alumni directory is now available online.