The intellectual excitement of modern earth sciences is fueled by our exploration of the dynamic forces that shape our planet and the delicate balances that have rendered it conducive to life for much of its history. These forces and balances link subjects as diverse as the evolution of continents, global climate change, and biological evolution. They also influence our daily lives in surprising and compelling ways. Many of the grand challenges facing humanity in the foreseeable future, including global warming, energy and resource depletion, and groundwater contamination, involve processes that are studied by geoscientists.

Geoscience offers undergraduates the refreshing combination of a solid curriculum in the sciences and an opportunity to do leading research in a number of fields, all within a relatively small, close-knit department. Class sizes are small, and this allows for a stimulating, well-paced, and intimate environment.

The geosciences department has a healthy diversity of students, not only with different backgrounds, but also with different interests and career goals. To accommodate students with varied interests, the department offers three informal "tracks": Solid Earth Science, Environmental Geosciences, and Environmental Policy. The Solid Earth Science and Environmental Geosciences tracks are appropriate for students planning to enroll in graduate school in the sciences or medicine, or to pursue careers in industries or agencies involved in extracting or conserving our natural resources. The Environmental Policy track may appeal to those students with broad interdisciplinary interests who intend to pursue a career in law, business, public policy, government, or diplomacy, and who recognize the usefulness of a sound training in Earth Sciences in furthering those goals.