Understanding Earth and its resources for human flourishing Geology

With roots dating back to the 1860s, Wheaton’s geology major is one of the oldest and most prominent programs of its kind among Christian colleges. With a focus on sound scientific and theological thinking, our geology major equips students with practical and marketable skills as they explore the Earth’s complex functions and limited resources in the field, lab, and classroom.

Credential Type

B.S.

Major Credits Required

44, 52

Offered As

Major, Minor

Additional Degree Options

B.A.

98.9% employed or in graduate school

Within six months of graduation, nearly 99% of Wheaton’s Class of 2021 found work in their field or continued their education.

50,000+ items & artifacts in our collections

In addition to the Perry Mastodon display, the department collection includes thousands of minerals, rocks, and fossils for study and museum display.

100% of the major courses have field trips

Our students get multiple opportunities to explore the landscapes and bedrock of the midwest and greater North America in multiple courses.

Connect with Admissions

You can reach us anytime via admissions@wheaton.edu.

Rock Solid Academics Why Study Geology at Wheaton College?

Through our curriculum, Wheaton’s geology students study processes that range from water precipitation to mineral crystallization to plate tectonics that are continually sustained by our Creator, as we take seriously our responsibility to understand and care well for creation. Geology majors are equipped to pursue careers and graduate school relevant to water and mineral resources, energy, natural hazards, agriculture, sustainability, environmental consulting, geotechnical engineering, global climate change, and scientific discovery, with implications for diverse communities of people and the whole of creation.

This is your chance to dive in to questions about origins, to explore how geology addresses critical challenges to human flourishing in the realms of global climate change and resource management, and to live out stewardship of the Earth and be a part of the solution, all while preparing for adventure after you graduate.

Every year, geology majors receive substantial funding for trips to study the geology of spectacular regions of interest around the world or scholarships to take field courses at the Wheaton College Field Station in the Black Hills in South Dakota, with funds provided by the Richard D. House Geological Endowed Fund. Come and join us! Where would you like to go?

Sample Courses

Geology majors and minors take a variety of core and elective classes, such as:

Dynamic Earth and Environment
Energy & Climate Change
Earth History and Stratigraphy
Fundamentals of Mineral Science
Soil Science
Process Geomorphology
Hydrogeology
Igneous and Metamorphic Petrology
Sedimentary Geology
Geographic Information Systems (GIS)
Field Geology (at the Wheaton College Field Station, Black Hills, SD)

Wheaton College IL students hiking in Black Hills

Featured Opportunity: Wheaton in the Black Hills

Study in the Great Outdoors

The Wheaton College Field Station in the Black Hills of South Dakota provides hands-on field learning experiences and includes trips to explore geological features of Wyoming’s Bighorn Mountains and National Parks like Yellowstone and Grand Teton.

Students live and learn in community while seeing their classroom learning come alive in the field. Geology students earn 8 credit hours of required coursework during one summer prior to graduation with available financial aid support.

Learn About Wheaton in the Black Hills

Faces and Spaces Where You’ll Learn, Who You’ll Meet

Professor Maniero with Environmental Science students doing research in the field

Our Faculty

Our faculty are published authors, with numerous publications in prestigious journals and books. They have a wide range of research interests, including climate change, earth history, geochemistry, geochronology, hydrogeology, karst, machine learning, metamorphic petrology, natural disasters, remote sensing, science education, sedimentary geology, and tectonics. These specialized research areas provide opportunities for undergraduate research that often result in peer-reviewed publications.

Meet Our Faculty

Our Facilities

Wheaton’s Meyer Science Center is home to state-of-the-art labs and classrooms, and our on-campus museum features the Perry Mastodon Exhibit and a large collection of rocks and minerals. Beyond campus, our students learn in nearby forest preserves, parks, and collections and exhibits at museums in Chicago as well as in the field at the Wheaton College Field Station and across the United States.

Learn About Our Facilities

Wheaton College Geology Students at the Grand Canyon 2024

Our Experiences

Geology majors get their hands dirty in many ways, including geoscience and environmental internships, research opportunities, and field trips to museums, mountain ranges, and rock formations across the United States. Students frequently get involved on campus with clubs and environmental groups.

See More Opportunities for Geology Students

Scholarships and Endowed Funds

We want our programs to be accessible to all. We have several scholarships and endowed funds that support our programs beyond aid provided in college financial aid packages.

Scholarships and Endowed Funds

WITH Wheaton Opportunities Across Campus & Beyond

Interdisciplinary learning is a way of life at Wheaton. Aside from your work within your chosen major, you can enrich your educational experience and connect with peers and professors across campus (and beyond) in many ways.

Opportunities

Real-World Learning at Wheaton & Beyond

Other Opportunities

Paid summer research and service internships on campus or at other universities and organizations
Independent and collaborative research with professors, including opportunities to complete a senior thesis or senior honors thesis
Assist professors in the classroom or lab as a teaching assistant

Related Centers, Organizations & Co-Curriculars

Earth Club provides service to the major as well as leadership and professional development
Garden and Prarie Project

Additional Academic Opportunities: Common Minors, Certificates & Second Majors

Environmental Science
Certificate in Environmental Sustainability
5th year accelerated master’s degree program in biblical archaeology or education

Geology students using augmented reality topographical sandbox

GEOLOGY for Christ & His Kingdom

Faith and Learning at Wheaton

A Wheaton education is built on the foundation of our unique Christ at the Core general education curriculum. Geology majors are motivated by a passion for what God has created and a commitment to biblical principles of creation care. Our graduates are grounded in sound scientific and theological thinking, enabling them to contribute to constructive dialog on faith and science issues.

Learn More About Christ at the Core

Geology Major Career Information After Wheaton: Where You'll Find Our Graduates

Whether they go right into the workforce after graduation or their career path leads them to an advanced degree, our geology alumni make a difference.

See All Wheaton Outcomes

Careers

Example job titles from recent geology graduates include:

Environmental consultant
Hydrogeologist (groundwater)
University professor
Mining (economic) geologist
Alternative energy manager
Petroleum geologist
Missionary
Disaster recovery manager
Geophysicist
Planetary geologist
Data scientist

Continued Learning

Geology majors continue their studies at graduate and professional programs such as:

Yale University
Stanford University
Colorado School of Mines
University of Colorado
Penn State University
Texas A&M
University of Utah
University of Minnesota
University of British Columbia
Northern Illinois University
Oklahoma State University
University of Arkansas

Wheaton College IL Prof Dr. Andrew Luhmann ’06 Examining Wintery River

Geology Students in Action

Geology and Environmental Science Majors Working Together to Model Water in Caves

Dr. Andrew Luhmann and students are building a physical model and employing field instruments and computers to understand groundwater flow in cave systems.

Geology Alumna in Action

Meet Dr. Dawn Wright '83

"I am grateful for how well Wheaton equipped me to be 'as wise as a serpent' and yet 'as innocent as a dove' (Matthew 10:16) while serving Him on a secular university campus and now in a secular information technology company."

Wheaton provided Dr. Wright with the rigorous scientific foundation needed to enter top graduate programs in not only oceanography but later on in geography as well.

RESOURCES & LINKS For Current Geology Students

If you’re a current student or want to dig deeper in this area of study, here are some additional resources for you to explore.

Department Website

Visit Wheaton's Earth & Environmental Science Department website for details about our majors, minors, faculty, learning opportunities, and more.

Course Requirements

Visit the Wheaton College catalog for specific degree requirements and course descriptions.

Additional Resources

Next Steps

Interested in a career in creation care or wondering if geology is a good major for you? Request more information about Wheaton's geology program or start your application today.

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