Minor in Geology • Academics • Beloit College

Students in Prof. Jay Zambito's geology class experience hands on field work.

Explore Earth’s systems hands-on

What is Geology?

Geology is the study of Earth’s structure, history, processes, and resources. In the geology minor, students explore how landscapes form, how rocks and minerals record Earth’s past, how water moves through the subsurface, and how humans interact with physical environments. The minor offers a focused introduction to Earth systems that complements majors in environmental studies, biology, chemistry, physics, anthropology, and sustainability-focused fields.

Why study Geology?

A geology minor helps students understand the physical processes that shape the planet and influence critical issues such as water resources, environmental change, land use, and natural hazards. Through field observation, lab analysis, and data interpretation, students develop strong analytical and problem-solving skills that support careers and graduate study in environmental science, resource management, education, and policy.

Why study Geology at Beloit College?

Geology at Beloit College is experiential and field-centered. Students learn by examining real landscapes, working with rock, mineral, and fossil collections, and participating in hands-on labs and field exercises. Courses regularly include local fieldwork in streams, quarries, and outcrops, along with regional field trips that connect classroom concepts to real-world geology.

Beloit College’s geology program offers access to professional tools and facilities uncommon at the undergraduate level, including petrographic microscopes, GIS workstations, hydrogeology and sedimentology labs, and advanced analytical instruments such as XRD, portable XRF, and a scanning electron microscope. Faculty mentorship, summer projects, and a close-knit departmental culture ensure that students in the minor gain practical skills, scientific confidence, and a strong understanding of Earth systems.

Details

Specialization

Minor

Credits Required

5 units (20 semester hours)

Format

In-person

Related Departments & Schools

Related Offerings

Geology Department spring 2022 field trip From rock layers to real landscapes, geology students at Beloit College gain hands-on experience through field experiences to study the Midwest's geologic history.

A student using an advanced optical microscope. Geology students have access to advanced laboratory equipment as part of their coursework, gaining hands-on experience studying minerals and Earth processes with the same tools used by practicing geoscientists.

Geology curriculum

The geology minor introduces students to Earth materials, processes, and systems through coursework that integrates field observation, laboratory analysis, mapping, and data interpretation.

Courses examine Earth processes, rocks and minerals, fossils, water systems, geologic history, and human interactions with the physical environment.

[GEOL 100] Earth: Exploring a Dynamic Planet: Exploration of geologic processes that shape our dynamic planet and how they interact as a system. Topics include plate tectonics, deep time, climate, volcanoes, earthquakes, streams and groundwater, glaciers, natural resources, and the interactions between geologic processes and human populations. The class emphasizes both global systems and the geology of southern Wisconsin. We focus on using scientific methods to decipher complex interactive processes and developing skills for observation and analysis in the field and laboratory.
[GEOL 210] Paleontology: The history of life from its origins to the present. The preservation, distribution, and identification of invertebrate fossils as well as selected vertebrate and plant fossils. Competing evolutionary theories are evaluated in the perspective of geologic time. Fossils are studied as once-living organisms that were adapting to changing environments and part of a biological community.
[GEOL 215] Field Geology: Techniques of collecting, recording, and presenting geologic data; use of surveying techniques, the Brunton compass, GPS and GIS, and hydrologic field methods; interpretation of data as plotted on maps and sections.
[GEOL 325] Tectonics: The structural and chemical evolution of the continental lithosphere from the Archean to present. Lectures and laboratory work focus on the kinematics of plate motions, continental growth, geochronology, geothermobarometry, and thermal modeling. Mountain belts from Earth, Venus, and Mars are used as case studies.

Geology outcomes

Completing the geology minor from Beloit College provides students with a practical understanding of Earth systems and the ability to analyze environmental and geologic questions using scientific methods.

Students completing the geology minor can:

Explain fundamental Earth processes and the structure of Earth systems.
Observe, document, and interpret geological features in field settings.
Analyze geological samples and data using basic laboratory techniques.
Apply systems thinking to questions involving land, water, resources, and environmental change.
Communicate clearly scientific observations and interpretations.
Integrate geological perspectives into interdisciplinary academic and professional work.

Ecology & Environmental Field Science: Study species, collect field data, and help analyze environmental patterns or ecological change. ($40,000 → $70,000+)
Environmental Policy & Resource Planning: Research environmental issues, support planning efforts, and help evaluate sustainable resource decisions. ($50,000 → $90,000+)
Environmental Restoration & Land Management: Support habitat restoration, monitor land conditions, and help manage natural resources sustainably. ($45,000 → $80,000+)
Environmental Science & Sustainability: Investigate environmental conditions and support solutions that protect ecosystems and public health. ($45,000 → $100,000+)
Materials Science: Test and characterize materials to help improve products, tools, or industrial applications. ($60,000 → $130,000+)
Science Communication & Outreach: Explain scientific ideas through writing, presentations, or public engagement programs. ($40,000 → $100,000+)

Reviewed on November 2025. Sources: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Salary figures shown here are estimates. Actual pay will vary by position, industry, location, education, and experience. Some pathways and positions may require additional education or certifications. For more detailed information, please explore reputable career and salary resources.

Conservancy Research Ecologist Dr. Tom Simpson discusses the geology of Glacial Park with students.

Geology department takes annual fall field trip

This year’s “Skip Trip” to Glacial Park in McHenry County, Illinois was run as a collaboration between the Geology Department and the Environmental Studies Program.

Group photo at Castillo San Felipe del Morro

Puerto Rico Field Excursion

The Geology Department’s annual field excursion course went to Puerto Rico to study the effects of climate change and the island’s geology.

Group photo in front of Jane, the T. rex.

Geology Department Leads a Field Trip to the Burpee Museum of Natural History

The Geology Department took a group of students, faculty, and staff to the Burpee Museum to explore the Earth’s and the Wisconsin-Illinois stateline region’s natural history.

Campers enjoy fireworks on a pleasant summer night.

Journeys from camp counselor to career path

Three students discussed their time as camp counselors at the Beloit & Beyond Conference, with their roles ranging from group specialist for higher need campers to baseball specialist at a sports camp to site supervisor of a science camp.

Kesley Engelke’25 looking into a microscope in the geology lab.

Summer in the Geology Lab

Kelsey Engelke ’25 conducted research in the geology lab on campus with samples she collected during her field work.

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