The Department of Geological and Environmental Sciences offers an honors program. In order to graduate with “Honors in Geological and Environmental Sciences,” a student must:
- have a minimum GPA of 3.45 overall and in Geological and Environmental Science courses, and
- must take a total of nine semester hours of Geological and Environmental Sciences courses with honors at the 2000 level or above with a grade of “B” or better in each course (including GES 4510).
- Typically, students achieve these 9 hours by completing an honors contract (links to PDF) for an upper-level GES course (3 credits) and enrolling for GES 4501 for 3 credits in your penultimate semester at App and 3 credits of GES 4510 in your last semester. GES 4501 & 4510 are considered "special courses", and you must complete the special course approval form (links to PDF) in conjunction with your research advisor.
- For Departmental Honors, honors contracts are due to the Departmental Honors Director by the end of the second week of classes. For University Honors (must be in Honors College), a honors contract is due at the end of the first week of classes.
- Typically, students achieve these 9 hours by completing an honors contract (links to PDF) for an upper-level GES course (3 credits) and enrolling for GES 4501 for 3 credits in your penultimate semester at App and 3 credits of GES 4510 in your last semester. GES 4501 & 4510 are considered "special courses", and you must complete the special course approval form (links to PDF) in conjunction with your research advisor.
- complete GES 4510 - Senior Honors Thesis. The honors thesis must be approved by two readers, with the thesis director from the Department of Geological and Environmental Sciences, in order to graduate with Honors in Geological and Environmental Sciences.
- Also note that:
- You can find examples of Senior Honors Thesis presentations in AGES here
- To sign up for GES 4501/4510, students must have a minimum GPA of 3.25 in all GES courses.
For questions about the Honors Program in GES, contact the Department's Honors Director - Dr. Cole Edwards.
GES courses that are appropriate for honors contracts |
| GES courses that are NOT appropriate for honors contracts |
| GES 3025. Principles of Paleontology (3) | GES 2301. Energy Extraction in Appalachia (3) | |
| GES 3140. Quantifying Environmental Change (3) |
| GES 2750. Preparation for Careers in the Earth and Environmental Sciences (3) |
| GES 3150. Principles of Structural Geology and Tectonics (3) |
| GES 2751. Geology Field Methods (2) |
| GES 3220. Fundamentals of Mineralogy (3) |
| GES 2752. Environmental Science Field Methods (1) |
| GES/CHE 3310. Global Biogeochemical Cycles (3) |
| GES 3264. Paleontological Laboratory Techniques and Analytical Methods (1-3) |
| GES 3333. Geomorphology (3) |
| GES 3500. Independent Study in Geology (1-4) |
| GES 3680. Geoarchaeology (3) |
| GES 3520. Instructional Assistance (1) |
| GES 3715. Petrology and Petrography (3) | GES 3521. Secondary Science Field Experience (1) | |
| GES 3800. Sedimentology and Stratigraphy (3) | GES 4105 - Analysis and Implications of Environmental Issues (1) | |
| GES 3810. The Reef Environment and Geology of Modern Carbonate Systems (3) | GES 4210. Geology Seminar (1) | |
| GES 4630. Hydrogeology (3) | GES 4500. Independent Study in Geology (1-4) | |
| GES 4705. Engineering Geology (3) | GES 4501. Senior Honors Research (1-3) | |
| GES 4025. Introduction to Multivariate Data (3) | GES 4510. Senior Honors Thesis (3) | |
| GES 4835. Summer Field Geology (6) | ||
| GES 4900. Intership in Environmental Science (1-12) |
Note that graduating with Honors in Geology or Honors in Environmental Science is not the same as graduating with University Honors, which requires completion of specific coursework through the University Honors Program.
