Content
Below are the courses that the Department of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences plans to offer from summer 2026 through spring 2029 terms to support current students’ degree completion pathways. These courses have been selected based on analysis of current students’ degree pathway needs.
Please meet individually with your academic advisor or transition coordinator at least once per semester to review and revise your individualized degree plan.
As with any course schedule, adjustments may be needed if faculty expertise or student enrollment changes unexpectedly. Any changes will be published and communicated as quickly as possible; alternative courses will be identified to support students’ degree completion.
Notice
Applications are no longer being accepted as of December 6, 2025.
Content
Undergraduate
The following exceptions will be universally available to all geology majors regardless of catalog year.
- CAS degree requirements outside the major will be those included in catalog year 2025-26
- Mathematics requirements in the major: MATH 106 and either MATH 107 or STAT 218
- Physics requirements in the major: PHYS 141 or 211/221
- GEOL 442 may be used as a substitute for GEOL 441
- Geology electives: Up to 3 hours of GEOL 1XX may be applied to the 12 required hours (as well as either METR 100 or METR 370)
- While the geology minor is closed to new students, current majors who wish to shift to a minor may do so by request
Graduate
The classroom courses identified on this plan are intended to honor individual programs of study and memorandum of courses. Research, thesis, and dissertation hours will also be available.
Summer 2026
GEOL 260: Geology of the Western USA
GEOL 460: Summer Field Course
GEOL 497/897: Economic and Exploration Geology (Iceland)
Fall 2026
| GEOL | Course | Prerequisites/Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 101 | Dynamic Earth | |
| 109 | Oceanography | Use up to 3 hours 1XX in the major electives |
| 200 | Mineralogy | GEOL 101, CHEM 109A/L or parallel |
| 300 | Sedimentology and Stratigraphy | GEOL 201 |
| 372 | Water and Earth Connections | GEOL 101 or METR 100, MATH 106 |
| 400 | Structural Geology | GEOL 300 or parallel, PHYS 141 or 211 |
| 423/823 | Quaternary Paleoclimatology | 12 hours GEOL or BIOS |
| 442/842 | Environmental Geophysics | MATH 106 or STAT 218, PHYS 141 or 211, GEOL 101 (This course can be substituted for GEOL 441.) |
| 451/851 | Invertebrate Paleobiology | GEOL 103* |
| 453/853 | GIS in Earth and Atmospheric Science | GEOL 101 or METR 100 |
Spring 2027
| GEOL | Course | Prerequisites/Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 101 | Dynamic Earth | |
| 109 | Oceanography | Use up to 3 hours 1XX in the major electives |
| 201 | Igneous & Metamorphic Petrology | GEOL 200 |
| 301 | Depositional Environments (counts as GEOL elective) | GEOL 300 |
| 410 | Geochemistry | MATH 106, GEOL 201 or parallel |
| 431/831 | Micro-paleontology | GEOL 103* |
| 441/841 | Geophysics | PHYS 141 or 211 |
| 455/855 | Computational Methods | GEOL 200, MATH 106 |
| 475/875 | Water Quality Strategy | Senior or grad standing |
| 488/888 | Groundwater Geology | GEOL 101, MATH 106 |
| 939 | Seminar in Paleontology | |
| 940 | Advanced Structural Geology |
*If you have not completed GEOL 103, a direct equivalent course is available at Southeast Community College (GEOL 1030: Historical Geology). Please plan to take it as soon as possible, preferably in Fall 2026.
Summer 2027
GEOL 460: Summer Field Course
Fall 2027
| GEOL | Course | Prerequisites/Notes |
|---|---|---|
101 | Dynamic Earth | |
109 | Oceanography | Use up to 3 hours 1XX in the major electives |
300 | Sedimentology & Stratigraphy | GEOL 201 |
424/824 | Biogeochemical Cycles | CHEM 109A/L, 12 hours GEOL or BIOS |
491/891 | Any or Special Topics per faculty expertise | |
939 | Seminar in Paleontology |
Spring 2028
| GEOL | Course | Prerequisites/Notes |
|---|---|---|
101 | Dynamic Earth | |
109 | Oceanography | Use up to 3 hours 1XX in the major electives |
110 or 125 | Deadly Planet or Antarctica | Use up to 3 hours 1XX in the major electives |
400 | Structural Geology | GEOL 300 |
444/844 | Earth and Environmental Biology | 3 hours BIOS or LIFE, 3 hours CHEM |
451/851 | Invertebrate Paleobiology | GEOL 103 |
475/875 | Water Quality Strategy | Senior or grad standing |
Summer 2028
GEOL 460: Summer Field Course
Fall 2028
| GEOL | Course | Prerequisites/Notes |
|---|---|---|
423/823 | Quaternary Paleoclimatology | 12 hours GEOL or BIOS |
491/891 | Any or Special Topics per faculty expertise |
Spring 2029
| GEOL | Course | Prerequisites/Notes |
|---|---|---|
475/875 | Water Quality Strategy | Senior or grad standing |
491/891 | Any or Special Topics per faculty expertise |
Contacts
Undergraduate
Doug Pellatz, Academic Advisor
209 Avery Hall
dpellatz@unl.edu
Scheduling Link
Christina Fielder, Transition Coordinator
Sr. Director for Student Academic and Career Development
107 Oldfather Hall
cfielder@unl.edu
Scheduling Link
Graduate
Eve Brank, Transition Coordinator
Associate Dean for Graduate Education
1228 Oldfather Hall
ebrank2@unl.edu