The geosciences encompass a diverse array of disciplines in geology, geophysics, geochemistry, paleobiology, geomorphology and paleoclimatology, to name a few, with the aim of understanding the origin and evolution of Earth and other planetary bodies in our solar system. Geoscientists study the composition, structure, and DEEP TIME history of Earth. Research in the geosciences will play an increasingly important role in human sustainability including the transition to new energy sources and leads the way as we adapt to the rapidly changing global environments that present existential crises.

Career Potential

Jobs with local domestic oil and gas companies and environmental companies have been, in the recent past, relatively abundant for graduates with Bachelor of Science degrees. The MS degree does, however, remain the degree of choice for most employers in the oil and gas industry as well as mining and environmental industries, and BS degree recipients will be well-served to have a strong background in the supporting sciences and communication skills as possible.

Those working in environmental geology are advised to take the National Association of State Boards of Geology’s Fundamentals of Geology licensing exam during their senior year. The UT Dallas curriculum strives to address areas covered in this exam.

Current rates of population growth together with resource consumption issues will further stress food, water and natural resource concerns on a global scale. The impacts of climate change add to these stresses. The need for well-trained, responsible, and solution-driven geoscientists has never been greater.

Job opportunities exist in:

• Environmental, energy and mineral resources industries.
• Government agencies associated with natural resources, environmental concerns and the impacts of climate change.
• Occupations concerned with law, management, economics and environmental management.

The NSM Career Success Center is an important resource for students pursuing STEM and healthcare careers. Career professionals are available to provide strategies for mastering job interviews, writing professional cover letters and resumes and connecting with campus recruiters, among other services.

Marketable Skills

Review the marketable skills for this academic program.

Geosciences at UT Dallas

The Bachelor of Science degree is intended for students who want to be practitioners of geology. Students generally should continue their studies in geosciences or closely related programs in graduate schools and attain an MS or PhD degree. Students must earn 120 hours to graduate: 42 hours from the University’s core curriculum, 58-64 hours in the major, plus elective requirements where students can tailor their learning experience more closely to their interests. Visit the GeoClub, a registered student organization devoted to promoting geoscience awareness and involvement within the University and the general community.

High School Preparation

High school students should have an aptitude for science and an interest in the physical world around them, including the environment and the outdoors in general. A background and associated interest in physics, chemistry and mathematics will help ensure success at the undergraduate level.

Quick Facts about the School of Natural Sciences and Mathematics

UT Dallas’ School of Natural Sciences and Mathematics offers degree programs for undergraduate and graduate students in biology, chemistry, geosciences, mathematics, and physics. In addition to regular coursework, undergraduates are encouraged to participate in research alongside faculty and graduate students. Together with its world class departments, the school also hosts the renowned MacDiarmid NanoTech Institute and the William B. Hanson Center for Space Sciences that developed the mass spectrometer that discovered water on Mars.

• Established in 1975
• Six departments
• More than 3,200 students
• 30 degrees offered
• Alumni include a Nobel Prize winner, a NASA astronaut, and numerous faculty fellows of the National Academy of Engineering and American Association for the Advancement of Science

Degrees Offered

Bachelor of Science: Actuarial science, biochemistry, biology, biomedical sciences, chemistry, data science*, geosciences, mathematics, molecular biology, physics

Bachelor of Arts: Biology, chemistry, mathematics, physics

Master of Science: Actuarial science, bioinformatics and computational biology, biotechnology, chemistry, geosciences, mathematics, molecular and cell biology, physics, statistics

Master of Arts in Teaching: Mathematics education, science education

Doctor of Philosophy: Chemistry, geosciences, mathematics, molecular and cell biology, physics, statistics

*Joint program between the School of Natural Sciences and Mathematics and Erik Jonsson School of Engineering and Computer Science.

Certificates

• Data Science
• Genomics
• Geophysics
• Quantum Information
• Certificate in Biomedical Sciences (CBioMed)

Teacher Certification

The UTeach Dallas program offers students the opportunity to complete the requirements for high school teacher certification along with their regular BS or BA degrees.

Fast Track to Graduate School

The Fast Track program enables exceptionally gifted UT Dallas students to include master’s level courses in their undergraduate degree plans. Students who meet the requirements for admission to graduate school, and the minimum GPA requirement for their major, can take up to 15 semester credit hours of approved graduate level courses in their senior year to use toward completion of both bachelor’s and master’s degrees.  

To take graduate courses in the Fast Track program upper-division undergraduates must have completed 90 semester credit hours and petition their associate dean for permission to take graduate courses.