The General Geology major is for students who want to learn how the Earth works from a quantitative, scientific perspective. They will receive a comprehensive understanding of solid and surface earth processes while having the freedom to dive into concentrations of study they’re most interested in — be it sedimentology, paleontology, energy geoscience, or marine geoscience, to name a few options.

Why geology?

We are living in a critical moment where water resources, the climate, environment, energy landscape, and geological hazards are all forming into a nexus of issues that affect our daily lives. In 100 years, society won’t exist as it does today without a new generation of geoscientists to solve these problems. From the classroom to the lab to the field, geology students will solve real world problems with critical thinking skills and quantitative reasoning.

What do geologists do?

Geologists study the ground beneath our feet, whether on Earth or on distant planets, from the surface down to the inner core. Geologists explore what rocks can tell us about the processes that control our complex planetary system. Through field experiments, computation, and remote sensing, geologists can decipher Earth’s history.

Career and graduate school opportunities

With a geology degree, students are equipped to monitor and understand natural hazards, contribute to the search for energy resources, aid in critical decision-making efforts about our environment, explore the solar system, and conduct research on everything from dinosaurs to the formation of mountain ranges.

Wage data for related jobs with a bachelor’s degree

Median annual wage data courtesy of the Bureau of Labor Statistics

Research opportunities

General geology majors have the opportunity to conduct research with top scientists from all three of the Jackson School’s units — the Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, the Institute for Geophysics, and the Bureau of Economic Geology. For example, students can conduct research in field-based studies from the desert southwest to the Himalayas to Antarctica, or on the geophysical imaging of other planets, or on the dynamics of the earth.

All Jackson School undergraduates have an abundance of research opportunities at their fingertips. Explore more on our Undergraduate Research page.

Degree requirements

Every Jackson School undergraduate is required to take foundational courses that cover the breadth of the geosciences, along with advanced courses specific to their major. Students will explore these fields, advancing their quantitative reasoning skills, developing computational literacy, applying geospatial tools, and learning how to manage, evaluate, and visualize data.

Geoscience courses

These are the courses required of all Jackson School undergraduates. They will typically be completed within the first two years of study.

Geology foundation courses

These are the courses every geology major is required to take.

Disciplinary fundamentals

You will dive deeper into the fundamentals of the topics and sub-disciplines you are most interested in. Take at least 15 credits (five classes) of any geological science courses; nine of those credits (three classes) must be upper-division. You can take these 15 credits however you see fit. Here are some proposed course combinations that are grouped by discipline.

Building block requirements

These courses take place outside of the Jackson School and are required of all geology majors. This major requires a robust understanding of mathematics, physics, and chemistry to prepare students for advanced classes specific to the degree.

Read more about these courses in the University of Texas course catalog. The 2024-2025 catalog will be available soon.

The 2024-2026 general geology degree plan is coming soon.

Past degree plans: 2022-2024 | 2020-2022 | 2018-2020 | 2016-2018 | 2014-2016 

Complementary minors

General geology majors can select any minor available to University of Texas undergraduate students. Here are a few that we recommend pairing with a geology degree in order to further your expertise in related subjects such as energy, sustainability, and policy.

• Leadership in Global Sustainability
• Public Policy
• Energy Management
• Sustainable Energy
• Energy Management
• Environment and Sustainability
• Business and Public Policy
• Risk Management

Next steps: Applying and transferring

Ready to start changing the world? If you’re a high school student interested in applying to the Jackson School to be a geology major, please select Geological Sciences during the process of your undergraduate application to The University of Texas at Austin. Additional application information can be found on the UT Office of Admissions website and the Jackson School’s Admissions page.

Thinking of transferring to the Jackson School to be a geology major? If you’re an undergraduate student already enrolled at The University of Texas at Austin, you may enter the Jackson School through an internal transfer process which occurs twice a year. Please visit the Jackson School’s Internal Transfers webpage for details about the internal transfer process, deadlines, and upcoming information session dates to learn more about our school and programs. We also encourage you to contact academic advising before you start this process.