Undergraduate Program

The study of Earth's systems is becoming increasingly relevant in today's world. Climate change, water resources, evolution, renewable energy, carbon sequestration, environmental remediation, and earthquake and hurricane preparedness are areas of increasing societal concern.

Our majors and minors are attracted to USC Earth Sciences because knowledge of the issues affecting our planet's systems better prepares them for careers in a changing world—whether their career path is in pre-med, pre-law, business, physical science, or geoscience. 

USC Earth Sciences offers a departmental setting that affords close interaction with faculty and opportunities for undergraduate research in the lab and in the field. In recent years our undergraduates have participated in field expeditions to the high Sierra, Mongolia, and voyages at sea.

Undergraduates can gain hand-on experience in a range of areas, because Earth science is truly cross disciplinary; involving the integration of the physical sciences, computer sciences, engineering, and mathematics. 

Examples of current cross-disciplinary USC Earth Sciences research:

• biofuel cell technology
• climate change-causes and impacts
• system science
• biogeochemistry
• stable isotope geochemistry
• global seismic tomography
• bacterial respiration
• microfluidics
• statistical methods
• petascale computing
• civilization as a geosystem
• impact of climate on ancient cultures
• paleoecology and mass extinctions
   

Courses for non-majors and majors:
Past and Current catastrophes
            Geologic Hazards
                        Behavior of Ocean, Atmosphere, Climate and Solid Earth systems
These include hands-on labs and field trips and meet all GE category 3 and 4 requirements.

Useful links:

majors

• earth sciences b.a. degree requirements
• geological sciences b.s. degree requirements

minors

• geobiology minor requirements
• geohazards minor requirements

undergraduate research opportunities

• ESRAP - Earth Science Research Apprentice Program :: Award recipients will receive up to $2,500 in support for their research work
• ESURP - Earth Sciences Undergraduate Research Program :: numerous options for getting involved in research through the Earth Sciences department. Most of the options are open to all USC students and do not require any background in geology.
• Team Research Communities :: Field research opportunities in various locations around the world.

 

undergraduate publications

• published thesis
• other publications