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Geology Major

Geology

4,249 Bachelor's Degrees Annually
1,154 Master's Degrees Annually
#92 in Popularity

Types of Degrees Geology Majors Are Getting

The following table lists how many geology & earth sciences graduations there were for each degree level during the last year for which data was available.

Education Level Number of Grads
Bachelor’s Degree 4,075
Master’s Degree 1,122
Doctor’s Degree 497
Associate Degree 119
Graduate Certificate 23
Basic Certificate 22

What Geology Majors Need to Know

O*NET surveyed people in occupations related to geology and asked them what knowledge areas, skills, and abilities were important for their jobs. The responses were rated on a scale of 1 to 5 with 5 being most important.

Knowledge Areas for Geology Majors

According to O*NET survey takers, a major in geology should prepare you for careers in which you will need to be knowledgeable in the following areas:

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  • Mathematics - Knowledge of arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, statistics, and their applications.
  • English Language - Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
  • Physics - Knowledge and prediction of physical principles, laws, their interrelationships, and applications to understanding fluid, material, and atmospheric dynamics, and mechanical, electrical, atomic and sub- atomic structures and processes.
  • Chemistry - Knowledge of the chemical composition, structure, and properties of substances and of the chemical processes and transformations that they undergo. This includes uses of chemicals and their interactions, danger signs, production techniques, and disposal methods.
  • Geography - Knowledge of principles and methods for describing the features of land, sea, and air masses, including their physical characteristics, locations, interrelationships, and distribution of plant, animal, and human life.

Skills for Geology Majors

geology majors are found most commonly in careers in which the following skills are important:

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  • Speaking - Talking to others to convey information effectively.
  • Reading Comprehension - Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.
  • Critical Thinking - Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.
  • Active Listening - Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
  • Writing - Communicating effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience.

Abilities for Geology Majors

As you progress with your geology degree, there are several abilities you should pick up that will help you in whatever related career you choose. These abilities include:

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  • Oral Expression - The ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.
  • Written Comprehension - The ability to read and understand information and ideas presented in writing.
  • Oral Comprehension - The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.
  • Written Expression - The ability to communicate information and ideas in writing so others will understand.
  • Inductive Reasoning - The ability to combine pieces of information to form general rules or conclusions (includes finding a relationship among seemingly unrelated events).

What Can You Do With a Geology Major?

Below is a list of occupations associated with geology:

Job Title Job Growth Rate Median Salary
Atmospheric, Earth, Marine, and Space Sciences Professors 9.9% $90,860
Geoscientists, Except Hydrologists and Geographers 14.1% $91,130
Hydrologists 10.4% $79,370
Natural Sciences Managers 9.9% $123,860
Water Resource Specialists 9.9% $123,860

Who Is Getting a Bachelor’s Degree in Geology?

4,075 Bachelor's Degrees Annually
47% Percent Women
25% Percent Racial-Ethnic Minorities*
Roughly 47% of the graduates are women, and 53% are men.

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

At the countrywide level, the racial-ethnic distribution of geology majors is as follows:

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Race/Ethnicity Number of Grads
Asian 142
Black or African American 101
Hispanic or Latino 531
White 2,824
International Students 141
Other Races/Ethnicities 336

Geographic Diversity

Students from other countries are interested in Geology, too. About 3.5% of those with this major are international students.

Some careers associated with geology require an advanced degree while some may not even require a bachelor’s. Whatever the case may be, pursuing more education usually means that more career options will be available to you.

Find out what the typical degree level is for geology careers below.

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Education Level Percentage of Workers
Bachelor’s Degree 34.8%
Post-Baccalaureate Certificate - awarded for completion of an organized program of study; designed for people who have completed a Baccalaureate degree but do not meet the requirements of academic degrees carrying the title of Master. 5.0%
Master’s Degree 37.4%
Post-Master’s Certificate - awarded for completion of an organized program of study; designed for people who have completed a Master’s degree but do not meet the requirements of academic degrees at the doctoral level. 1.6%
Doctoral Degree 14.9%
Post-Doctoral Training 7.1%

Online Geology Programs

The following table lists the number of programs by degree level, along with how many schools offered online courses in the field.

Degree Level Colleges Offering Programs Colleges Offering Online Classes
Certificate (Less Than 1 Year) 0 0
Certificate (1-2 years) 3 0
Certificate (2-4 Years) 0 0
Associate’s Degree 124 4
Bachelor’s Degree 14 0
Post-Baccalaureate 0 0
Master’s Degree 187 2
Post-Master’s 1 0
Doctor’s Degree (Research) 116 0
Doctor’s Degree (Professional Practice) 1 0
Doctor’s Degree (Other) 0 0

You may also be interested in one of the following majors related to geology.

Major Number of Grads
Other Geological & Earth Sciences/Geosciences 873
Chemical & Physical Oceanography 519
Hydrology & Water Resources Science 201
Geophysics & Seismology 195
Paleontology 24
Geochemistry 21

References

*The racial-ethnic minorities count is calculated by taking the total number of students and subtracting white students, international students, and students whose race/ethnicity was unknown. This number is then divided by the total number of students at the school to obtain the racial-ethnic minorities percentage.

More about our data sources and methodologies.

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