Earth Sciences

Earth Sciences covers a broad range of topics: everything from the atmosphere to the earth’s mantle, mountain building to mass wasting, the ancient geologic past to the present, exploration for earth’s resources to mitigation of human- and naturally-induced hazards. Students benefit from student-centred teaching by faculty as well as hands-on lab exercises, field trips, and/or field-based research projects.  Our location in the heart of the Cordillera affords students the opportunity to visit many local geological environments, ranging from glaciers to volcanoes, active river systems to tsunami sites, and from high mountain environments to the coastal margin. Monitoring stations even permit evaluation of the groundwater beneath our feet! The mild west coast climate allows for year-round opportunities to visit field sites and directly apply techniques learned in lectures and labs to real-world examples. 

Degrees offered: BSc, MSc, PhD

Career paths range from office-based to field-based for professional geoscientists.  The right to practice in, and to accept professional responsibility for geoscience in B.C. is limited to those who are registered members of the Association of Professional Engineers and Geoscientists of British Columbia (APEGBC). BSc degrees in the Department of Earth Sciences are specifically designed to permit registration as Professional Geoscientists in either the Geology or the Environmental Geoscience stream. 

Geoscientists are very much in demand, with abundant job opportunities in mineral resources, groundwater, hazard assessment, and the energy sector. Geoscience positions are also very lucrative, providing the best of both worlds – studying the Earth and getting well paid for doing it!