Earth Sciences BS and Geosciences SF Scholars Roadmap

The San Francisco State Scholars program provides undergraduate students with an accelerated pathway to a graduate degree. Students in this program pursue a bachelor’s and master’s degree simultaneously. This program allows students to earn graduate credit while in their junior and/or senior year, reducing the number of semesters required for completion of a master’s degree.

This roadmap is a suggested plan of study and does not replace meeting with an advisor. Please note that students may need to adjust the actual sequence of courses based on course availability. Please consult an advisor in your major program for further guidance.

Plan of Study Grid
First Year
Fall Semester		Units
CHEM 115	General Chemistry I: Essential Concepts of Chemistry (Major Science and Math Foundation)	5
ENG 114	Writing the First Year: Finding Your Voice (A2) ¹	3
MATH 226	Calculus I (Major Science and Math Foundation, B4) ²	4
GE Area A ³		3
	Units	15
Spring Semester
Select One Set of Courses (Major Science and Math Foundation): ⁴		4
PHYS 111 & PHYS 112	General Physics I and General Physics I Laboratory (B1, B3)
PHYS 220 & PHYS 222	General Physics with Calculus I and General Physics with Calculus I Laboratory (B1, B3)
GE Area A		3
GE Area D		3
GE Area E		3
SF State Studies or University Elective		3
	Units	16
Second Year
Fall Semester
ERTH 400	Earth Systems I (Major Core)	3
Select One Set of Courses (Major Math and Science Foundation): ⁴		4
PHYS 121 & PHYS 122	General Physics II and General Physics II Laboratory
PHYS 240 & PHYS 242	General Physics with Calculus III and General Physics with Calculus III Laboratory
GE Area B: Life Science (B2)		3
GE Area C		3
GE Area D		3
	Units	16
Spring Semester
ERTH 500	Earth Systems II (Major Core)	3
Major Emphasis (34 units) ⁵		3-4
GE Area C - Take Two		6
U.S. and California Government		3
	Units	15-16
Third Year
Fall Semester
ERTH 205	Techniques in Earth Sciences (Major Core)	2
Major Emphasis (34 units) - Take Two ⁵		6-8
GE Area F ^±		3
GE Area UD-B: Upper-Division Physical and/or Life Sciences (Consider SF State Studies Course)		3
	Units	14-16
Spring Semester
ERTH 505	Quantitative Methods in Earth Sciences (Major Core)	3
Major Emphasis (34 units) - Take Two ⁵		6-8
GE Area UD-C: Upper-Division Arts and/or Humanities (Consider SF State Studies Course)		3
GE Area UD-D: Upper-Division Social Sciences (Consider SF State Studies Course)		3
	Units	15-17
Fourth Year
Fall Semester
ERTH 700	Graduate Seminar in Geosciences (Graduate Core)	2
Major Emphasis (34 units) - Take Three ⁵		9-12
Culminating Experience ⁶		3-4
	Units	14-18
Spring Semester
ERTH 600GW	Earth's Climate History - GWAR (Major Core)	3
ERTH 690	Earth Sciences Capstone Presentation (Major Culminating Experience) ⁶	1
ERTH 701	Research Methods in Geosciences (Graduate Core)	3
Major Emphasis (34 units) - Take Two ⁵		6-8
Graduate Elective (13 units) ⁷		3
	Units	16-18
Fifth Year
Fall Semester
ERTH 702	Quantitative Methods in Geosciences (Graduate Core)	3
ERTH 897	Research Project (Graduate Core)	3
Graduate Elective (13 units) - Take Three ⁷		9
	Units	15
Spring Semester
ERTH 897	Research Project (Graduate Core)	3
ERTH 898	Master's Thesis (Graduate Core)	3
Graduate Elective (13 units) ⁷		3
	Units	9
	Total Units	145-156

ENG 114 can only be taken if you complete Directed Self-Placement (DSP) and select ENG 114; if you choose ENG 104/ENG 105 through DSP you will satisfy A2 upon successful completion of ENG 105 in the second semester; multilingual students may be advised into alternative English courses.

To determine the best B4 course option, students should complete the online advising activity at mathadvising.sfsu.edu. Questions? Contact Gator Smart Start.

To avoid taking additional units, it is recommended that you meet SF State Studies (AERM, GP, ES, SJ) and Ethnic Studies requirements within your GE or major.

⁴

PHYS 111/PHYS 112 are prerequisites for PHYS 121/PHYS 122. PHYS 220/PHYS 222 are prerequisites for PHYS 240/PHYS 242.

⁵

Major Emphasis (34 units)

Students must select one of the following emphases

Geology Emphasis

The Geology emphasis provides students with an in-depth understanding of the solid Earth, the processes that shape it, and the skills to conduct field investigations of geologic problems. Students who complete these emphasis requirements will be prepared for graduate school in geology or to enter the workforce directly as a professional geologist. The coursework prepares students to pass the Association of State Board Geology (ASBOG) exam to be a licensed professional geologist.

Required Courses (22–23 units)

ERTH 210 Physical Geology (4 units) (B1, B3, ES)
ERTH 420 Mineralogy and Petrology I (4 units)
ERTH 510 Structural Geology (4 units)
ERTH 620 Field Methods in Geology (2 units)
and either
ERTH 522 Geochemistry (4 units)
or
CHEM 215 General Chemistry II: Quantitative Applications of Chemistry Concepts (3 units)
and CHEM 216 General Chemistry II Laboratory: Quantitative Applications of Chemistry Concepts (2 units)

Electives (11–12 units)

Select additional Geology emphasis elective courses upon advisement, subject to the constraints listed below. Electives plus emphasis requirements must total at least 34 units.

Electives may be selected from among the following options:
- Any ERTH course numbered 400 or higher
- Up to 3 units of any of the following courses:
  - an Historical Geology course (or equivalent) from a community college
  - Any 300-level ERTH course
  - GEOG 312, GEOG 313, GEOG 314, GEOG 316, GEOG 317, GEOG 500GW, GEOG 602, GEOG 603, GEOG 606, GEOG 610, GEOG 611, GEOG 620, GEOG 621, GEOG 625, GEOG 629, or GEOG 642
  - Any BIOL, CHEM, CSC, ENGR, MATH, or PHYS course numbered 200 or higher, or ENGR 103
  - Any one, non-GE course not listed above, with the approval of a Department advisor

(When choosing electives, keep in mind that SF State requires all students to complete at least 30 units of upper-division coursework to graduate.)

Hydrology Emphasis

The Hydrology emphasis provides students with an in-depth understanding of the behavior of water on and beneath Earth’s surface, how water shapes the solid earth, and environmental problems associated with water. Students who complete these emphasis requirements will be prepared for graduate school in hydrology or to enter the workforce directly as a professional hydrologist.

Requirements (21–22 units)

Select one of the following (3-4 units):

           ERTH 210 Physical Geology (4 units) (B1, B3, ES)
           ERTH 230 Environmental Geology (3 units) (B1, B3, ES)
           ERTH 330 California Water (3 units) (UD-B, ES)
ERTH 425 Geomorphology (4 units)
ERTH 430 Fluid Dynamics in Earth Systems (3 units)
ERTH 442/GEOG 342 Surface Water Hydrology (4 units)
ERTH 444 Hydrogeology (4 units)
ERTH 544 Groundwater Contamination (3 units)

Electives (12–13 units)

Select additional Hydrology emphasis electives upon advisement, subject to the following constraints:

Emphasis requirements above plus electives must total at least 34 units.
Electives may be selected from among the following options:
- Any ERTH course numbered 200 or higher
- Up to three of any of the following, non-ERTH courses:
  - GEOG 312, GEOG 313, GEOG 314, GEOG 316, GEOG 317, GEOG 500GW, GEOG 427, GEOG 430, GEOG 602, GEOG 603, GEOG 606, GEOG 610, GEOG 611, GEOG 620, GEOG 621, GEOG 625, GEOG 629, GEOG 643, GEOG 644, or GEOG 647
  - ENGR 103, or any MATH, PHYS, CHEM, ENGR, CSC, or BIOL course numbered 200 or higher
  - One non-GE course not listed above, with the approval of a Department of Earth & Climate Sciences advisor and the Department Chair.

(When choosing electives, keep in mind that SF State requires all students to complete at least 30 units of upper-division coursework to graduate.)

Ocean, Weather & Climate Emphasis (34 units)

The Ocean, Weather & Climate emphasis provides students with an understanding of the structure and behavior of oceans, the atmosphere, and climate, and the physical processes that shape and change them. Students who complete these emphasis requirements will be prepared for graduate school work in Earth sciences disciplines such as oceanography, meteorology, or climate science, or to enter the workforce directly.

Requirements (21-23 units)

ERTH 260 Physical Processes in the Atmosphere (4 units) (B1, B3, ES, GP)
And five courses selected from the following:
          ERTH 335 Global Warming (3 units) (UD-B, ES, GP)
          or ERTH 360 California Weather Events (3 units) (UD-B, ES, GP)
          or ERTH 365 Extreme Weather in a Warming World (3 units) (UD-B, ES, GP)
ERTH 430 Fluid Dynamics in Earth Systems (3 units)
ERTH 434 Coastal Processes (3 units)
ERTH 465 Weather Analysis and Forecasting I (4 units)
ERTH 470 Physical Oceanography (4 units)
ERTH 535 Planetary Climate Change (4 units)
MATH 227 Calculus II (4 units)

Electives (11-13 units)

Select additional Geology emphasis electives upon advisement, subject to the following constraints:

Emphasis requirements above plus electives must total at least 34 units.
Electives may be selected from among the following options:
- Any ERTH course numbered 200 or higher
- CHEM 680
- Physics with calculus beyond courses used to meet the physics requirements in the Science and Math Foundation portion of the degree (e.g., PHYS 230/PHYS 232, or for students who take PHYS 111/PHYS 112 and PHYS 121/PHYS 122, two of the four units for each of PHYS 220/PHYS 222 and PHYS 240/PHYS 242 can count toward the elective requirement)
- Computer programming (e.g., CSC 309)
- Any non-GE statistics or other data analysis (e.g., MATH 324)
- Linear algebra and/or more advanced calculus (e.g., MATH 228, MATH 245)
- GEOG 313, GEOG 314, GEOG 316, GEOG 317, GEOG 500GW, GEOG 602, GEOG 603, GEOG 606, GEOG 610, GEOG 611, GEOG 620, GEOG 621, GEOG 625, GEOG 629, GEOG 643, or GEOG 644
- One non-GE course not listed above, with the approval of a Department of Earth & Climate Sciences advisor and the Department Chair.

(When choosing electives, keep in mind that SF State requires all students to complete at least 30 units of upper-division coursework to graduate.)

⁶

Culminating Experience (4-5 units)

In addition to ERTH 690, students must select one of the following options:

ERTH 695 Senior Project (1-3 units)

An honors thesis consisting of:

ERTH 697 Undergraduate Research (2 units)
and
ERTH 698 Senior Thesis (2 units)

or (for Geology emphasis and Hydrology emphasis only):

Field Geology or equivalent (at another institution) for 4 units

⁷

Graduate Elective Courses (13 units)

Upper-division or graduate elective courses on advisement.

Elective units are chosen from courses offered by the Earth & Climate Sciences Department or other University departments, and must be selected by students in consultation with their faculty advisors. At least 6 units must be courses numbered 700 or higher, and 6 units must be courses offered in the Earth & Climate Sciences Department.

To help prepare for their careers, graduate students are strongly encouraged to serve as a Graduate Teaching Assistant (GTA) for at least one semester. GTAs typically teach lab sections attached to lectures in introductory, general education courses in geology (ERTH 112, ERTH 210, ERTH 230), meteorology (ERTH 162), and oceanography (ERTH 172). To support their professional development in teaching, GTAs are strongly encouraged to enroll in a professional development course such as SCI 750 (2 units) before or during their service as a GTA, to learn about research-based best practices in teaching and learning. These courses count toward the 13-unit graduate elective unit requirement.

Given catalog rights, fall 2022 transfer students do not need to complete an Area F course.