Geology and Environmental Science Major, BS - Paleontology Concentration

The EEPS Paleontology concentration is designed to provide students with broad training in the geosciences, with a focus on the interactions of the biological, physical, and chemical components of the Earth system through time. Designed for students interested in studying the history, and the future, of life on Earth, the Paleontology program includes flexible, interdisciplinary coursework, training in field and laboratory techniques, and independent research opportunities. This program prepares graduates with training in the knowledge and skills necessary for careers in academia, museums, state and federal agencies, environmental consulting, and public outreach.

College Requirements

Arts and Sciences

Prerequisites

A. Complete:
EEPS 101* - The Dynamic Earth 4 Credit Hours
EEPS 102* - Earth, Life, and Time 4 Credit Hours
B. Select one sequence:
BIOL 150* - Organismal and Ecological Biology 3 Credit Hours
BIOL 159* - Skills of Biological Investigation 2 Credit Hours
BIOL 160* - Cellular and Molecular Biology 3 Credit Hours
or
BIOL 113* - Introductory Plant Biology I 3 Credit Hours
BIOL 114* - Introductory Plant Biology II 3 Credit Hours
BIOL 115* - Introductory Plant Biology Laboratory 2 Credit Hours

Corequisites

A. Select one Chemistry Lecture / Lab Combination:
CHEM 102* - Principles of Chemistry 3 Credit Hours
CHEM 103* - Principles of Chemistry Laboratory 1 Credit Hours
or
CHEM 122* - General Chemistry I 3 Credit Hours
CHEM 123* - General Chemistry I Laboratory 1 Credit Hours
or
CHEM 128* - Honors: General Chemistry I 4 Credit Hours
B. Select two courses:
STAT 201* - Introduction to Statistics 3 Credit Hours
or
STAT 207* - Honors: Introduction to Statistics 3 Credit Hours
and
MATH 141* - Calculus I 4 Credit Hours
or
MATH 147* - Honors: Calculus I 4 Credit Hours
or
MATH 151* - Mathematics for the Life Sciences 3 Credit Hours

Concentration Requirements

This concentration consists of 41 - 42 credit hours.

A. Complete (15 credit hours):
BIOL 260 - Ecology 2 Credit Hours
BIOL 269 - Ecology Field-Based Laboratory 2 Credit Hours
BIOL 280 - Evolution 3 Credit Hours
EEPS 320 - Paleobiology 4 Credit Hours
EEPS 340 - Earth Sedimentary Processes 4 Credit Hours
B. Field Geology (5-6 Credit Hours):
You may use a combination of courses to reach a minimum of 5 credit hours to include:
1) EEPS 301 Field and Laboratory Methods in the Geosciences (3 credits) + EEPS 440 Field Geology (3 credits).
2) EEPS 440 Field Geology (3 credits) + EEPS 440 Field Geology (3 credits). Note: these two courses must involve different field destinations/topics.
3) Take an external field geology course for at least 5 credits and transfer those hours as EEPS 440.
EEPS 301 - Field and Laboratory Methods in the Geosciences 3 Credit Hours
EEPS 440 - Field Geology 3-5 Credit Hours
C. Complete 9 hours:
EEPS 406 - Taphonomy 3 Credit Hours
EEPS 420 - Trace Fossils: Behavior, Environment, and Applications 3 Credit Hours
EEPS 421 - Vertebrate Paleontology 3 Credit Hours
EEPS 422 - Evolution of Life 3 Credit Hours
EEPS 423 - Paleoecology 3 Credit Hours
EEPS 426 - Biospheric Change and the Fossil Record 3 Credit Hours
D. Complete 3 hours:
EEPS 493 - Independent Study 1-12 Credit Hours
E. Complete 9 hours:
ANTH 329 - Skeletal Collections and Curation 1 Credit Hours
ANTH 431 - Isotope Ecology 3 Credit Hours
ANTH 471 - Vertebrate Osteology 4 Credit Hours
ANTH 490 - Primate Evolution 4 Credit Hours
ANTH 495 - Hominin Paleobiology 4 Credit Hours
EEB 401 - Natural History Collections Research 1 Credit Hours
EEB 330* - Field Botany 3 Credit Hours
EEB 330S* - Field Botany 3 Credit Hours
EEB 353 - Comparative Vertebrate Biology 4 Credit Hours
EEB 404 - Ecosystem Ecology 3 Credit Hours
EEB 410 - Ecological and Evolutionary Developmental Biology 3 Credit Hours
EEB 411* - Biostatistics 3 Credit Hours
EEB 424 - The Evolution of Plant Diversity 3 Credit Hours
EEB 426 - Plant-Animal Interactions 3 Credit Hours
EEB 433* - Plant Ecology 3 Credit Hours
EEB 464 - Macroevolution 3 Credit Hours
EEB 473 - Herpetology 3 Credit Hours
EEB 474 - Diversity, Ecology, and Evolution of Fishes 4 Credit Hours
EEB 484 - Conservation Biology 3 Credit Hours
EEPS 205* - Age of the Dinosaurs 3 Credit Hours
EEPS 310* - Mineralogy 4 Credit Hours
EEPS 330 - Igneous and Metamorphic Petrology 4 Credit Hours
EEPS 370 - Earth Structure and Geophysics 4 Credit Hours
EEPS 424 - GIS for Geoscientists 3 Credit Hours
EEPS 425 - Data Analysis for Geoscientists 3 Credit Hours
EEPS 456 - Global Climate Change 3 Credit Hours
EEPS 459 - Introduction to Oceanography 3 Credit Hours
GEOG 430 - Global Environments of the Quaternary 3 Credit Hours
GEOG 431 - Environmental History from Lake Sediments 4 Credit Hours

Honors Concentration - Paleontology

Requirements for the honors option are:

Fulfill all requirements for a concentration of the Geology and Environmental Science degree.
Maintain an overall GPA of at least 3.25.
Maintain a concentration GPA of at least 3.5.
9 hours of honors-by-contract coursework chosen from: approved 300- and 400-level EEPS courses, EEPS 491 Foreign Study, EEPS 492 Off-Campus Study, and EEPS 493 Independent Study.
3 hours of EEPS 497 Honors Senior Thesis (with a written and oral presentation of thesis).

* Meets Volunteer Core Requirement

Undergraduates

Graduate Students