Holy Cross offers a minor in geoscience, which is the field of the natural sciences that includes geology, hydrology, oceanography, and climate science. Geoscience courses tend to be small and focus on humans and our interactions with the Earth. The geoscience minor is an excellent complement to a major in Environmental Studies, Biology, Chemistry, or Physics if you are interested in the environmental sciences. It is also a great option for someone from any major who is interested in how the earth works. Some courses have labs in which you go outdoors and/or off campus on field trips. While it can be difficult to get into a geoscience course as a first-year student, we encourage you to explore this option early, such as in your first or second year, if you are interested. Appropriate first courses in the program include GEOS 120 Geohazards, ENVS 125 Introduction to Climate Change, and GEOS 150 Introduction to Geology (with lab). Questions can be directed to the coordinator of the Geosciences minor, Professor Sara Mitchell (smitchel@holycross.edu), and more information can be found at the Geosciences website.
Courses
GEOS 120
Geohazards
Common Area: Natural Science
This introductory geoscience course will provide an examination of the causes, effects, and options available to mitigate natural disasters, such as hurricanes, floods, sinkholes, earthquakes, volcanoes, tsunami, landslides, and meteorite impacts. While the focus will be on the science, we will also discuss big-picture concepts such as hazard and risk, resilience and recovery, environmental social justice, and the earth as a connected system. This course is appropriate for current or potential geoscience and environmental studies minors, as well as students interested in a natural science course. There will be three exams plus readings from the popular and scientific literature, hands-on data analysis, writing assignments, and a group oral presentation.