The Geosciences Department at Wellesley College
Introduction
and Welcome to the Department
The world in which we live is constantly changing. We
are using more resources, contributing more to the pollution of air, water,
and land, and are becoming more vulnerable to environmental disaster than ever
before.
We believe the social, political, and economic issues in the future will prove
much more challenging than those we have faced in the past. To make wise decisions
about such issues as resource development, waste management, environmental
protection, and land use will require of all of us a greater scientific literacy
in general
and an understanding of the geosciences in particular. Geoscientists address
these issues by studying earthquakes, volcanoes, and floods; locating oil,
gas, and ore deposits; planning water supplies or pursuing other studies related
to
the earth, working for industry, government, or academic institutions. A major
goal of our geosciences curriculum, especially our introductory courses, Geosciences
101 with laboratory and Geosciences 102 with laboratory, is to provide all
students, not just geosciences majors, with an understanding of these and other
issues
that will help them to make wise decisions about the future.
The Geosciences department offers two introductory-level courses: Geosciences 101 (Earth Processes and the Environment)and Geosciences 102 (The Dynamic Earth). Both courses are appropriate for nonscience majors electing geosciences for their distribution requirement. Both Geosciences 101 and Geosciences 102 fulfill the natural and physical science, laboratory science, and quantitative reasoning overlay requirements, and are appropriate for nonscience majors. Students should note that if they are contemplating taking additional courses in the department or a major in geosciences, any one of these courses is the normal prerequisite for most of the other courses in the department.
Resources for Prospective Students
| People Meet the Faculty Students and Faculty at Work |
Academics Course Descriptions Schedule of Classes Sample Flow Chart for Geosciences Majors |
Student
Research Opportunities |
Careers
and Post-Graduate Opportunities What Do Geosciencists Do? |
Return to Geosciences Main Page
Date Created: June 22, 2004
Created by: Sara Kratzok '06
Last Modified:
April 22, 2008
Maintained by: Maria Raffi