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Initial Publication Date: October 23, 2013

3+2 Geoscience B.S. Degree, Fort Valley State University

Information for this profile comes from an interview on August 21st, 2012 with Isaac Crumbly, Director of the Cooperative Developmental Energy Program and the program website. Fort Valley State University is a public four-year institution, primarily undergraduate.

Program Design & Assessment

Overview

Fort Valley State University does not have a geoscience department or offer a major in geoscience. However, there are geoscience courses offered in the departments of Mathematics & Physics, Chemistry, and Biology. In addition, students participating in the Cooperative Development Energy Program (CDEP) can obtain a degree in geoscience through a partnering institution via a 3+2 dual degree program.

Types of students served

Located in Fort Valley, GA, Fort Valley State University is a Historically Black educational institution with an enrollment of over 3,000 students. The students in this degree program reflect this demographic situation.

Program Goals

CDEP focuses on the recruitment and placement of academically talented minorities and females into professional level careers in the energy industry.

This objective is accomplished through the following methods:

Design features that allow goals to be met

Students in the Cooperative Developmental Energy Program pursue Bachelors of Science (B.S.) degrees at Fort Valley State University in one of three fields: biology, chemistry, or math. This accelerated program of study is designed to be completed in three years. After successfully completing this three-year period, CDEP students transfer to one of seven partnering institutions that offer bachelor's degrees in an energy-related field such as geosciences, engineering and health physics. Students pursue their second program of study over two additional years and after successfully completing all 5 years of study, they receive 2 bachelor's degrees. Partnering institutions include: University of Nevada, Las Vegas, Georgia Institute of Technology, University of Texas-Austin, University of Arkansas, Pennsylvania State University and the University of Texas-Pan American.

Students interested in Geoscience as a part of this program first pursue degree work in either Chemistry or Mathematics at FVSU. After three years, they can transfer to a partner institution (in 2012 either PSU, UT-Austin, or UARK) and complete another two years of work in Geology, Geophysics, Petroleum Engineering, or Hydrogeology/Environmental Geology. Additionally, the PSU geosciences program gives students the option of pursuing a 3+3 program that results in the graduate receiving a B. S. degree from FVSU and a M.S. degree from PSU.

Alumni Careers

Graduation rate

Since 1997, 76 engineers, 29 geoscientists, and seven health physicists have graduated from one of the institutions partnering with FVSU through the CDEP 3+2 degree partnership.

Careers pursued by our alumni

The CDEP dual-degree program prepares students to take on careers in many sectors. A partial list of employers of CDEP graduates includes:

  • Anadarko Petroleum Company
  • Bechtel-SAIC Company
  • BP American Inc.
  • Delphi Automotive
  • EG & G, Inc.
  • Exelon Energy Company
  • Exxon Mobil
  • Ford Motor Company
  • General Motors
  • Georgia Power Company
  • INTEL, Inc.
  • Kerr McGee Corporation
  • Nevada Power Company
  • Nortel Networks
  • Proctor and Gamble
  • Raytheon Missile Systems
  • Shell Oil Company
  • SPRINT PCS
  • The Southern Company
  • U.S. Department of Energy
  • U.S. Geological Survey

Courses and Sequencing

Diagram of course sequencing and requirements

Since students pursuing geoscience must major in either Mathematics or Chemistry during their time at FVSU before transferring to a second institution, they must complete the requirements for one of those degrees and geoscience courses taken as electives.

Introductory Courses

  • GEOL 1011 – Introductory Geoscience I (Mathematics & Physics)
  • GEOL 1121 – Intro Physical Geology (Mathematics & Physics)
    • GEOL 1121L - Intro to Geology Lab (Mathematics & Physics)
  • GEOL 1122 – Earth History (Mathematics & Physics)
    • GEOL 1122L Earth History Lab (Mathematics & Physics)

Additional Geoscience Courses

  • GEOL 2204 – Intro to Mineral Sciences (Mathematics & Physics)
    • GEOL 2204L – Intro to Mineral Science Lab (Biology, Chemistry)
  • SCIE 3102K – Principles of Physical Science II (Chemistry)
  • SCIE 3103 – Principles of Environmental Science (Biology)
  • SCIE 3121 – Principles of Geology (Biology)
    • SCIE 3121L – Principles of Geology Lab (Biology)
  • SCIE 3303 – Principles of Science (Biology)
  • SCIE 3334 – Principles of Ecology (Biology)
  • GEOL 5203 – Environmental Geology (Biology)

Supporting Materials

UT-Austin Jackson School of Geosciences

University of Arkansas Department of Geosciences