SHSU Program Statement

The Geology Program at Sam Houston State University would like to invite you to contact us, visit us if possible, and eventually join the program.  The objectives of the Geology Program are to train professional geologists and to prepare teachers of science. Students completing the Bachelor of Science degree are prepared for careers in industry, academia, government, and for admission to advanced degree programs.

All Geology majors and minors at SHSU must complete Geology 132/112 (GEOL 1305/1105) or Geology 133/113 (1303/1103), plus GEL 134/114 (1304/1104).  There are three geology major degree plans.  Plan I is targeted toward the individual planning on attending graduate school or entering industry.  Plan II, the Geoscience Plan, is for an individual planning for a geotech position.  The Major in Composite Science with a Geology Emphasis is designed to prepare the student for a career in secondary education.  The degree specific requirements will vary depending upon the geology degree plan.  Additional information may be found at http://www.shsu.edu/~geo_gel.

Geology Major and Minor Required Courses

Other geology courses may be considered on a case by case basis, but will not transfer in for advanced hours.

Geology Degree Specific Requirements (Plan I)

¹ MTH 379 may be substituted for MTH 143 at SHSU

² Calculus-based Physics courses (PHYS 2425 and 2426, equivalent to PHY 141 and 245 at SHSU) may be substituted for PHY 138/118, 139/119.

Geoscience Degree Specific Requirements (Plan II)

¹ MATH 2413 (MTH 142) (Calculus I) or higher may be substituted for MTH 170 and/or MTH 163.

² Calculus-based Physics courses (PHYS 2425 and 2426, equivalent to PHY 141 and 245 at SHSU) may be substituted for PHY 138/118, 139/119.

Composite Science Degree Specific Requirements

¹ MATH 2413 (MTH 142) (Calculus I) or higher may be substituted for MTH 170 and/or MTH 163.

The Core Curriculum at Sam Houston State University contains 42 semester credit hours, encompassing six component areas. Each component area has a minimum credit hour requirement and a set of specific courses that may be used to satisfy the requirement. The chart below details the Sam Houston State University courses and their Texas Common Course Number (TCCN) equivalents that comprise SHSU's core curriculum.  Course requirements to meet the university foreign language component of the Bachelor of Arts degree have been included for convenience. 

Many departments require specific courses from core component areas to meet degree requirements. Selecting departmentally specifed core courses to complete university core requirements reduces the total number of hours required to graduate.

Credit for MATH 184 & MATH 185 is applicable only toward elementary/middle school certification.

Degrees require a minimum of 120 hours with 42 advanced hours (300 and 400 level courses).  Some degrees require additional hours.  All students are required to complete at least six writing enhanced courses accumulating a minimum, of 18 semester hours towards degree completion.  Six of the hours must come from the student’s major field of study.  SHSU students MUST complete ENG 164, ENG 165, Core Composite Area 2, and one-half of Composite Area 3 prior to enrollment in any upper-level class.  In general, the Bachelor of Arts degree requires 8 hours of lab science and the Bachelor of Science degree requires 16 hours of lab science.  Applicants for the Bachelor of Arts degree should consult their major department web page for foreign language requirements.  Many colleges and programs have additional prerequisites for upper-level classes.
Prior to enrolling in core classes, students are encouraged to review specific degree requirements for their major.  Selection of major specified core courses may reduce the total number of hours required for graduation.
Students are encouraged to select the university catalog offering them the most advantages with respect to degree completion.  The respective university and/or college catalog selected for graduation determines final degree requirements.

Sam Houston State University
A Member of The Texas State University System