Planning your GEL Major

Required Geology major courses

• GEL 101/101L - taught every Winter
• GEL 103 - taught every Spring
• GEL 105 - taught every Winter
• GEL 107 - taught every Fall, Spring, Summer Session 1, and Summer Session 2 in 2022-2023
• GEL 107L - taught every Fall and Spring in 2022-2023
• GEL 108 - taught every Spring
• GEL 109/109L - taught every Fall
• GEL 110A - taught every Summer Special Session (during Summer Session 1 dates), approximately mid-June to early July
• GEL 110B - taught every Summer Special Session (during Summer Session 1 dates), approximately mid-July to the end of July

Upper Division Electives

[ UC Davis General Catalog ] [ General Catalog Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences ]

The upper division electives are not restricted to geology (GEL) courses but must be chosen to provide a relevant, coherent, and in-depth program of study. Last updated 12/2020

• Choose from courses GEL 130-194 or pre-selected non-GEL courses.
• Only one of GEL/EDU 181 or 183 or 185A or 185B or 186 may be applied toward elective credit.
• No more than three units of upper division elective credit for courses GEL 115-120.
• No more than six units of upper division elective credit for GEL 192 or 194A-B or 194HA-HB.
  • Students who receive approval to do a senior thesis for part of the capstone requirement may not use 194A-B or 194HA-HB for the upper division elective courses.
• Pre-selected non-GEL courses:
  • CHE 100 – Environmental Water Chemistry (3 units). Offered every Winter.
  • ECI 171+171L – Soil Mechanics (5 units). Offered Winter and Spring.
  • ECI 175 – Geotechnical Earthquake Engineering (4 units). Offered every Fall.
  • ESM 100 – Principles of Hydrologic Science (4 units). Offered every Fall.
  • ESM 186 – Environmental Remote Sensing (5 units). Offered every Winter.
  • ESP 152 – Coastal Oceanography (3 units). Offered Summer Session 2 at Bodega Marine Lab (application required).
  • HYD 144 – Groundwater Hydrology (4 units). Offered every Fall.
  • HYD 146 – Hydrogeology and Contaminant Transport (5 units). Rarely offered.
  • LDA 150/ABT 150 – Introduction to Geographic Information Systems (4 units). Offered every quarter.
  • Cross-enrollment online class at UCLA: Geography 168 – Intermediate GIS (4 units) (this course counts as UC Davis’ LDA/ABT 150, so students cannot take both).
  • SSC 100 – Principles of Soil Science (5 units). Offered every Fall.
  • WFC 102+102L – Ecogeomorphology (1 unit) / Lab (6 units). Offered some Spring quarters.
  • Other courses in related fields must be approved in advance by the major advisor.

GEL Upper Division Electives list:

• Academic Year 2021-2022
• Academic Year 2021-2022 (pdf; updated 12/14/2021)
  Fall 2021
  • GEL 131 – Risks and Natural Hazards (3) Rundle
  • GEL 140 – Introduction to Process Geomorphology (4) Pinter
  • GEL 181 – Math and Science Teaching – Middle School (2) Salim
  • GEL 183 – Math and Science Teaching – High School (3) Pinter
  • GEL 186 – Learning Assistant Seminar (1) Stevenson
  • GEL 190 – Seminar (1) Vermeij
  Winter 2022
  • GEL 133 – Environmental Geochemistry (3) Mukhopadhyay
  • GEL 141 – Evolutionary History of Vertebrates (3) Motani
  • GEL 150B – Geological Oceanography (3) McKinley
  • GEL 160 – Geological Data Analysis (3) Rudolph
  • GEL 181 – Math and Science Teaching – Middle School (2) Salim
  • GEL 183 – Math and Science Teaching – High School (3) Pinter
  • GEL 186 – Learning Assistant Seminar (1) Stevenson
  • GEL 190 – Seminar (1) Stewart
  Spring 2022
  • GEL 116N – Oceanography (3) McKinley
  • GEL 120 – Big Bang to Today (3) Osleger
  • GEL 136 – Ecogeomorphology of Rivers & Streams (5) Pinter
  • GEL 144 – Historical Ecology (3) Vermeij
  • GEL 150A – Physical & Chemical Oceanography (4) Gaylord
  • GEL 181 – Math and Science Teaching – Middle School (2) Salim
  • GEL 183 – Math and Science Teaching – High School (3) Pinter
  • GEL 186 – Learning Assistant Seminar (1) Stevenson
  • GEL 190 – Seminar (1) Osleger
  Summer 2022
  • GEL 150C – Biological Oceanography (4) Hill
• Academic Year 2022-2023
• Academic Year 2022-2024 (pdf; updated 12/15/2021)
  Summer 2022
  • GEL 150C - Biological Oceanography (4) Hill
  Fall 2022
  • GEL 131 - Risks and Natural Hazards (3) Rundle
  • GEL 140 - Introduction to Process Geomorphology (4) Pinter
  • GEL 163 - Planetary Geology and Geophysics (3) Stewart
  • GEL 181 - Math and Science Teaching – Middle School (2) Salim
  • GEL 183 - Math and Science Teaching – High School (3) Pinter
  • GEL 186 - Learning Assistant Seminar (1) Stevenson
  • GEL 190 - Seminar (1) TBD
  Winter 2023
  • GEL 141 - Evolutionary History of Vertebrates (3) Motani
  • GEL 148 - Stable Isotopes and Tracers (3) Atekwana
  • GEL 150B - Geological Oceanography (3) McKinley
  • GEL 162 - Geophysics of the Solid Earth (3) Rudolph
  • GEL 181 - Math and Science Teaching – Middle School (2) Salim
  • GEL 183 - Math and Science Teaching – High School (3) Pinter
  • GEL 186 - Learning Assistant Seminar (1) Stevenson
  • GEL 190 - Seminar (1) TBD
  Spring 2023
  • GEL 116N - Oceanography (3) McKinley
  • GEL 120 - Big Bang to Today (3) Osleger
  • GEL 134 - Environmental Geology and Land Use Planning (3) Oskin
  • GEL 146 - Radiogenic Isotope Geochemistry and Cosmochemistry (3) Yin
  • GEL 161 - Geophysical Field Methods (3) Billen
  • GEL 181 - Math and Science Teaching – Middle School (2) Salim
  • GEL 183 - Math and Science Teaching – High School (3) Pinter
  • GEL 186 - Learning Assistant Seminar (1) Stevenson
  • GEL 190 - Seminar (1) TBD
• Academic Year 2023-2024 (tentative)
• Academic Year 2022-2024 (pdf; updated 12/15/2021)
  Summer 2023
  • GEL 150C - Biological Oceanography (4) Hill
  Fall 2023
  • GEL 110C - TBD (4) Rudolph
  • GEL 131 - Risks and Natural Hazards (3) Rundle
  • GEL 181 - Math and Science Teaching – Middle School (2) Salim
  • GEL 183 - Math and Science Teaching – High School (3) Pinter
  • GEL 186 - Learning Assistant Seminar (1) Stevenson
  • GEL 190 - Seminar (1) TBD
  Winter 2024
  • GEL 116N - Oceanography (3) Hill
  • GEL 133 - Environmental Geochemistry (3) Mukhopadhyay
  • GEL 141 - Evolutionary History of Vertebrates (3) Motani
  • GEL 146 - Radiogenic Isotope Geochemistry and Cosmochemistry (3) Yin
  • GEL 160 - Geological Data Analysis (3) Rudolph
  • GEL 181 - Math and Science Teaching – Middle School (2) Salim
  • GEL 183 - Math and Science Teaching – High School (3) Pinter
  • GEL 186 - Learning Assistant Seminar (1) Stevenson
  • GEL 190 - Seminar (1) TBD
  Spring 2024
  • GEL 120 - Big Bang to Today (3) Osleger
  • GEL 136 - Ecogeomorphology (5) Pinter
  • GEL 144 - Historical Ecology (3) TBD
  • GEL 150A - Physical and Chemical Oceanography (4) Gaylord
  • GEL 181 - Math and Science Teaching – Middle School (2) Salim
  • GEL 183 - Math and Science Teaching – High School (3) Pinter
  • GEL 186 - Learning Assistant Seminar (1) Stevenson
  • GEL 190 - Seminar (1) TBD

Geophysics minor course scheduling:

• GEL 131 - taught every Fall
• GEL 160 -  taught Winter of even years
• GEL 161 - taught Spring of odd years
• GEL 162 - taught Winter of odd years
• GEL 163 - taught Fall of even years

Other courses to consider:

• ENG 006—Engineering Problem Solving (4 units) – appropriate for non-engineering majors. A good introduction to programming and MATLAB.
• ECI 016—Spatial Data Analysis (2 units) – teaches CAD and GIS. No prerequisites. Offered in Spring.

General Education classes to consider:

• HYD 150—Water Law (3 units) GE credit: ACGH, SS.
• NAS 161—California Indian Environmental Policy I (4 units) GE credit: ACGH, DD, SS, WE. No prerequisites. Offered Spring of odd-numbered years.
• NAS 162—California Indian Environmental Policy II (4 units) GE credit: ACGH, DD, SS, WE. No prerequisites.
• SAS 018—GIS & Society (3 units) GE credit: QL, SE, SL, SS, VL.
• STS 001—Introduction to Science, Technology & Medicine Studies (4 units) GE credit: SS, WE. Learn how society and science affect each other.
• STS 011—Science on Trial: Law, Science, & Technology in the United States (4 units) GE credit: ACGH, SS. An introduction to law and science in America.
• STS 101—Data & Society (4 units) GE credit: QL, SS. Learn to analyze and visualize data about some of today's most challenging social problems. Add data analysis to your portfolio of skills.
• STS 180—Topics in Science & Technology Studies (4 units) GE credit: SS.