I live in Phoenix, and ASU recently stopped offering Geological Sciences as a BS and now all they have is the Earth and Space Exploration degree with a concentration in geological sciences. I would much prefer to stay in Phoenix, but I could move to Tucson and go to U of A. If I did that, would the Geosciences or the Geological Engineering degree give me better opportunities? HELP!
Earth Sciences & Geology - 2 Answers
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1
Yes, Go to the U of A Good luck I don't think that there is anything in the Pheonix area for you The University of Texas, Permian Basin has a good mining school http://www.utpb.edu/utpb_adm/academicaffairs/collegeofartscience/DeptofPhysicalSciences/deptsofphysicalsciences.htm And there is a good one in NM, I think it's the NM Institure of Mining and Technology http://www.ees.nmt.edu/
2
I'm a Geological Sciences professor at ASU and I thank you for your question. The first thing I'd like to point out is that the new BS ESE degree/Geological Sciences concentration at ASU is still completely a Geological Sciences degree--all of the important core courses are still there. We made changes to the degree primarily to give ASU students more flexibility in focusing on a specific major, and to allow students to take better advantage of the broad range of geoscience expertise offered by faculty in the School of Earth and Space Exploration. The most important geological components of the earlier degree are all still there and you are still studying Geology! Just ask any of our majors--or, more tellingly, see where they go after they graduate. The second thing I'd like to note is that to become a professional Petroleum Geologist, you will need to earn a Master's Degree after completing your BS degree. The BS degree is not a terminal degree for this field--its principal function is to prepare you for graduate study in your chosen field. And I can assure you that the ASU BS degree will prepare you for Masters study in Petroleum Geology just as well as BS degrees from other quality institutions like UA, UT, and NMTech. So you don't have to leave the Valley if you don't want to. Please feel free to contact me or other professors via the ASU SESE website (sese.asu.edu) if you have further questions. Thanks Prof. Steve Semken
