Geoscience Degrees

Earth Scientists solve problems of changing climate, weather forecasting, groundwater supply and quality, environmental hazards, geotechnical engineering, minerals exploration, energy exploration and production, and natural resources. Many also work in basic research or teaching.

The Department of Earth Sciences at FIU has well-qualified faculty and well-equipped laboratories to teach students the concepts and techniques of the Earth Sciences. It offers a B.S. degree in Geosciences, with a choice of tracks in either Geological or Atmospheric Sciences, a broader-based interdisciplinary B.A. in Earth Sciences, and a Minor in Geology.

The Geosciences B.S. program encompasses a rigorous background in Geology from the the history and structure of the Earth through rocks and minearals,to natuaral disasters and the environment. It prepares students to become licensed Professional Geologists in the State of Florida, as well as for further graduate studies in the earth or environmental sciences.

The Atmospheric Sciences B.S. program adds meteorological and climatological dimensions to the basic backgound in Earth Sciences. It prepares students for graduate school, employment as a meteorologist in govenment or industry, and meets undergraduate course work requirements for professional certification by the American Meteorological Society.

The Department offers graduate degrees in Geosciences at the M.S. and Ph.D. levels with opportunities for concentrated studies in structural geology/tectonics, igneous petrology/geochemistry/economic geology, hydrogeology and environmental geology, stratigraphy/sedimentology, paleobiology, geophysics/paleomagnetics and remote sensing/geographic information systems. In addition, students may select a concentration in the regional geology of Southern Florida, the Caribbean, and Latin America, including problems related to the above-mentioned fields.