Bachelor of Arts in Earth Sciences

San Francisco State University

The Bachelor of Arts in Earth Sciences program builds a solid conceptual foundation of basic physical sciences, mathematics, and Earth sciences. Students integrate knowledge of these separate disciplines in ways needed to understand and help solve important interdisciplinary problems, such as slowing and adapting to climate change and managing conflicting demands that humans make on the natural environment. It also prepares students to advise and educate others about issues requiring knowledge of how the Earth works.

Beyond the basic foundation, students have great flexibility to adapt the program to satisfy many possible interests in the Earth sciences and prepare for a variety of careers.

Some career possibilities include:

• High school and middle school science teaching.
• Technical support for firms engaged in environmental engineering, environmental monitoring and protection, natural resource analysis and management, hazardous materials and ecological remediation, computer mapping, etc.
• Technical support to city, county, state, and other governmental agencies charged with land use and other planning.
• Preparation for graduate education in such fields as resource management, environmental public policy, and environmental law.
• Science writing, editing, and librarianship.
• Interpretation for park systems, nature centers, museums, and other areas requiring natural science field skills and natural history communication skills.

Program Learning Outcomes

Upon completion of the Bachelor of Arts in Earth Sciences the student will be able to:

• Conceptualize a set of fundamental processes in the physical earth system, including spatial relationships, temporal change, and how components of the earth system (land, air, and sea) interact.
• Articulate the process of geoscientific investigation and locate, read, interpret, and evaluate presentations of earth science information in the mass media, in government reports, and in the geosciences literature for their relevance and credibility.
• Explain relations among earth processes and human actions and how humans across cultures and economic levels can live safely and sustainably on the planet.
• Communicate earth science concepts and information effectively, both orally and in writing.