Geology and Geophysics

Geology and Geophysics (G&G) is the scientific study of the Earth as a planet; studies include many broad topics such as:

•  climate change, meteorology, and oceanography; 
•  environmental science, geochemistry, and natural resources including global energy supply; 
•  paleontology, evolutionary theory, and the history of life on Earth; 
•  plate tectonics, earthquakes and volcanoes, and planetary science.  

The G&G department has close links with other departments at Yale, including Anthropology, Astronomy, Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Physics; as well as the School of Forestry and Environmental Studies, the Yale Peabody Museum, the Yale Institute for Biospheric Studies, and the Yale Climate and Energy Institute.

The Geology & Geophysics Undergraduate Program consists of five alternative tracks, defined by discipline.  The Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) track in Geology and Natural Resources is designed for students aiming for a general overview of the Earth sciences.  The B.A. track is more lenient on prerequisites (mathematics in particular) and total number of courses, and is particularly appropriate for students pursuing a double major or seeking a career in law, business, government, or environmental fields.  The Bachelor of Science (B.S.) program is designed to prepare students for professional careers in the Earth sciences.  It has prerequisites in math, chemistry, and physics or biology, and requires about 10 courses beyond those prerequisites, plus a senior project.  Details vary among the four tracks, which are named: 

• atmosphere, ocean, and climate, 
•  environmental and energy geoscience, 
•  paleontology and geobiology,
• solid Earth sciences.

Students considering a major in G&G should first explore the various alternative tracks among the B.A. and B.S. degrees, using the links provided above, and then arrange a meeting with the Director of Undergraduate Studies.  Although some students arrive at Yale already considering the G&G major, many of our students become aware of the program in the sophomore year.  Although each track has its course prerequisites (from math, chemistry, biology, or physics), those do not all need to be taken in advance of introductory or even some mid-level G&G courses.

A Yale financial aid award will meet 100% of a student’s Demonstrated Financial Need using two components:

1. The Student Self-Help Contribution – which students typically fulfill with term-time work of about nine to ten hours per week. The self-help contribution is $2,800 per year for the 2013-2014 academic term.
2. The Yale Scholarship - covering the full amount of the remaining balance.

No loans are ever required

The Self-Help Contribution is typically met by working on Yale’s campus, where minimum wage is currently $12.00 an hour. Student jobs are available in academic departments, laboratories, and administrative offices on campus.

The Yale Scholarship is a need-based grant from the university. This can vary from a few thousand dollars to over $50,000 per year. The average Yale need-based scholarship in 2013-2014 was $41,250.

Funds from outside merit-based scholarship awards can be used to reduce or eliminate a student’s Self-Help Contribution and the Student Income Contribution (see below). Funds from need-based or entitlement sources such as the federal Pell Grant, state grants, and tuition benefits or grants from a parent’s employer are applied in conjunction with the Yale Scholarship and do not reduce student’s Self-Help Contribution or the Student Income Contribution.