Science Degrees Online

The Master of Arts in Gerontology consists of 36 units which includes eight required core courses (24 units) and one of three academic emphases (12 units) in Geriatric/Home Care Management; Health, Wellness and Aging; and Long-Term Care Administration. The required internship, included in the core (6 units) consists of student placement in an off-campus facility or organization. Numerous facilities and organizations collaborate with the graduate program in offering internships in clinical, community and institutional settings. The required culminating experience, also included in the core (3 units) consists of a capstone course integrating bodies of knowledge from within the core and across the emphases. This usually translates into a two-year academic program.

GEOL 700/METR 700 Seminar in Geosciences (1)
GEOL 701/METR 701 Research Methods in Geosciences
GEOL 702/METR 702 Quantitative Methods in Geosciences
GEOL 897
METR 897 or
OCN 897 Research Project (6)
GEOL 898
METR 898 or
OCN 898 Master’s Thesis
Upper division or graduate elective courses on advisement 14
Minimum total 30

To be considered for admission to the master’s program as a classified graduate student, applicants must:
Satisfy the university admission requirements.
Have a bachelor’s degree in one of the geosciences (geology, meteorology, or oceanography).
Have an undergraduate GPA of at least 3.0 in geosciences and related science and mathematics courses.
Satisfactorily complete the Graduate Record Examination general test.
Provide letters of recommendation from at least two people familiar with the applicant’s previous academic work and/or professional accomplishments.
Submit a statement of purpose.
Letters of recommendation and statement of purpose should be submitted directly to the appropriate graduate coordinator in the Department of Geosciences. Other materials should be submitted to the Graduate Studies Division of the university. Materials should be submitted by March 1 for admission the following fall semester and by October 1 for the following spring semester.
Applicants lacking the appropriate background (i.e., a degree in one of the geosciences) may be admitted as conditionally classified graduate students. These students must complete additional course work that will not be counted toward the graduate requirements. Conditionally admitted students may take courses but cannot file a Graduate Approved Program until any deficiencies have been satisfied.

The Bachelor of Science in Geology is designed for students intending to prepare for graduate school in geology or for direct entry into a career as a professional geologist in industry or government. The Geology major provides students with a fundamental background in the physical sciences and many areas of geology necessary for an in-depth comprehension of the subject. Entry to the major presupposes prior course work comprising the high school equivalents of two years of algebra, one year of plane geometry, one-half year of trigonometry, and one year of physics and/or chemistry.

Lower Division Requirements (34-35 units) Units
BIOL 230 Introductory Biology I 5
BIOL 240 Introductory Biology II 5
CHEM 115 General Chemistry I: Essential Concepts of Chemistry 5
CHEM 130 General Organic Chemistry 3
Units selected from the following: 16-17
CHEM 215/216 General Chemistry II: Quantitative Applications of Chemistry Concepts/Laboratory (3/2)
MATH 226 Calculus I (4)
MATH 227 Calculus II (4)
PHYS 111/112 General Physics I/Laboratory (3/1)
PHYS 121/122 General Physics II/Laboratory (3/1)
Total lower division requirements 34-35
Upper Division Requirements (32-33 units)
BIOL 337 Evolution 3
BIOL 355 Genetics 3
BIOL 458 Biometry 4
Units selected from the following physiology courses on advisement: 3
BIOL 525 Plant Physiology
BIOL 630 Animal Physiology
Units selected from the following ecology courses on advisement: 6-8
BIOL 482 Ecology (4)
BIOL 529 Plant Ecology (4)
BIOL 530 Conservation Biology
BIOL 532 Restoration Ecology
BIOL 534 Wetland Ecology (4)
BIOL 577 Ecological and Environmental Modeling (4)
BIOL 580 Limnology
BIOL 582 Biological Oceanography
BIOL 585 Marine Ecology
BIOL 586 Marine Ecology Laboratory (2)
Upon advisement, electives from the alternates not used in fulfilling the requirements listed above, or any other upper division biology courses not specifically excluded for major credit, or any graduate course in biology.
Total upper division requirements

This program offers a flexible but rigorous plan of study in the plant and animal sciences for students interested in ecology, natural history, conservation, and population biology; students interested in entomology, botany, or zoology may also find this concentration appropriate. The program stresses firm foundations in ecological theory, ecological technique, and natural history.

The Bachelor of Science in Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences includes a Concentration in Meteorology and a Concentration in Oceanography, which share a common, interdisciplinary core built on principles of mathematics, physics, chemistry, computer science, as well as fundamental concepts in meteorology and oceanography. The Meteorology Concentration adheres to guidelines for B.S. programs in Meteorology issued by the American Meteorological Society. It prepares students for graduate education in meteorology and for a variety of careers, including weather forecasting for the National Weather Service or private industry, broadcast meteorology, and environmental analysis and consulting across a broad range of applications such as air quality, wind power, forensic meteorology, natural hazards, and climate change. Similarly, the Oceanography Concentration prepares students for graduate education in oceanography and for a variety of careers in oceanography.

For students interested in becoming a broadcast meteorologist, the B.S. in Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences, Concentration in Meteorology satisfies one requirement of the American Meteorological Society’s Certified Broadcast Meteorologist (CBM) program. (See http://www.ametsoc.org/amscert/ for more information about the CBM program.)

The Concentration in Meteorology covers core topics including the thermodynamics of air, cloud physics, atmospheric radiation, dynamic meteorology, the analysis and forecasting of weather, climate change, and weather instruments, as well as elective topics such as forecasting weather for the public, severe storms, numerical weather prediction, air-sea interactions such as the El Niño phenomenon, and advanced analysis and forecasting of weather, particularly on the West Coast. The Concentration in Oceanography covers core topics including physical oceanography, air-sea interactions, marine geology, and chemical oceanography, as well as elective topics in biological oceanography, meteorology, coastal processes, etc.

We encourage students to seek internship opportunities, for which credit is granted through METR 694 (“Cooperative Education in Meteorology”). We also recommend that students interested in preparing for graduate school complete 1-3 units of METR/OCN 697 (“Senior Project”) or METR/OCN 699 (“Special Study”) during the senior year, under the direction of a faculty advisor. (METR 694, METR/OCN 697 and METR/OCN 699 do not count toward degree requirements.)

The Master of Science in Geosciences is an advanced, postgraduate degree that prepares students for careers in private industry, government, or teaching in community colleges, or for continuing postgraduate studies leading to a doctoral degree at another university. The graduate program also provides an opportunity for practicing geoscientists to update and upgrade their disciplinary knowledge and skills. There are no formal concentrations within the program, but students choose an area of research from within the fields of the geologic, atmospheric, or oceanographic sciences. During the application process, students must select a course of study, in consultation with the graduate coordinator.

The Geosciences Department includes faculty with expertise in geology, meteorology, and oceanography—fields that are critical to understanding many environmental problems, such as air and water contamination, coastal erosion, and climate change. A major focus of the graduate program is study of the environment of the San Francisco Bay area. Courses are offered in sedimentology and stratigraphy, landscape evolution, active tectonics, quaternary geology, hydrogeology, groundwater contamination, engineering geology, coastal oceanography, and applied meteorology with a coastal emphasis. The program requires that all students complete three core courses. One of these (GEOL/METR 700) is a multidisciplinary seminar that exposes students to current geoscientific research and literature. The other two core courses (GEOL/METR 701 and 702) provide students with skills for thesis research and writing. The program emphasizes a rigorous grounding in the sciences and, particularly in geology, extensive laboratory and field work.

The department offers a major in geological sciences with a Bachelor of Science degree in applied arts and sciences. Students entering this program will choose one of the following emphases, depending on their specific interests: general geology, engineering geology, geochemistry, geophysics, hydrogeology, marine geology or paleontology. Each emphasis shares many course requirements in common, but has unique individual requirements appropriate to the particular discipline. Requirements for all emphases are listed in the General Catalog. A beginning student uncertain of future interests might best choose the general geology option.

Seven options are offered within the framework of the Bachelor of Science degree. These options are not degrees themselves, but are advising schedules that allow the students to select the courses best suited to a particular subdiscipline. There is a planned overlap in all options so that the basic courses for a classical education in geology are taken by all students regardless of the option selected. The options in general geology and hydrology are the most popular. Most of our entering majors do not have firm career goals and use the general geology option to guide them in planning their undergraduate career. It allows them considerable latitude in selecting courses and learning about all of the subdisciplines within the geological sciences.

Many geological scientists are employed to find ways to clean up the environment and keep it safe. Others will focus on exploration for valuable minerals (such as copper and gold), energy sources (such as coal, oil, and natural gas), or drinking water supplies. The employment outlook is favorable, particularly with engineering and toxic waste disposal firms, as public school teachers, and with energy companies.

A geology graduate may be employed as one of the following professionals: hydrologist, geophysicist, geochemist, environmental scientist, oceanographer, teacher, research technician, geological surveyor, paleontologist, energy and resource explorer, and resource planner.

Geologists are primarily employed by private corporations, including environmental, engineering, petroleum, mining, construction, and quarry companies; government agencies, such as the U.S. Geological Survey, the U.S. Bureau of Mines, the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation, the California Department of Conservation, and regional planning offices; and students with graduate degrees are sought for teaching positions in secondary schools, community colleges and universities.