Science Teacher Preparation Program for Geology at CSU, Bakersfield

Information for this profile was provided by CSU, Bakersfield. Information is also available on the program website. CSU Bakersfield is a university with graduate programs, primarily masters programs. Students in this program are pursuing a Bachelors degree.

Program Design & Assessment

Overview

Geology is the study of the Earth and our neighboring planets in space, their composition, processes, and history. The degrees offered are the Bachelor of Arts, the Bachelor of Science and the Master of Science in Geology. The curriculum includes basic courses in geology and other cognate subjects and provides for independent research, field application, and Environmental Studies, when desired.

The curriculum and courses offered in Geology stress the physical framework of the environment and its relationships to organisms and to man. The college is located in an excellent geologic area with easy access to deserts, several mountain ranges, oil fields, agricultural areas, and the Pacific Coast.

Strengths of this program

The California Commission on Teacher Credentialing (CCTC) has authorized CSUB to offer a single subject matter preparation program in Natural Sciences leading to a Bachelor of Arts degree. This course work satisfies the subject matter requirements for a "Secondary Teaching Credential in Science." The program consists of three components: I. Primary Concentration (major), II. Secondary Concentration (minor), and III. Breadth (cognates). Program completion leads to a BA degree in Natural Sciences with a major in the area of primary concentration and a minor in the secondary concentration. Additional information may be obtained from the Physics and Geology Department office (661-654-3027).

Types of students served

Program Goals

The goals of this program are as follows:

At the completion of their geology degree programs students will have basic knowledge and understanding of the content of modern geology, will have acquired knowledge and demonstrated skills to collect and analyze Earth's minerals and rocks, and will understand the philosophical, mathematical and physical science foundations of geology. The ten detailed student learning objectives that support these broad goals can be found at http://www.csub.edu/catalog/_files/2013-2015_updated/040.pdf.

The learning goals were informed by the following resources:

How program goals are assessed

Design features that allow goals to be met


Alumni Careers

Graduation rate

Careers pursued by our alumni

Courses and Sequencing

Diagram of course sequencing and requirements

The Bachelor of Arts Degree with a major in Geology requires a minimum of 180 units which includes courses for the major (and minor, if selected) and courses for the other university-wide graduation requirements: General Education, American Institutions, First-Year Experience, Gender-Race-Ethnicity, Upper Division Writing, and Foreign Language.

Entry into the program

  • GEOL201 - Physical Geology and GEOL204 - Historical Geology OR
  • GEOL205 - Environmental Geology or GEOL308 - Geomorphology

Core courses

  • GEOL303 - Mineralogy
  • GEOL306 - Petrology and Petrography
  • GEOL307 - Structural Geology
  • GEOL309 - Sedimentation and Stratigraphy
  • GEOL475 -Hydrogeology
  • GEOL490 - Senior Field Seminar

Other required courses (one minor is required, chosen from the following)

Biology Minor & Cognates:
  • BIOL201 - Introductory Biology - Cells
  • BIOL202 - Introductory Biology - Animals
  • BIOL203 - Introductory Biology - Plants
  • BIOL304 - General Genetics
  • BIOL305 - General Physiology
  • BIOL306 - General Ecology OR
  • BIOL470 - Evolution
Cognates:
  • CHEM211/212 - Principles of General Chemistry I and II
  • PHYS110 - Introduction to Astronomy
  • PHYS201/202/203 - Basic Principles of Newtonian/Maxwellian/Contemporary Physics OR
  • PHYS221/222/223 - Classical Physics I/II/Optics and Modern Physics
Chemistry Minor & Cognates:
  • CHEM211/212/213 - Principles of General Chemistry I, II, and III
  • Two upper division chemistry electives
Cognates:
  • BIOL201 - Introductory Biology - Cells
  • BIOL202 - Introductory Biology - Animals
  • BIOL203 - Introductory Biology - Plants
  • PHYS110 - Introduction to Astronomy
  • PHYS201/202/203 - Basic Principles of Newtonian/Maxwellian/Contemporary Physics OR
  • PHYS221/222/223 - Classical Physics I/II/Optics and Modern Physics
Physics Minor & Cognates:
  • PHYS110 - Introduction to Astronomy
  • PHYS221 - Classical Physics I
  • PHYS222 - Classical Physics II
  • PHYS223 - Optics and Modern Physics
  • PHYS307 - Circuit Theory & Electronics
  • PHYS324 - Modern Physics
Cognates:
  • BIOL201 - Introductory Biology - Cells
  • BIOL202 - Introductory Biology - Animals
  • BIOL203 - Introductory Biology - Plants
  • CHEM211 - Principles of General Chemistry I
  • CHEM212 - Principles of General Chemistry II

Other key features of this program:

An approved minor in another discipline (20 units) is required. Note that the above cognate requirements for the major cannot count toward the minor. More information can be obtained from the Geology Department Office (661) 654-3027.

Supporting Materials

CSU Bakersfield Undergraduate Geology Curricula (Acrobat (PDF) 48kB Jan11 10)

CSU Bakersfield Natural Sciences Curricula (Acrobat (PDF) 359kB Jan15 10)