Geology
About Our Program
Through rigorous hands-on learning, our geology program empowers you to become a better observer and steward of the natural world and its many resources. You’ll seek academic adventures beyond the classroom and conduct research that could take you anywhere--from the heart of the Adirondack Park to field sites across the globe. What you learn and observe will inform your responses to some of today’s most pressing issues, like resource scarcity and climate change.
In the process, you’ll form connections with faculty mentors who are as invested in your research as you are. You’ll also join an active and close-knit alumni network eager to share its experiences and help you understand the different ways you can turn your undergraduate passions into rewarding career paths.
Learning Experiences to Prepare for Your Career
At its core, geology requires hands-on research and observation in the field. Our North Country location includes world-class geologic sites, and we offer plenty of off-campus trips for students curious to compare and contrast diverse environments.Center for the Environment
We've combined our environmentally focused programs and bold new initiatives to create a brand new Center for the Environment–your hub for all things climate change, energy, conservation, sustainability, environmental justice, outdoor leadership, and more.
Explore the Center for the Environment
Conduct Award-Winning Research
Geology majors at St. Lawrence are known for producing high-caliber, graduate-level research on topics that they’re passionate about. As a result, students like Claire Bartlett ’21 have a long history of earning top honors when presenting their research at professional conferences such as the Geological Society of America Conference. In 2020, Claire won the National Council Award for her work analyzing data from downed trees in Adirondack Park.
Fellowship Opportunities
The geology department offers ample opportunities to secure funding for your research—and there are no limits on where it might take you, from mountains in North Dakota to lagoons in Honduras, and lakes, forests, highlands, and lowlands across the North Country.
Explore Research Opportunities
Nature Up North
This community-based organization housed at St. Lawrence connects people to the North Country environment through citizen scientist projects and outdoor adventures—and it offers internship and volunteer opportunities for geology majors like you.
Past Internships
Learn by doing in a real-world environment. Our majors intern with a wide range of organizations, including:
- Upper Saranac Lake Foundation
- Isotope Lab at the Memorial University of Newfoundland
- Gardenshare Canton, N.Y.
- U.S. Geological Survey
Conference Research Presentations
St. Lawrence University Geology Alumni Conference (SLUGAC)
Geology alumni are eager to give back, and many do so through SLUGAC. Held every three years, this on-campus conference welcomes generations of alumni back to campus to share their career experiences and connect with current students.
Geological Society of America’s (GSA) Annual Meeting
For several years in a row, St. Lawrence students have earned awards at the Geological Society of America’s (GSA) Annual Meeting for their outstanding research projects conducted alongside their faculty mentors.
Study Abroad
Choose from more than 30 semester-long programs offered in more than 20 international locations, including Australia, New Zealand, and Costa Rica.
Short-Term Trips & Field Experiences
Hands-on fieldwork in our department includes exposure to diverse environments across the country and world. You’ll have several opportunities to embark on weeklong off-campus trips every year, plus many more day trips to world-class geologic sites in St. Lawrence’s backyard.
Connect with Community
Among the 150+ clubs and organizations at St. Lawrence, you’ll find many that involve the outdoors, wildlife and environmental advocacy, including:
- Outing Club
- Environmental Action Organization
- Sigma Gamma Epsilon Earth Sciences Honor Society
- CLAW - Connecting Laurentians Around Wilderness
- The Finer Things Cheese and Turophile Society
- Seed to Table
- St. Lawrence River Alliance
- The Greenhouse
- Model U.N.
- Divestment Club
- Geology Club
- Euphrates Institute
- SLU Legal
Alumni Network
St. Lawrence graduates are big thinkers, problem solvers, and fearless leaders at companies and organizations across the country and world. Our alumni network is the second-most influential source for recent graduate employment (only behind internships).
Explore the Power of our Alumni Network
Outcomes
For all of our alumni, the quest for evidence and answers doesn’t stop after Commencement. Some choose to make this activity a profession. You can find them in the field or the lab, using their talents to communicate the importance of their research and engage others in their work.
Recent Employment Opportunities
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Mohawk Valley GIS
- Development Authority of the North Country
- Arcadis Engineering
- California Conservation Corps
- New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation
- American Museum of Natural History
Recent Graduate School Placements
-
Tufts University
- University of Vermont
- Syracuse University
- Montana State University
- University of Arizona
Why St. Lawrence for Geology
of St. Lawrence geology majors are employed or continuing their education within a year
The number of weeklong trips to places like Jamaica or Norway offered per year
Recent Employment Opportunities
- Mohawk Valley GIS
- Development Authority of the North Country
- Arcadis Engineering
- California Conservation Corps
- New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation
- American Museum of Natural History
1 Billion
Years, the age of ancient rocks in the Adirondack Park, the oldest in New York State.
Alumni at Work: The Great Outdoors
Laurentians' passion for the outdoors is no accident. These examples show how the business of the outdoors comes with great responsibility that creates impactful careers.
trips to the Arizona Laserchron Center in Tucson to conduct geochronological analysis with a faculty member
20 Miles to Your Outdoor Classroom
St. Lawrence County and Adirondack Mountains host some of the best sites for the collection and study of rare mineral samples.
The number of alumni you’ll have an opportunity to connect with at the Geology Alumni Conference every three years
miles to Ottawa, Canada, home of the Isotope Geochemistry and Geochronology Research Centre at Carleton University, where you’ll have opportunities to complete lab work
Recent Graduate School Placements
- Tufts University
- University of Vermont
- Syracuse University
- Montana State University
- University of Arizona
Center for the Environment
Our brand-new Center for the Environment is a hub of environmental leadership, scholarship, and action.
More Program Information
Program Requirements & Courses
Geology major requirements, as well as electives and popular double major combinations.
Complementary and Related Programs
Geology Faculty
“We tend to treat our students more as graduate students than undergraduates. Our expectations are high, but they always rise to the occasion.”
Alexander K. Stewart, USA (ret)
Jeffrey Chiarenzelli
Mark Holland
Antun Husinec
Sherrie LaRose
Judith Nagel-Myers
“I’ve conducted research on clay-rich landslides on Mars with my mentor and an alumna. To be able to work in my area of interest—planetary science—so early in my academic career has been an invaluable experience for my growth as an aspiring geologist.”
Anuva Anannya
Expert, Passionate Faculty
Several of your faculty literally wrote the book on Adirondack geology. They’re excited to help you explore compelling geologic sites in your backyard, throughout the country, and across the globe.
The Power of Connections
St. Lawrence geology alumni are eager to give back and show current students all they can do with their degree. Many attend the department’s Geology Alumni Conference, held every three years, to mentor students on applying to graduate school or finding career opportunities.
What's In Your Toolkit?
Everything you’ll need to prepare and analyze rock samples is on campus including rock saws and crushers, petrographic microscopes, a scanning electron microscope with energy dispersive analysis (SEM-EDS), an x-ray diffractometer (XRD), and an x-ray fluorescence spectrophotometer (XRF).
Center for the Environment
We've combined our environmentally focused programs and bold new initiatives to create a brand new Center for the Environment–your hub for all things climate change, energy, conservation, sustainability, environmental justice, outdoor leadership, and more.
Get More Information
We’re excited to learn more about you, tell you more about our interdisciplinary academic programs, show you around our beautiful campus, and help you navigate your college search.
Apply to St. Lawrence
We’re looking for curious students who are eager to make a difference. We take a holistic approach to reviewing applications and consider all aspects of your application and what we learn about you.