Geology Curriculum Research Articles

The Role of Planetary Geoscience in the University Geology Curriculum

(1967). The Role of Planetary Geoscience in the University Geology Curriculum. Journal of Geological Education: Vol. 15, No. 5, pp. 175-180.

Der Rahmen für die Neuordnung des Studiums der Geologie und Paläontologie

Der Rahmen für die Neuordnung des Studiums der Geologie und Paläontologie

Academic Trends and Engineering Geology

Engineering geology is distinguished by being chiefly confined to the physical aspects of geoscience, i.e., to physico-geology. The other branches of applied geology—petroleum, mining, and ground-water—are concerned dominantly with the mineral aspects of geoscience and with the demand for specific resources. Tomorrow's undergraduate geology curricula will consist largely of preparation in the basic sciences, humanities, and engineering science, with a few strong geological courses. The continued upgrading of preparatory training necessitates that geological courses become more rigorous and provides for an interdisciplinary approach to the study of processes and physical environments. Graduate-level training in the geosciences for future engineering geologists is taken for granted. The forthcoming sophisticated applications of physico-geology are fascinating. Tomorrow's practitioner must possess a well-rounded training in geoscience, plus certain other attributes, to serve these expanding challenges.

TIME FOR A CHANGE?

The purpose of the AGT symposium introduced by this paper is to examine critically the course content of elementary mineralogy, as taught in American colleges and universities, and to seek for common agreement on the beginning of an articulate philosophy concerning the aims and status of this course in the geology curriculum. The writer feels personally that elementary mineralogy needs to be broadened through greater stress on fundamentals and through closer co-ordination with other parts of geology. Only in this way can it occupy more meaningfully its rightful place as one of the most basic and useful of all geology courses. Mineralogy is a fundamental, as well as a descriptive, part of geological science. It should be so regarded and so taught in the elementary course.

General Education in Retrospect

A few years ago the writer was connected with the department of geology in one of the universities in the Southwest at a time when a program of General Education was being introduced in the Arts and Sciences College of the university. It was the responsibility of the staff to formulate a curriculum and plan of instruction by which the General Education program could be interwoven into the curricula of the college. One of the big obstacles of considerable concern was the possible modification of the existing geology curriculum and supporting courses. Most of the students who receive degrees in geology at that university go to work for oil companies, where they are in competition with graduates from other universities. The members of the staff felt a strong obligation to provide adequate training in geology for these students at a time when some of the industry's representatives were requiring a minimum of 50 hours of geology before the students would be considered for employment. Following numerous interde...

Is There Room for Liberal-Education Courses in the Geology Curriculum ?

The increase in the subject matter of geology in recent years and the need to add more courses to cover these fields have crowded the geology curriculum to the extent that many of the liberal-education courses formerly included are now omitted. Assuming that a liberal education is desirable for a well-rounded geologist, the colleges are faced with the possibility of: (1) lengthening the period of study from 4 years to 5 years, or even more, in order to include such courses, (2) leaving out some of the geology courses to make room for liberal-education courses, (3) setting up entrance requirements which would insure that much of the liberal education will be taken in high school, or (4)) some combination of the above proposals. The emphasis today on graduate work in geology is largely an application of (1). Unfortunately, in many cases the geology content is increased without any increase in liberal-education content. The problem seems to narrow itself down to a consideration of “how much” geology is neede...