Undergraduate Handbook
Table of Contents
(revised August, 2002)
Introduction
Programs
Resources
Policies
On-line Forms
Additional BSEd Information
Course Rotation Schedule

Advisement Sheets
General Education
General Science Certification

B.S. Geoscience:
Geology
advisement sheet
course sequence
Earth Systems
advisement sheet
course sequence

B.S.Ed. Earth &Space Science:
course sequence
Astronomy Track
advisement sheet
Geology Track
advisement sheet

PROGRAMS

Major Degree Programs
Minor Degree Programs
General Science Certification
Other Opportunities
Student Responsibilities

Major Degree Programs

The Department of Geology and Astronomy offers two Bachelor of Science degree programs. Students pursuing the Bachelor of Science in Geoscience degree program choose one of three concentrations: Environmental Geoscience, Geology, or Earth Systems. Offered in conjunction with the School of Education, the Bachelor of Science in Education degree with certification in Earth and Space Science contains three tracks: Environmental Geoscience, Geology, and Astronomy. All programs emphasize analytical skills and build upon required background course work in mathematics, chemistry, physics, and statistics. Written and oral communications are emphasized in most of the course work.

The BS in Geoscience program offers specialized training in one of three fields of concentration. The environmental geoscience concentration is intended for students planning a career or advanced work in the environmental industry. The program emphasizes those areas of geology most pertinent to environmental work including minerals and rocks, geochemistry, geologic structures, geophysics, and hydrology. The geology concentration is designed to prepare recipients for occupations in geology and/or geochemistry, including the environmental industry, as well as for studies toward advanced degrees in those areas. Its curriculum emphasizes depth in the traditional disciplines of geology, including studies of igneous, metamorphic, and sedimentary rock types, mineralogy, paleontology, structural geology, and tectonic processes. The earth systems concentration is a liberal arts program intended for students wanting to concentrate on the breadth of the earth sciences. Students preparing for careers in fields related to the earth sciences such as environmental law or resource management, or those wishing to place a greater emphasis on astronomy, are encouraged to utilize this concentration.

The BS in Education in Earth and Space Sciences is a professional degree program designed to prepare certified secondary school teachers with an overall science exposure and specialization in the earth and space sciences. The program meets all guidelines established by the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE), the Pennsylvania Department of Education (PDE), and the National Science Teachers Association (NSTA) for earth and space science certification. The program contains three tracks allowing students to gain additional depth in environmental geoscience, geology or astronomy.

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Minor Degree Programs

Students may choose from three minors: astronomy, earth science, or geology.

To earn a minor in astronomy, the student must take ESS 111 (General Astronomy) and four other astronomy courses selected with the approval of the student's advisor.

To earn a minor in earth science, the student must take ESS 101 (Introduction to Geology), ESS 111 (General Astronomy), ESS 230 (Introduction to Oceanography), and ESS 270 (Introduction to Meteorology), plus one other course in the earth sciences selected with the approval of the student's advisor. ESL 230 (Introduction to Oceanography Laboratory) is optional.

To earn a minor in geology, the student must take ESS 101 (Introduction to Geology) plus four other geology courses selected with the approval of the student's advisor.

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Certification in General Science

With careful selection of coursework, students in the BSEd degree program may earn additional certification in General Science. General Science certification is also available to any matriculated undergraduate as well as post-baccalaureate students. With this certification, teachers may teach the first course in Life Science, Physical Science, Earth Science, and General Science at the Junior High and Middle School level; and Advanced General Science at the Senior High School level.

The program (see advisement sheet) provides a comprehensive background in the sciences and 30 credits in education including a science teaching methods course (SCE/SCB 350). In addition to the strong foundation in science, the program allows flexibility for students to emphasize biological or physical sciences in upper-level courses. In order to assist students in integrating their knowledge across disciplinary boundaries, a science-related interdisciplinary course is required. Accreditation requirements stress experience in fieldwork, research, and technology. To address this, certain upper-level courses are designated "F", "R", and/or "T" to indicate that they contain a significant component of fieldwork, independent research, and/or discussion of technological applications of science. Students are required to design their upper-level elective coursework to include all F, R, and T components. A student wishing to receive transfer credit for upper-level elective courses with the F, R, or T designation will be provided with a copy of the relevant PDE/NCATE standards and required to provide in writing a statement demonstrating how the transfer course fulfills the F, R, or T designation. Non-BSEd students should check early in their career with the School of Education to be sure of taking the correct courses.

Students must maintain a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.5 and a minimum average GPA of 2.0 within the core requirements, interdisciplinary, and additional science courses. Students may not receive a grade below C- (70) in any of the core requirements, interdisciplinary, and additional science courses.

Upon completion of the General Science Certification program at WCU, students can choose to take one of two examinations recognized for certification in General Science by Pennsylvania. Students with a B.S.Ed. degree in Biology, for example, would select exam #10030, Biology and General Science, which consists of approximately 60% questions in biology, and 10% each questions in chemistry, physics, earth and space science, and the history and philosophy of science. Students with B.S.Ed. degrees in Chemistry, Physics, or Earth & Space Sciences would typically select exam #10070, Chemistry, Physics and General Science, which consists of approximately 10% each questions in earth & space science and life science (biology), 30% each questions in chemistry and physics, and 20% questions about the "major ideas of chemistry and physics." 

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Other Opportunities

A cooperative five-year program with The Pennsylvania State University leading to a degree in engineering with several geoscience specialties is available. For further information about this program, refer to the Physics and Pre-Engineering section of the University's catalogue.

An internship may be completed for credit toward the degree. See the Internship Policy in the Policies section of this handbook.

West Chester is one of approximately 115 American colleges and universities that participates in the National Student Exchange Program. This program gives students an opportunity to broaden their cultural and academic horizons through a semester or a year of study in another part of the United States without paying out-of-state tuition fees or incurring such complications as credit transfers. The exchange usually takes place during the sophomore or junior year. In order to qualify for the program, applicants must be full-time students with a 2.5 GPA. NSE information is available from the Office of the Registrar.

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Student Responsibilities

The responsibility for the completion of general education and degree requirements in compliance with all University and Department rules and regulations ultimately rests with the student. In order to ensure the timely completion of your degree, you should read and become familiar with the University catalog in effect at the time you declared your major, this student handbook, and Ram's Eye View. Remember that you are bound by the requirements in effect at the time you 1) entered the University for general education requirements, and 2) declared the major for major program requirements. If you are dismissed or otherwise leave the University, you are bound by the requirements in effect at the time of readmission. You may exercise the one-time option to follow revisions to your degree program at the time the new requirements become effective.

Your advisor will help to ensure that your course of study proceeds efficiently. Faculty advisors can help develop an overall strategy for completing a degree program, plan a semester's schedule, offer career counseling, and monitor academic progress at regular intervals. In order to prevent the occurrence of problems, it is imperative that all majors consult often with their advisor. The first visit to an advisor should occur no later than one month after the beginning of each semester. As soon as the master schedule for the following semester is distributed, students are expected to meet with their advisor to choose appropriate courses for the next term. Failure to consult with the advisor may result in delayed completion of degree requirements. A third visit should be scheduled just before final exams.

Advisors keep records of a student's progress in the department. Petitions, semester schedules, and other pertinent forms are included in a student's file. It is the student's responsibility to see that all agreements between the advisor and student are added to the file. It is always best to have the signature of both the advisor and student on all agreements.

Representative four-year advisement sheets and degree requirements are included in this handbook. Although these forms will help students pick courses for a particular degree, they cannot be considered to be the only advisement that students need in order to complete their degree requirements. Proper communication between student and advisor is critical for continued progress toward graduation.

Students receiving a grade below "C-" in a required department course (ESS or SCE), as well as in a required cognate course, must repeat the course and earn a grade of "C-" or better. Electives applied to the major will be considered as required department courses.

The department discourages substitutions and waivers in the pursuit of a degree. Rather the student is expected to plan his or her program very carefully with the advisor. Under unusual circumstances, students may petition for a variance from the requirements for a degree and the department members will consider each request. Students who do not see their advisor regularly should not expect the department to consider petitions for variances.

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