USF Geology programs lead to Bachelor of Arts (BA), Bachelor of Science (BS), Master of Science (MS), and Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) degrees. Geology is one of the broadest of all sciences because of its dependence on fundamentals of biology, chemistry, mathematics, and physics as applied to the study of the earth. As a result, undergraduate students are expected to obtain a broad background in the other sciences as well as a concentration in geology. The Bachelor of Science degree program provides the student with a hands-on foundation in the fundamentals of geosciences. The Bachelor of Arts program is designed primarily for the liberal arts student who has an interest in the subject but who is not preparing for a career in the field, or for the pre-professional school student. A student who elects the BA program and decides to pursue the geology profession or attend graduate school will need at least physics and field geology in his/her program.

Career Options: The B.A. program meets the needs of many students who plan to use geology as a basis for careers in law (environmental, oil, gas, etc.), medicine, technical writing, education, and resource-related sales and marketing, to name a few possibilities.