B.S. in Geological Sciences, University of Texas at El Paso
The University of Texas at El Paso is a university with graduate programs, including doctoral programs. Students in this program are pursuing a Bachelor's degree.
Program Design & Assessment
Overview
The University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP) had its origins as the Texas State School of Mines and Metallurgy, so it has a long history of offering Geology courses and degrees. The Department of Geoscience aims to equip geoscience major undergraduate students with the knowledge, attitudes, and skills necessary for them to become successful professionals and leaders in the local to national arena.
Types of students served
The department's student population mirrors the community. About 80% of the population is Hispanic. About 90% of the student body, at the undergraduate level especially, come from El Paso County. About 60% are the first in their family to go to college.
Program Goals
The goals of this program are as follows:
The Department of Geological Science seeks to
- instill core knowledge in the geosciences in non-major undergraduate students, including those seeking a degree that leads to teaching and the primary and secondary levels.
- equip geoscience major undergraduate students with the knowledge, attitudes, and skills necessary for them to become successful professionals and leaders in the local to national arena.
- develop graduate students into professionals that can be employed in industry, academia, and government and have outstanding careers.
Central to this mission is an active research program that involves students at all levels and serves as a focal point for geoscience, environmental, and materials expertise for our region, the state of Texas, and beyond to national and international venues.The learning goals were informed by the following resources:
How program goals are assessed
We have pre/post tests and surveys administered in our intro courses, mineralogy, and sedimentology courses. Student field notebooks and projects are assessed in the field geology series. Our annual department research colloquium that highlights undergraduate/graduate student research provides input from outside judges on the quality of our students' research and presentation skills.
Alumni Careers
Careers pursued by our alumni
Students who choose to leave the El Paso area find many opportunities in the petroleum industry. Graduates from UTEP are highly recruited by petroleum companies due to the fact that so many of them are bilingual in English and Spanish. Those graduates who stay in El Paso find careers in government agencies or consulting companies that make use of their GIS skills and geoscience knowledge base.
Courses and Sequencing
Diagram of course sequencing and requirements
Other key features of this program:
The curriculum was recently updated to reflect a state-mandated 120 hour degree plan. This was done by eliminating the requirement for minors, thus allowing students more freedom in the choice of electives to round out their degrees.