Most classes in GES have prerequisites or co-requisites.
Summary of important prereqs, particularly for Geology and ENV-Earth Systems Science majors:
- We strongly recommend taking GES 1101 (or perhaps 1102) if you are going to major or minor in GES. This will prepare you for GES 2250 as well as several other upper level courses.
- Nearly all GES classes above the 2500 level require GES 2250.
- To proceed in the major, you need at C- or better in GES 2250. We did an analysis of over 800 student majors over the past decade and found that nearly 80% of those who could not get a C- or better in GES 2250 either switched majors within a year, or left college altogether.
- We recommend taking GES 2750 (all degree tracks) and GES 2751 (some degree tracks) as early as possible in your career.
- The following courses will require GES 2750 as a prereq: Fundamentals of Mineralogy (GES 3220), Principles of Structural Geology (GES 3150), Sedimentology and Stratigraphy (GES 3800), Petrology and Petrography (GES 3715), Quantifying Environmental Change (GES 3140) and starting in 2024 Quantitative Data Analysis for Earth and Environmental Scientists (GES 3455) will also require GES 2750.
- The following courses will require GES 2751 (Geology Field Methods) in addition to GES 2750 as a prereq: Principles of Structural Geology (GES 3150), Sedimentology and Stratigraphy (GES 3800)
- Field camp (GES 4751 - Geology Field Methods III) prereqs include: Principles of Structural Geology (GES 3150), Sedimentology and Stratigraphy (GES 3800), Petrology and Petrography (GES 3715), and Geology Field Methods II (GES 3751)
- Petrology and Petrography (GES 3715) prereqs include: GES 2750, Fundamentals of Mineralogy (GES 3220; there are no exceptions to this prereq!) and CHE 1101/1110. MAT 1110 is recommended as well.
- Introduction to Geophysics (GES 3160) requires GES 110X (preferably 1101), PHY 1103 or 1150, and MAT 1110. It is helpful to have GES 2750 before taking this class, but is not required.
The chart below shows our prerequisite structure:
