Overview
Geology studies how the Earth works and its history. It’s a field-based science that takes you outside the classroom and into nature. It offers plenty of variety by incorporating principles of chemistry, physics, biology, and math.
Professional geologists study earth processes like landslides, earthquakes, and rock formation. Understanding these activities is essential to sustaining life on Earth.
The Geology program at Illinois State gives you a strong foundation and awareness of these processes. Our traditional approach to teaching prepares you for graduate school or a career. Once you complete our program, you can get licensed and begin a career in the environmental, energy, and minerals industries.
Why Study Geology?
Geology at Illinois State is active and engaging. Our curriculum focuses on all the traditional aspects of geology. You'll study rocks, mineralogy, petrology, structural geology, and sedimentary geology.
Our labs let you interact with minerals, rocks, and fossils. They also expose you to the methods, techniques, and tools geologists use to address geologic challenges.
You’ll get plenty of opportunities to take what you learn in the classroom and apply it to the field. We take field trips all over the Midwest, southwest, and the Rocky Mountains. You’ll also take summer field courses where you’ll solve real geologic problems.
You can even take your learning one step further and work on research projects with faculty or as an independent study. Our students research a variety of geologic topics, including:
- Source areas of sediment, the ages of rocks, and the geologic past
- Erosion changes to rock surfaces
- Groundwater flow