Department of Geology and Geography
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.