Geological Sciences

About Geological Sciences

Geology is the science of the solid earth--its composition, structure, physical properties and history. Professionals in geological fields tend to have a strong background in chemistry and basic sciences, but they must also be able to integrate a wide variety of information in order to make decisions about where resources might be, how to extract them, and what impact human activities will have on the Earth. Vancouver is the world capital for mineral exploration, and UBC has been supplying geologists to the mineral exploration industry for decades. That gives you a good opportunity to find work in the geo-environmental sector, or continue on to advanced studies at the graduate level and careers in industry and academia.

Program Details

The honours program is a good fit if you're interested in graduate studies or want to pursue a professional career in geology. If you graduate from the honours with the appropriate technical electives, you can apply for registration as a professional geoscientist in British Columbia.

Skills

• Location, identification, classification and extraction of various earth materials and structures 
• Application of the geologic time scale to indicate the order that events on Earth
• Surveying and sampling techniques 
• Field mapping 
• Technical report writing 
• Mathematical modeling and quantitative analysis 
• Computer methods used to analyze geological and geographical data 
• Interpretation of 3D subsurface structures 
• Microscopic petrography and mineral identification

Programs offered

• Major Geology
• Honours, Geological Sciences
• Combined Honours, Geology and another subject
• Co-op

Resources

• Academic Calendar Entry
• Program Specialization Website
• Undergraduate Advisors
• Student Club Website
• Research and Library Help
• Involvement and Career Resources