Dec 03, 2024  
2024-2025 Undergraduate Bulletin 
    
2024-2025 Undergraduate Bulletin

Sample Schedule: Geology, BS (124 Semester Hours)


FIRST-YEAR

Fall

S.H.

Spring

S.H.

WSC 001 - Composition  

3

WSC 002 - Composition  

3

GEOL 001 - (NS) Planet Earth  

3

GEOL 002 - (NS) Historical Geological Science  

3

Math (Precalc or Stats) Elective Course

4

 Math (Calculus) Elective Course

4

Students must select one of the following: Literature (LT) or Appreciation and Analysis (AA) or Creative Participation (CP) Distribution Course   

3

Students must select one of the following: Literature (LT) or Appreciation and Analysis (AA) or Creative Participation (CP) Distribution Course   

3

Liberal Arts Elective Course

3

Liberal Arts Elective Course

3

Total Semester Hours

16

Total Semester Hours

16


 

SECOND-YEAR

Fall

S.H.

Spring

S.H.

GEOL 033 - Environmental Geomorphology 

 

3

Advanced GEOL Elective Course

3

GEOL 019 - Structural Geology 

 

3

Students must select one of the following: CHEM 004A - (NS) General Chemistry II  and  CHEM 004B - (NS) General Chemistry Laboratory II  or  CHEM 139 - Foundations of Inorganic Chemistry  and  CHEM 140 - Foundations of Inorganic Chemistry Laboratory  

4

Students must select one of the following: CHEM 003A - (NS) General Chemistry I  and  CHEM 003B - (NS) General Chemistry Laboratory I 

 

4

Students must select one of the following: Behavoiral Social Sciences (BH) or History, Philosophy, Religion (HP) Distribution Course 

 

3

Behavoiral Social Sciences (BH) or History, Philosophy, Religion (HP) Distribution Course   

3

Elective Course

3

Liberal Arts Elective Course

3

Elective Course

3

Total Semester Hours

16

Total Semester Hours

16


 

THIRD-YEAR 
Study Abroad Fall/Spring semester or an entire academic year; not restricted to Junior Year.**

Click here for more information on Study Abroad Options.

Fall

S.H.

Spring

S.H.

Advanced GEOL Elective Course

3

Advanced GEOL Elective Course

3

Advanced GEOL Elective Course

3

GEOL 135 - Sedimentation  

3

Students must select one of the following: PHYS 001A - (NS) Elementary Physics  and  PHYS 001B - (NS) Elementary Physics Laboratory  or  PHYS 011A - (NS) General Physics  and  PHYS 011B - (NS) General Physics Laboratory  

4

Students must select one of the following: PHYS 002A - (NS) Elementary Physics  and  PHYS 002B - (NS) Elementary Physics Laboratory  or PHYS 012A - (NS) General Physics  or  PHYS 012B - (NS) General Physics Laboratory  

4

Elective Course

3

Elective Course

3

Elective Course

3

Elective Course

1

Total Semester Hours

16

Total Semester Hours

14


 

FOURTH-YEAR

Fall

S.H.

Spring

S.H.

Advanced GEOL Elective Course

3

Advanced GEOL Elective Course

3

Students must select one of the following: BIOL, CSC, or GIS Course

3

Students must select one of the following: BIOL, CSC, or GIS Course

3

Elective Course (GEOL 151  recommended)

3

Elective Course (GEOL 155  recommended)

3

Elective Course

3

Liberal Arts Elective Course

3

Elective Course

3

Liberal Arts Elective Course

3

Total Semester Hours

15

Total Semester Hours

15

Program Total

124

Updated March 2023

NOTES

Some Geology and Environmental Science courses (AP/IB/Transfer) taken prior to Hofstra can count toward the major. Non-Geology courses taken prior to your first year can count toward general education requirements or elective credits, whether taken at Hofstra or transferred in. 

You are not required to take Summer or January courses (for which there is no financial aid). You can complete your degree of 124 credits by taking five courses every semester because the required physics, chemistry, and calculus courses are 4 credit courses. Note that you can take up to 17 credits per semester without paying additional tuition. 

GEOLOGY BS students should consider doing an internship or independent research project in preparation for graduate school or entering the geological or environmental consulting fields. 

We encourage all GEOLOGY students to participate in internships, independent research, study abroad, or other forms of experiential learning:  https://www.hofstra.edu/geology/internships/.

*Statistics and calculus are preferred for GEOLOGY BS majors because both courses are required by New York State to obtain a Professional Geologist license.

**In addition to going on study abroad for either semester in their third year, students can go for the entire academic year in their third year, for a semester in their second or fourth years, or for a short-term program in the summer or during the January break. Also, you may consider taking the 3-credit January Session study abroad program in the Galàpagos Islands and Ecuador (additional tuition and program fees).