The mission of the Department of Geosciences is to provide high-quality education to geoscience students at the undergraduate and graduate level, to train professionals for the broad spectrum of geoscience careers, to conduct and support scholarly research in applied and theoretical realms of geosciences and its many allied fields, and to provide geoscience-associated and broader service to the university, the State of Colorado, and our communities. 

The Department of Geosciences offers a Bachelor of Science degree with concentrations in Geology, Environmental Geology, Geophysics, and Hydrogeology, as well as M.S. and Ph.D. degrees in Geosciences. 

The department capitalizes on its proximity to the Rocky Mountains, Colorado High Plains, and intermontane basins to give students educational opportunities in outdoor laboratories to supplement classroom and laboratory learning.  Although we leverage our regional setting, faculty and students also pursue studies from the Arctic, to the Tropics, to Antarctica and in Asia, Europe, and the Americas.  Explore our faculty disciplines and geosciences research pages to learn more about research opportunities. 

Geoscience degrees lead to careers in economic and natural resources, environmental consulting, and sustainable resource management and regulatory agencies such as the Forest Service, Park Service, U.S. National Laboratories, and the U.S. Geological Survey. Many students apply their undergraduate academic preparation to enter graduate school or other professional degree programs.

Our M.S. and Ph.D. programs provide professional preparation for a career in governmental agencies, private industry, teaching, or research. Our strong placement record and extensive network of highly successful and engaged alumni attest to the quality and relevance of our graduate programs.