Department of Geological and Environmental Sciences

GES 2750, 2751, and 2752

  1. Home
  2. Academics & Advising
  3. Courses and requirements in GES
  4. GES 2750, 2751, and 2752

Prep and Field Methods Information for Students and Advisors

You must have permission from the department in order to register for Prep and Field Methods (GES 2750, 2751, and 2752).

  1. You cannot register for any of these courses without a permit. This is why the course looks odd in Banner (0 seats available with 0 capacity). 

  2. During advising, your GES advisor will put you on a list to register for your preferred section of GES 2750, 2751, and/or 2752. Students do not have permission to access this list! Only GES advisors logged into their @appstate.edu account will be able to access this list. You will not be given a permit if you are not on this list.

  3. During advising, you must provide the following information to your advisor:

  • your preferred section number (can't register without it!) and
  • whether you can be placed in another section if necessary. These classes fill up very quickly, so we need this information ASAP. You will not receive a permit if we do not have this information!
  • If you are signing up for GES 2751 (Geology Field Methods) you must also fill out the GES 2751 Informed Consent Agreement prior to receiving a permit (see below for details).
  • GES advisors, here is a video explaining how to fill in the spreadsheet (you must be logged in with your @appstate.edu account to view this video; only GES faculty can view the video).

Things you should know:

  • If you are not immediately given a permit, do not panic!  Contact your advisor and ask what the situation is. These courses are taught every semester, and you will eventually be able to take them. The four-year guides are only guides; deviating from them is not a big deal. Every student's pathway will be different!

  • Do not email the instructor for your preferred section to ask permission to join the class, as they have no power to give you permits!

  • Due to the heavy demand for these courses, students who fail, drop (for non-medical reasons), or want to retake any of these courses to raise their grade will not automatically be given permission to register again for the following semester; these students may be waitlisted in the event that the course is full.

  • Due to the heavy demand for these courses, students who want to take GES 2751/2752 as electives will be waitlisted in the event that the course is full.

  • These courses are only open for majors and minors. If you are a geology minor and wish to take these courses, please email the Chair of the GES Department, Dr. Cynthia Liutkus-Pierce (liutkuscm@appstate.edu) so that you can be placed on the waitlist. Do not email the instructor, as they have no authority to give permits.

About These Courses

GES 2750 (Preparation for Careers in Geological and Environmental Sciences) is the GES Department's WID ("Writing in the Discipline") course. It is a 3 credit, lecture-based prerequisite for a number of upper level classes in the department.  Due to the intensity of the course, the class is typically capped at 16 students per section, and getting a permit requires a C- or better in a 2000-level lab class in GES, BIO, PHY, or CHE. For most students, this is GES 2250.

GES 2751 is a 2 credit Geology Field Methods course that is required for all Geology majors (regardless of concentration). Due to the intensity of the course and the requirement for multiple off-campus field trips, the class is typically capped at 16 students per section. Starting in Spring 2025, we will require a C- or better in GES 2250 to be eligible for enrollment.

  • This course meets on both Friday afternoons AND weekends for part of the semester.
  • Off campus field trips are required.
  • Students will be required to sign an informed consent form prior to placement on the list for registration, so that
    1. the student is informed about what to expect from the GES 2751 course,
    2. the student is informed about what will be expected of them in the field, and
    3. the instructor knows in advance if the student will need reasonable accommodations to safely participate in field activities, so there is sufficient time to develop accommodations that best fit the student’s needs

GES 2752 is a 1 credit Environmental Science Field Methods course that is required for all Environmental Science majors and BS Geology - Concentration in Environmental Geology majors. Starting in Spring 2025, we will require a C- or better in GES 2250 to be eligible for enrollment.

  • This course meets for 3 hours each week for the entire semester.
  • Off campus field trips are required.

Registering for GES 2751

There are some additional requirements to register for GES 2751 (Geology Field Methods).

Step 1. Read and discuss the Field Safety and Standards Policy and Procedures Informed Consent Agreement for GES 2751 - Geology Field Methods with your GES advisor.

Step 2. Tell your advisor which section you would prefer to be in (if more than one available). They will put your request into the spreadsheet below.

Step 3. Fill out the online GES 2751 Informed Consent Agreement. All answers will be provided to your lab instructor so they are aware of any accommodations you may need before the course starts. Only your lab instructor, Lauri Miller, and the GES 275X coordinator will have access to this information. Upon receipt of your submission, Lauri Miller will contact you with further information about your registration permit. 

You do NOT need to fill out this form to register for GES 2750 (Preparation for Careers in GES) or GES 2752 (Environmental Science Field Methods).