Undergraduate Program

College of Arts and Sciences and Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences Undergraduate Admission Requirements

A minimum of 26 credit hours; 23 credit hours must be in courses acceptable toward graduation.

A cumulative grade point average of at least 2.00 on all work.

  • Transfer students must have a 2.00 transfer GPA.
  • Continuing UNM students must have a 2.00 institutional GPA.

Demonstrated academic achievement by satisfying the following:

  • Completion of the University Writing and Speaking Core.
  • Completion of the University Mathematics Core.
  • Completion of the University Foreign Language Core.

Completion of Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences major admission course work with grades of "C" or better:

  • Earth and Planetary Sciences: EPS 105L; CHEM 121; MATH 123 or 150 or 162.
  • Environmental Science: ENVS 102L; CHEM 121; MATH 123 or 150 or 162.

Degrees Offered

  • Bachelor of Arts in Earth and Planetary Sciences (B.A.)
  • Bachelor of Science in Earth and Planetary Sciences (B.S.)
  • Bachelor of Science in Environmental Science (B.S.)

Bachelor of Arts in Earth and Planetary Sciences

Required Courses

EPS 101, 105L (or ENVS 101 and 102L), 201L, **301, **302L, **303L **304L, **307L, 310L (or **319L), 401, *490 and 6 additional credit hours in Earth and Planetary Sciences above 299 (excluding 491-492, 493 and 495).
(Total = 37 credit hours)

Supporting Science Required Courses

CHEM 121 and 123L and either PHYC 151 or 160; and 9 additional credit hours from Chemistry or Physics above the required levels, or from MATH 162 or above, BIOL 123/124L or higher, or ASTR 270 or above, or (with permission from the EPS Undergraduate Committee) from selected Anthropology, Engineering or Geography courses.
(Total = 16 credit hours)


Bachelor of Science in Earth and Planetary Sciences

Required Courses

EPS 101, 105L (or ENVS 101 and 102L), 201L, **301, **302L, **303L, **304L, **307L, **319L, 401, *490; 12 additional credit hours in EPS above 299 (excluding 300, 491–492, 493 and 495) or ENVS above 299.
(Total = 43 credit hours)

Supporting Math/Science Required Courses

CHEM 121, 123L, 122 and 124L; MATH 162 and 163 and (EPS 428 or EPS 433 or ENVS 315 or STAT **345); PHYC 160 and 161; and 7 additional credit hours from Chemistry, Mathematics or Physics above the required levels, or BIOL 123/124L or higher, or ASTR 270 or above, or (with permission from the EPS Undergraduate Committee) from selected Anthropology, Engineering (including Computer Science) or Geography courses.
(Total = 32 credit hours)

ENGL 219 or 220 or 290 is required.

No minor study is required for students completing this B.S. program, although an optional minor or second major may be selected.


Bachelor of Science in Environmental Science

The Bachelor of Science (B.S.) in Environmental Science synthesizes quantitative studies of the interactions between the solid earth, oceans, atmosphere and biological processes taking place therein. The degree provides scientific training for environment-related occupations, including environmental sciences per se as well as peripheral fields such as Law and Medicine. Environmental Science covers a vast sweep of applied Earth science. Students, therefore, have considerable flexibility in tailoring the major to their individual interests while pursuing a common core of supporting math and science. By taking courses from four out of seven subdisciplinary groups, a wide variety of approaches to environmental science can be accommodated, including preparation for graduate study in the subdisciplines. Students pursuing this degree are strongly encouraged to consult the Environmental Science undergraduate advisor in the Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences at an early stage in their program in order to design their curriculum in the disciplinary groups. All majors are encouraged to pursue an undergraduate thesis (493 and 495) in collaboration with a faculty advisor.

Required Courses

(ENVS 101/102L) or (EPS 101/105L), ENVS 315, 320L, 321L, 322L, 323L, 324, 430L; EPS 401, *490; 12 additional credit hours in EPS courses (excluding 493 and 495) or other approved courses (of which no more than 4 credit hours may be below 300).
(Total = 44 credit hours)

Supporting Math/Science Required Courses

BIOL 123/124L or higher; CHEM 121/123L, 122/124L; CS 151L or 152L; MATH 162, 163; PHYC 160, 161; 3 additional credit hours from: Astronomy (270 or above) or, with permission, from selected Geography or Engineering courses; Biology (above 124L); Chemistry (above 124L); Mathematics (above 163); Physics (above 161). An additional advanced mathematics course selected from: MATH 264, 311, **314, **316 is strongly encouraged.
(Total = 32 credit hours)

ENGL 219 or 220 or 290 is required.

No minor study is required for students completing this B.S. program, although an optional minor or second major may be selected.


Minor Study Requirements

Minor in Earth and Planetary Sciences

A total of at least 20 credit hours distributed as follows:

  1. 12 credit hours must be above the 299 level (excluding 401, 493 and 495).
  2. No more than 3 credit hours of problems (491–492) may be applied to the Earth and Planetary Sciences minor.

Minor in Environmental Science

A total of at least 18 credit hours distributed as follows:

  1. ENVS 101 and 102L (or EPS 101 and 105L), and ENVS 320L.
  2. Plus at least 10 additional credit hours selected from ENVS 315, 321L, 322L, 323L, 324, 430L; EPS 201L, 251, **333, 352, 410, 415, *439, 455L, 462, 476, 481L, 485L; GEOG **381L; or other approved courses. Only one course numbered 299 or below may count toward this requirement.

Departmental Honors

Students seeking honors in Earth and Planetary Sciences should consult with the department honors advisor no later than two full semesters prior to graduation. EPS 493 and 495 are required, as is a written senior thesis that is orally defended.


Courses

ENVS 101. The Blue Planet. (3)



ENVS 102L. The Blue Planet Laboratory. (1)



ENVS 315. Statistics and Data Analysis. (3)



ENVS 320L. Environmental Systems. (4)



ENVS 321L. Earth Materials and Critical Zone Geology. (4)



ENVS 322L. Life and the Earth System . (4)



ENVS 323L. Water in the Earth System. (4)



ENVS 324. Earth's Climatic Environment. (3)



ENVS 330. Environmental Systems. (3)



ENVS 430L / 530L. Advanced Environmental Science. (4)



ENVS 530L / 430L. Advanced Environmental Science. (4)



EPS 101. How the Earth Works - An Introduction to Geology. (3)



EPS 105L. Physical Geology Laboratory. (1)



EPS 110. Topics in the Earth Sciences. (1-3 to a maximum of 3 Δ)



EPS 115. Geological Disasters. (3)



EPS 201L. Earth History. (4)



EPS 250. Geology of New Mexico. (3)



EPS 251. Meteorology. (3)



EPS 252. Volcanoes!. (3)



EPS **300. Topics in Geology. (1-4, may be repeated once Δ)



EPS **301. Mineralogy/Earth and Planetary Materials. (3)



EPS **302L. Mineralogy Laboratory. (2)



EPS **303L. Igneous and Metamorphic Petrology. (4)



EPS **304L. Sedimentology and Stratigraphy. (4)



EPS **307L. Structural Geology. (4)



EPS 310L. New Mexico Field Geology. (4)



EPS **319L. Introductory Field Geology. (4)



EPS **333. Environmental Geology. (3)



EPS 352. Global Climate Change. (3)



EPS **365. Exploring the Solar System. (3)



EPS *400. Topics in Earth and Planetary Sciences. (1-4, may be repeated once Δ)



EPS 401 / 501. Colloquium. (1 to a maximum of 3 Δ)



EPS 405L / 505L. Stable Isotope Geochemistry. (3)



EPS 410 / 510. Fundamentals of Geochemistry. (3)



EPS *411L. Invertebrate Paleontology. (4)



EPS 415 / 515. Geochemistry of Natural Waters. (3)



EPS 420L / 520L. Topics in Advanced Field Geology. (2-4 to a maximum of 8 Δ)



EPS 427 / 527. Geophysics. (3)



EPS 428 / 528. Applied Mathematics for Earth and Environmental Sciences. (3)



EPS 433. Statistics and Data Analysis in Earth Science. (3)



EPS 436 / 536. Climate Dynamics. (3)



EPS *439. Paleoclimatology. (3)



EPS 445 / 545. Topics in Sedimentology and Stratigraphy. (1-4, may be repeated 5 times Δ)



EPS 450L / 550L. Volcanology. (4)



EPS 455L / 555L. Computational and GIS Applications in Geomorphology. (3)



EPS 457L / 557L. Mathematical Modeling in the Geosciences. (3)



EPS 462 / 562. Hydrogeology. (3)



EPS 465 / 565. Mars Evolution. (3)



EPS 476 / 576. Physical Hydrology. (3)



EPS 481L / 581L. Geomorphology and Surficial Geology. (4)



EPS 482L / 582L. Geoarchaeology. (3)



EPS 485L / 585L. Soil Stratigraphy and Morphology. (3)



EPS *490. Geologic Presentation. (1)



EPS 491-492. Problems. (1-3, 1-3)



EPS 493. Independent Study. (3)



EPS 495. Senior Thesis. (3)



EPS 501 / 401. Colloquium. (1 to a maximum of 3 Δ)



EPS 505L / 405L. Stable Isotope Geochemistry. (3)



EPS 507L. Thermodynamics and Physical Foundations of Geochemistry. (4)



EPS 510 / 410. Fundamentals of Geochemistry. (3)



EPS 513. Planetary Materials and the Evolution of the Solar System. (3)



EPS 515 / 415. Geochemistry of Natural Waters. (3)



EPS 516. Selected Topics in Geomorphology. (3, may be repeated 5 times Δ)



EPS 518L. Electron Microprobe Analysis. (3)



EPS 520L / 420L. Topics in Advanced Field Geology. (2-4 to a maximum of 8 Δ)



EPS 522. Selected Topics in Geophysics. (3, may be repeated 5 times Δ)



EPS 523. Topics in Tectonics. (3, may be repeated 5 times Δ)



EPS 527 / 427. Geophysics. (3)



EPS 528 / 428. Applied Mathematics for Earth and Environmental Sciences. (3)



EPS 534. Radiogenic Isotope Geochemistry. (3)



EPS 536 / 436. Climate Dynamics. (3)



EPS 538L. Analytical Electron Microscopy. (3)



EPS 545 / 445. Topics in Sedimentology and Stratigraphy. (1-4, may be repeated 5 times Δ)



EPS 547-548. Seminar. (2-3, 2-3, may be repeated 5 times Δ)



EPS 550L / 450L. Volcanology. (4)



EPS 551-552. Problems. (1-3, 1-3)



EPS 555L / 455L. Computational and GIS Applications in Geomorphology. (3)



EPS 557L / 457L. Mathematical Modeling in the Geosciences. (3)



EPS 558. Geomicrobiology. (3)



EPS 562 / 462. Hydrogeology. (3)



EPS 565 / 465. Mars Evolution. (3)



EPS 576 / 476. Physical Hydrology. (3)



EPS 581L / 481L. Geomorphology and Surficial Geology. (4)



EPS 582L / 482L. Geoarchaeology. (3)



EPS 585L / 485L. Soil Stratigraphy and Morphology. (3)



EPS 587. Advanced Mineralogy. (3)



EPS 599. Master's Thesis. (1-6, no limit Δ)



EPS 699. Dissertation. (3-12, no limit Δ)



NTSC 261L. Physical Science. (4)



NTSC 262L. Life Science. (4)



NTSC 263L. Environmental Science. (4)



NTSC *400. Science Topics for Educators. (1-4, may be repeated twice Δ)



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