Department of Geosciences

The intellectual excitement of modern earth sciences is fueled by our exploration of the dynamic forces that shape our planet and the delicate balances that have rendered it conducive to life for much of its history. These forces and balances link subjects as diverse as the evolution of continents, global climate change, and biological evolution. They also influence our daily lives in surprising and compelling ways. Many of the grand challenges facing humanity in the foreseeable future, including global warming, energy and resource depletion, and groundwater contamination, involve processes that are studied by geoscientists.

The Department of Geosciences offers undergraduates the refreshing combination of a solid curriculum in the sciences and an opportunity to do leading research in a number of these fields, all within a relatively small, close-knit department. Class sizes are small, varying from about five to 20 students and allow for a stimulating, well-paced, and intimate environment. Professors are, for the most part, easy to meet and very willing to devote time outside the classroom to students. The small size of the department allows students to work more closely with advisers on their junior papers and senior theses than in many other departments. Professors read and help revise papers, train students in the use of analytical lab equipment, and provide general advice and guidance.

Despite its small size, the geosciences department has a healthy diversity of students, not only with different backgrounds, but also with different interests and career goals. The prebusiness, prelaw, or premed undergraduate is as much a part of the department as the aspiring professor of geophysics. Since geology encompasses all the natural sciences, students are given greater latitude in their pursuit of study than in other science departments. Interests range from geophysics, geochemistry, geomicrobiology, and environmental science to the more traditional field geology and paleontology.

To accommodate students with varied interests, the department offers three informal “tracks” with the same graduation requirements but different recommended suites of courses: Solid Earth Science, Environmental Geosciences, and Environmental Policy. The Solid Earth Science and Environmental Geosciences tracks are appropriate for students planning to enroll in graduate school in the sciences or medicine, or to pursue careers in industries or agencies involved in extracting or conserving our natural resources. The subdisciplines offered by the department include (in Solid Earth) general geology, geophysics, paleontology, mineralogy, petrology, and materials science, and (in Environmental Geosciences) atmospheric and ocean sciences, low-temperature geochemistry, environmental geochemistry and water resources, biogeochemistry, and geomicrobiology. The Environmental Policy track may appeal to those students with broad interdisciplinary interests who intend to pursue a career in law, business, public policy, government, or diplomacy, and who recognize the usefulness of a sound training in Earth Sciences in furthering those goals. Students participating in this track have testified before congressional committees as part of their coursework. Depending upon their interests, such students may choose to draw most of their geoscience courses from either the Solid Earth or Environmental track. In recognition of the diverse sets of skills required by the various disciplines represented within the department, up to three upper-level courses in other departments, including two in non-science depart-ments, may count toward the required eight departmentals for graduation.

This diversity of interests among departmental majors is reflected in the many varied occupations of Princeton geology graduates. Many have gone on to graduate school or business and industry. Some have opened up their own companies; some teach. The flexibility in the department is well suited to those interested in the Program in Teacher Preparation. Students have been offered top positions wherever they have chosen to go. Graduate schools, business, and industry recognize the scientific accomplishments of graduates from our department as well as the lasting value of their Princeton training.

Independent work is a very important part of the geology concentration. The junior colloquium, a series of luncheon talks held once a week during the fall, is organized by the faculty to introduce sophomores and juniors to current topics of research in the department, and to each other. While all A.B. programs require junior independent work and senior theses, the geosciences department places special emphasis on these for developing scientific and technical writing proficiency, as well as research ability. Students give oral presentations of their independent work to faculty, staff, graduate students, and undergraduates, and they field questions on their work. Because of the department’s small size and the close working relationship between professors and undergraduates, concentrators often work with professors on current research projects. Students have presented their independent work at national meetings and have written papers with professors for publication in scientific journals. Because of this emphasis on independent research, the department has funds devoted specifically to help pay for undergraduate research projects. These funds have allowed students to carry out fieldwork all over the world, as well as to pay for field and lab equipment.

Despite these obvious enticements, what often wins potential majors is the department’s friendly atmosphere. The small size of the department and self-selection of the students leads to a remarkably cohesive graduating class. Class and department-wide field trips allow people to work together and study “real-world” geologic problems. This experience reaches its peak during a five-week summer field course in the picturesque Beartooth Mountains, near Red Lodge, Montana. Many undergraduates rate Red Lodge as the highlight of their entire Princeton education.