Geology
Why You Should Take Geology at GCC
Why You Should Take Geology at GCC
We, the Geology Faculty, are experienced research, industry, and academic geologists dedicated to community education, offering Geology courses to serve the needs of:
- Geology majors, minors, as well as future and in-service science teachers.
- Students majoring in fields that require or recommend some geology foundation (e.g. civil engineering, forestry, environmental sciences etc. (See our Career & Degree Path Link)
- Students who need to satisfy the Arizona General Education Curriculum (AGEC) for their Associate degrees or certificates, or to transfer to Arizona's public universities. Many GLG courses satisfy SQ and SG science requirements and some can be used to simultaneously satisfy Global and Historical Awareness areas.
- Members of the community interested in geology- from the scale of individual minerals to the solar system itself or anywhere in between.
GCC Geology courses are taught in all modalities (in person and/or online) utilizing advanced instructional technologies and immense collections of minerals, rocks, fossils and a wide variety of demonstration materials. Actual sample kits are available for online courses. We are routinely available outside of class. We also take advantage of Arizona's spectacular geologic setting to provide the opportunity for real-time field observation of many geological features.
Geoscientists seek to understand the Earth’s composition, natural systems, and history. Our understanding of processes such as earthquakes, volcanic activity, landslides, floods, land subsidence, coastal processes, and climate changes have a tremendous impact on human activity and, indeed, human life! Humans depend on Earth’s resources including surface and ground water, soils for growing crops and building materials, fossil and nuclear fuels, metallic and non-metallic building materials. Geoscientists work to find and manage such resources. Deciphering Earth’s long history may provide us with potential insights into our own future.
In addition to natural resource companies including the mining and fossil fuel industries, Geologists are routinely employed by research agencies including those in federal, state and local governments as well as non-profit organizations; geologic engineering, hydrological, and environmental consulting firms; and secondary schools, colleges and universities. Most entry level work requires a bachelor’s degree. Graduate degrees are often required for research and supervisory geologists as well as post-secondary faculty positions. Most graduate degrees focus on specialties including but not limited to geochemistry, geophysics, paleontology, planetary geology, geological/mining/petroleum engineering, and hydrology. Other fields/majors such as civil engineering, forestry, sustainability, and environmental sciences either require or strongly recommend some background courses in geology.
Many geoscientists spend some time in the field gathering samples, collecting data and/or determining spatial relationships. An office or laboratory environment is often used for data analysis and synthesis often using computers for the preparation of written reports, maps, and cross sections.
If the study of the Earth captivates you, please consider starting your career in the Geological Sciences!
Students at any Maricopa Community College may need to complete courses at more than one of our colleges.
| Associate in Science, Emphasis in Geology |