B.S. in Geological Engineering
Geological engineering integrates two disciplines: geology and engineering. Geologists study the Earth, its composition and structure, its history, and its past plant and animal life. Engineers apply scientific knowledge and experience to design and analyze systems for the benefit of mankind.
Geological Engineers try to answer questions such as the following:
- What are the soils and rocks, and where are the boundaries?
- Where is the groundwater, how much can be used sustainably, and what steps are required to protect and treat this resource?
- How do the soils and rocks respond to different stimuli (e.g., loading, unloading, exposure, flows of fluids, changes in temperature, disturbance)?
- Why do these materials respond this way?
- How can we beneficially control or modify the response of these materials?
The Mission of the Geology & Geophysics staff is to provide the highest standards of support, service, management, accounting, and other office related functions, to our customers, who are students, faculty, other departments, and the University community, and to promote harmony, growth, and development of our department through friendliness, integrity, reliability, and professionalism.
The program educational objectives of the Geological Engineering program are the following:
1) Graduates will utilize their backgrounds in engineering and earth science to provide solutions to engineering problems within the context of the natural world. Areas of geological engineering practice include fluid flow and contaminant transport in the subsurface; geo-mechanics (i.e., the behavior of earth materials), geo-engineering (i.e., design with earth materials); and discovery, development, and utilization of energy resources.
2) As an engineer, the graduate will obtain professional engineer licensure and participate in professional societies and continuing education activities to improve their professional stature.
3) As an academic researcher and teacher, the graduate will expand the knowledge and application of applied earth science and engineering to the betterment of society and will convey this knowledge to his or her students at all levels of their study.
4) Graduates will maintain a professional environment that fosters honesty, integrity, and a strong engineering and work ethic.
The geological engineering program outcomes that were established based on the program educational objectives, and utilized for assessment since the 2019 academic year, are the following:
1) an ability to identify, formulate, and solve complex engineering problems by applying principles of engineering, science, and mathematics
2) an ability to apply engineering design to produce solutions that meet specified needs with consideration of public health, safety, and welfare, as well as global, cultural, social, environmental, and economic factors
3) an ability to communicate effectively with a range of audiences
4) an ability to recognize ethical and professional responsibilities in engineering situations and make informed judgments, which must consider the impact of engineering solutions in global, economic, environmental, and societal contexts
5) an ability to function effectively on a team whose members together provide leadership, create a collaborative and inclusive environment, establish goals, plan tasks, and meet objectives
6) an ability to develop and conduct appropriate experimentation, analyze and interpret data, and use engineering judgment to draw conclusions
7) an ability to acquire and apply new knowledge as needed, using appropriate learning strategies
Graduates from a Geological Engineering program have the advantage that they can fill two positions at the same time: that of a soil/rock/groundwater Engineer and that of a Geologist. Fields in need of Geological Engineers include:
Civil engineering
- slope stability analysis
- seismic risk analysis
- assessment and mitigation of geologic hazards
Development of natural resources
- petroleum exploration & production
- minerals industry
Water resources
- characterization of groundwater supplies
- contaminant transport investigation
- contaminated subsurface remediation
| 2016-17 | 2017-18 | 2018-19 | 2019-20 | 2020-21 | 2021-22 | |
|
Majors enrolled |
22 |
21 |
20 |
20 |
16 |
16 |
|
B.S. degrees conferred |
1 |
2 |
0 |
7 |
4 |
0 |
The geological engineering program is accredited by the Engineering Accreditation Commission of ABET (www.abet.org).
