Department of Geology and Geography

Mission Statement


Geology students hiking up Grandfather Mountain in North Carolina

The Department of Geology and Geography contributes broadly to the education of Georgia Southern University students. The Department's course offerings support the Core Curriculum in Areas D1, D2, D3, and E. No other department in the University contributes to four areas of the Core. The Department of Geology and Geography offers course work that leads to a Bachelor of Science degree with a Major in either Geology or Geography and a Bachelor of Arts degree with Major in either Geology or Geography. The Department has a formal Minor in Geographic Information Systems. Geographic Information Science is one of the approved Second Disciplines in the School of Information Technology. The Department oversees two special purpose laboratories: the Earth Science Computer Applications Laboratory (ESCAL) and the Applied Coastal Research Laboratory (ACRL) located on the campus of the Skidaway Institute of Oceanography. The ACRL is Georgia Southern's research facility for marine and coastal science. With the world as our subject, the Department provides field experiences in Georgia, across the United States, and in other countries (e.g., Ecuador, Britain, and Ireland). In all these settings, quality teaching is the program's highest priority.

The geography program serves the largely rural south Georgia region. Faculty are actively involved in regional historical geography, cultural geography, regional economic development (GIS applications), environmental quality, and biogeographic and conservation issues. The program graduates students who are geographically literate, clear-thinking, articulate in oral and written presentation, and effective problem solvers. The geography faculty works to lift south Georgia's educational attainment through the pre-service teacher education program at Georgia Southern.

Geology is by its very nature a broad, eclectic science with many applications to a range of fundamental scientific issues. As the most integrative of sciences, geology is also the one most directly concerned with the major environmental issues of resources, hazards, and planning. The geology faculty has expertise in the core areas of mineralogy, petrology, stratigraphy, structural geology, paleontology, hydrology, and geomorphology. Georgia Southern's geology program emphasizes oral and written communication skills, research and problem solving ability, and teamwork, producing graduates who succeed in diverse and challenging work environments and in graduate programs.

The combined Department of Geology and Geography provides a broad spectrum of faculty expertise, curriculum choices, and learning opportunities for students. The Department functions as an integrated unit, sharing equipment, laboratory and classroom space, and common courses. Because the Department is closer to the coast than any similar program in the University System, the geology and geography programs pursue a shared identity as the center for the study of Coastal Georgia, providing unique opportunities for teaching, learning, and research.