Bachelor of Science (BS) Degree with a Major in Earth, Environmental and Planetary Sciences
Program Learning Outcomes for the BS Degree with a Major in Earth, Environmental and Planetary Sciences
Upon completing the BS degree with a major in Earth, Environmental and Planetary Sciences, students will be able to:
- Demonstrate comprehensive knowledge of how the Earth system operates over geologic and modern timescales.
- Demonstrate the ability to make and record observations in the field, and to analyze and interpret these data in the context of the geologic history.
- Demonstrate effective oral and written communication skills.
- Demonstrate the ability to apply critical thinking and problem-solving skills to evaluate published research in the Earth, Environmental and Planetary sciences.
- Demonstrate an understanding of the scientific method and its application to the study of Earth, Environmental and Planetary sciences.
Requirements for the BS Degree with a Major in Earth, Environmental and Planetary Sciences
For general university requirements, see Graduation Requirements. Students pursuing the BS degree with a major in Earth, Environmental and Planetary Sciences must complete:
- A minimum of 22-24 courses (68-71 credit hours), depending on course selection, to satisfy major requirements.
- A minimum of 120 credit hours to satisfy degree requirements.
- A minimum of 10-12 courses (30-36 credit hours), depending on course selection, taken at the 300-level or above.
- The requirements for one area of specialization (see below for areas of specialization). The BS degree with a major in Earth, Environmental and Planetary Sciences offers three areas of specialization:
The courses listed below satisfy the requirements for this major. In certain instances, courses not on this official list may be substituted upon approval of the major’s academic advisor or, where applicable, the department's Director of Undergraduate Studies. (Course substitutions must be formally applied and entered into Degree Works by the major's Official Certifier.) Students and their academic advisors should identify and clearly document the courses to be taken.
Summary
| Code | Title | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Total Credit Hours Required for the Major in Earth, Environmental and Planetary Sciences | 68-71 | |
| Total Credit Hours Required for the BS Degree with a Major in Earth, Environmental and Planetary Sciences | 120 | |
Degree Requirements
| Code | Title | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Core Requirements | ||
| MATH 101 | SINGLE VARIABLE CALCULUS I | 3 |
| or MATH 105 | AP/OTH CREDIT IN CALCULUS I | |
| MATH 102 | SINGLE VARIABLE CALCULUS II | 3 |
| or MATH 106 | AP/OTH CREDIT IN CALCULUS II | |
| MATH 211 | ORDINARY DIFFERENTIAL EQUATIONS AND LINEAR ALGEBRA | 3 |
| CHEM 121 | GENERAL CHEMISTRY I | 3 |
| or CHEM 111 | AP/OTH CREDIT IN GENERAL CHEMISTRY I | |
| CHEM 123 | GENERAL CHEMISTRY LABORATORY I | 1 |
| or CHEM 113 | AP/OTH CREDIT IN GENERAL CHEMISTRY LAB I | |
| CHEM 122 | GENERAL CHEMISTRY II | 3 |
| or CHEM 112 | AP/OTH CREDIT IN GENERAL CHEMISTRY II | |
| CHEM 124 | GENERAL CHEMISTRY LABORATORY II | 1 |
| or CHEM 114 | AP/OTH CREDIT IN GENERAL CHEMISTRY LAB II | |
| Select 1 from the following: | 4 | |
| MECHANICS (WITH LAB) and MECHANICS DISCUSSION | ||
| HONORS MECHANICS (WITH LAB) | ||
| CONCEPTS IN PHYSICS I | ||
| Select 1 from the following: | 4 | |
| ELECTRICITY & MAGNETISM (WITH LAB) and ELECTRICITY AND MAGNETISM DISCUSSION | ||
| HONORS ELECTRICITY & MAGNETISM (WITH LAB) | ||
| CONCEPTS IN PHYSICS II | ||
| Select 1 course from the following: | 3-4 | |
| THE EARTH | ||
| INVESTIGATING EARTH'S SURFACE | ||
| CLIMATE CHANGE AND EXTREME WEATHER | ||
| NATURAL DISASTERS | ||
| OCEANOGRAPHY | ||
| THE EARTH SYSTEM, ENVIRONMENT, AND SOCIETY | ||
| INHABITING PLANET EARTH | ||
| THE PLANETS | ||
| THE EARTH AND THE SOLAR SYSTEM | ||
| Select 1 course from the following: | 3 | |
| INTRODUCTION TO COMPUTATION IN THE EARTH, ENVIRONMENT AND PLANETARY SCIENCES | ||
or CMOR 220 | INTRODUCTION TO ENGINEERING COMPUTATION | |
| Select 4 courses from the following: | 16 | |
| EARTH AND PLANETARY SURFACE ENVIRONMENTS | ||
| EARTH AND PLANETARY CHEMISTRY AND MATERIALS | ||
| EARTH AND PLANETARY STRUCTURE AND DYNAMICS | ||
| EARTH'S INTERIOR | ||
| OCEANS, ATMOSPHERES AND CLIMATE | ||
| EEPS 334 | THE EARTH LABORATORY | 3 |
| Areas of Specialization | ||
| Select 1 from the following Areas of Specialization (see Areas of Specialization below): | 21-23 | |
Environmental Earth Science | ||
Geoscience | ||
Planetary Science | ||
| Total Credit Hours Required for the Major in Earth, Environmental and Planetary Sciences | 71-74 | |
| Additional Credit Hours to Complete Degree Requirements * | 18-21 | |
| University Graduation Requirements * | 31 | |
| Total Credit Hours | 120 | |
Footnotes and Additional Information
| * | Note: University Graduation Requirements include 31 credit hours, comprised of Distribution Requirements (Groups I, II, and III), FWIS, and LPAP coursework. In some instances, courses satisfying FWIS or distribution requirements may additionally meet other requirements, such as the Analyzing Diversity (AD) requirement, or some of the student’s declared major, minor, or certificate requirements. Additional Credit Hours to Complete Degree Requirements include general electives, coursework completed as upper-level, residency (hours taken at Rice), and/or any other additional academic program requirements. |
Areas of Specialization
To fulfill the remaining Earth, Environmental and Planetary Sciences major requirements, students must complete one of the following areas of specialization. Students are encouraged to discuss course selection with their academic advisor. Course lists to satisfy requirements are listed below the areas of specialization.
Area of Specialization: Environmental Earth Science
To fulfill the remaining Earth, Environmental and Planetary Sciences major requirements, students pursuing the Environmental Earth Science area of specialization must complete a minimum of 7 courses (21-23 credit hours, depending on course selection) as listed below.
| Code | Title | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Area of Specialization: Environmental Earth Science | ||
| Select at least 1 course from each of the following 5 fields (see course lists below): | 15 | |
Breadth in Environmental Science | ||
Climate, Atmosphere, and Water | ||
Environmental Geochemistry and Geophysics | ||
Modeling and Data Analysis | ||
Surface Processes | ||
| Elective Requirements | ||
| Select a minimum of 2 courses from the following: | 6-8 | |
Any course from Earth, Environmental and Planetary Sciences departmental (EEPS) course offerings between course numbers EEPS 407:480, EEPS 482:490, EEPS 492:499 | ||
| INTRODUCTORY BIOLOGY I | ||
| INTRODUCTORY BIOLOGY II | ||
| ORGANIC CHEMISTRY I and ORGANIC CHEMISTRY DISCUSSION I | ||
| GEOLOGY FIELD CAMP | ||
or EEPS 391 | PRACTICAL EXPERIENCE IN EARTH, ENVIRONMENTAL AND PLANETARY SCIENCE | |
| MULTIVARIABLE CALCULUS | ||
or MATH 232 | HONORS MULTIVARIABLE CALCULUS | |
| WAVES, LIGHT, AND HEAT | ||
| ELEMENTARY APPLIED STATISTICS | ||
or STAT 180 | AP/OTH CREDIT IN STATISTICS | |
Any course at the 300-level (or above) from the following subject codes: BIOS, CEVE, CHEM, CMOR, ENVS, MATH, MECH, PHYS, or STAT | ||
| Total Credit Hours | 21-23 | |
Area of Specialization: Geoscience
To fulfill the remaining Earth, Environmental and Planetary Sciences major requirements, students pursuing the Geoscience area of specialization must complete a minimum of 7 courses (21-23 credit hours, depending on course selection) as listed below.
| Code | Title | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Area of Specialization: Geoscience | ||
| Select at least 1 course from each of the following 5 fields (see course lists below): | 15 | |
Deformation and Dynamics | ||
Geophysics | ||
Modeling and Data Analysis | ||
Petrology, Geochemistry, and Materials Characterization | ||
Surface Processes | ||
| Elective Requirements | ||
| Select a minimum of 2 courses from the following: | 6-8 | |
Any course from Earth, Environmental and Planetary Sciences departmental (EEPS) course offerings between course numbers EEPS 407:480, EEPS 482:490, EEPS 492:499 | ||
| INTRODUCTORY BIOLOGY I | ||
| INTRODUCTORY BIOLOGY II | ||
| INTERMEDIATE EXPERIMENTAL CELLULAR AND MOLECULAR BIOSCIENCES | ||
| ORGANIC CHEMISTRY I and ORGANIC CHEMISTRY DISCUSSION I | ||
| GEOLOGY FIELD CAMP | ||
or EEPS 391 | PRACTICAL EXPERIENCE IN EARTH, ENVIRONMENTAL AND PLANETARY SCIENCE | |
| MULTIVARIABLE CALCULUS | ||
or MATH 232 | HONORS MULTIVARIABLE CALCULUS | |
| WAVES, LIGHT, AND HEAT | ||
| ELEMENTARY APPLIED STATISTICS | ||
or STAT 180 | AP/OTH CREDIT IN STATISTICS | |
Any course at the 300-level (or above) from the following subject codes: BIOS, CEVE, CHEM, CMOR, ENVS, MATH, MECH, PHYS, or STAT | ||
| Total Credit Hours | 21-23 | |
Area of Specialization: Planetary Science
To fulfill the remaining Earth, Environmental and Planetary Sciences major requirements, students pursuing the Planetary Science area of specialization must complete a minimum of 7 courses (21-23 credit hours, depending on course selection) as listed below.
| Code | Title | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Area of Specialization: Planetary Science | ||
| Select at least 1 course from each of the following 5 fields (see course lists below): | 15 | |
Breadth in Planetary Sciences | ||
Deformation and Dynamics | ||
Modeling and Data Analysis | ||
Petrology, Geochemistry, and Materials Characterization | ||
Surface Processes | ||
| Elective Requirements | ||
| Select a minimum of 2 courses from the following: | 6-8 | |
Any course from Earth, Environmental and Planetary Sciences departmental (EEPS) course offerings between course numbers EEPS 407:480, EEPS 482:490, EEPS 492:499 | ||
| GEOLOGY FIELD CAMP | ||
or EEPS 391 | PRACTICAL EXPERIENCE IN EARTH, ENVIRONMENTAL AND PLANETARY SCIENCE | |
| MULTIVARIABLE CALCULUS | ||
or MATH 232 | HONORS MULTIVARIABLE CALCULUS | |
| WAVES, LIGHT, AND HEAT | ||
| ELEMENTARY PHYSICS LAB | ||
| ELEMENTARY APPLIED STATISTICS | ||
or STAT 180 | AP/OTH CREDIT IN STATISTICS | |
Any course at the 300-level (or above) from the following subject codes: ASTR, CHEM, CMOR, MATH, MECH, PHYS, or STAT | ||
| Total Credit Hours | 21-23 | |
Course Lists to Satisfy Requirements
| Code | Title | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Breadth in Environmental Science | ||
| CEVE 310 | PRINCIPLES OF ENVIRONMENTAL ENGINEERING | 3 |
| CEVE 414 | COASTAL HAZARDS IN A CHANGING CLIMATE | 3 |
| CEVE 434 | FATE AND TRANSPORT OF CONTAMINANTS IN THE ENVIRONMENT | 3 |
| CEVE 444 | ENVIRONMENTAL MICROBIOLOGY AND MICROBIAL ECOLOGY | 3 |
| CEVE 518 | ENVIRONMENTAL HYDROGEOLOGY | 3 |
| EEPS 307 / CEVE 307 / ENST 307 | ENERGY AND THE ENVIRONMENT | 3 |
| EEPS 437 | EARTH’S NATURAL RESOURCES FOR THE ENERGY TRANSITION | 3 |
| Code | Title | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Breadth in Planetary Sciences | ||
| ASTR 230 | ASTRONOMY LAB | 3 |
| ASTR 243 | LIVING WITH A STAR: THE PHYSICS OF THE SUN-EARTH CONNECTION | 3 |
| EEPS 425 | PLANETARY SURFACE PROCESSES | 3 |
| EEPS 445 | EARTH AND PLANETARY INTERIORS | 3 |
| EEPS 473 | FORMATION AND EVOLUTION OF PLANETARY SYSTEMS | 3 |
| Code | Title | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Climate, Atmosphere, and Water | ||
| CEVE 411 | ATMOSPHERIC CHEMISTRY AND CLIMATE | 3 |
| CEVE 412 | HYDROLOGY AND WATER RESOURCES ENGINEERING | 3 |
| EEPS 325 | OCEANS, ATMOSPHERES AND CLIMATE | 4 |
| EEPS 432 | FLUID FLOW IN FRACTURED ROCKS | 3 |
| EEPS 433 | CLIMATE DYNAMICS | 3 |
| EEPS 434 | CLIMATE OF THE COMMON ERA | 3 |
| EEPS 543 | EARTH'S ATMOSPHERE | 3 |
| Code | Title | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Deformation and Dynamics | ||
| EEPS 323 | EARTH AND PLANETARY STRUCTURE AND DYNAMICS | 4 |
| EEPS 460 | GLOBAL TECTONICS | 3 |
| EEPS 461 | STRUCTURE AND EVOLUTION OF TECTONIC SYSTEMS | 3 |
| EEPS 462 | TECTONOPHYSICS | 3 |
| EEPS 463 | THE PHYSICS OF FAULTING AND EARTHQUAKES | 3 |
| EEPS 464 | HEAT AND MASS TRANSPORT ON EARTH AND PLANETS | 3 |
| EEPS 465 | ROCK DEFORMATION AND RHEOLOGY | 3 |
| EEPS 467 | GEOMECHANICS | 3 |
| EEPS 468 | VOLCANOES | 3 |
| Code | Title | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Environmental Geochemistry and Geophysics | ||
| EEPS 418 | TRACE ELEMENT AND ISOTOPE GEOCHEMISTRY | 3 |
| EEPS 420 | ORGANIC GEOCHEMISTRY | 3 |
| EEPS 437 | EARTH’S NATURAL RESOURCES FOR THE ENERGY TRANSITION | 3 |
| EEPS 438 | THE SCIENCE OF NATURE-BASED CARBON SEQUESTRATION | 3 |
| EEPS 458 | ENVIRONMENTAL & APPLIED ROCK PHYSICS | 3 |
| Code | Title | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Geophysics | ||
| EEPS 324 | EARTH'S INTERIOR | 4 |
| EEPS 445 | EARTH AND PLANETARY INTERIORS | 3 |
| EEPS 446 | SEISMOLOGY I | 3 |
| EEPS 448 | EXPLORATION GEOPHYSICS | 4 |
| EEPS 450 | GEOPHYSICAL DATA ANALYSIS: DIGITAL SIGNAL PROCESSING | 3 |
| EEPS 454 | INTRODUCTION TO SEISMIC INTERPRETATION: STRUCTURAL STYLES AND SEISMIC STRATIGRAPHY | 3 |
| EEPS 458 | ENVIRONMENTAL & APPLIED ROCK PHYSICS | 3 |
| EEPS 459 | WELL LOGGING AND PETROPHYSICS | 3 |
| Code | Title | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Modeling and Data Analysis | ||
| ASTR 408 | STATISTICAL METHODS IN PHYSICS AND ASTRONOMY | 3 |
| EEPS 433 | CLIMATE DYNAMICS | 3 |
| EEPS 451 | GEOPHYSICAL DATA ANALYSIS: INVERSE METHODS | 3 |
| EEPS 471 | EARTH SYSTEMS MODELING I: PHILOSOPHY AND FUNDAMENTALS | 3 |
| EEPS 472 | EARTH SYSTEMS MODELING: NUMERICAL TECHNIQUES AND APPLICATIONS | 3 |
| Code | Title | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Petrology, Geochemistry, and Materials Characterization | ||
| EEPS 322 | EARTH AND PLANETARY CHEMISTRY AND MATERIALS | 4 |
| EEPS 410 | OPTICAL MINERALOGY AND PETROGRAPHY | 3 |
| EEPS 411 | CHARACTERIZATION OF EARTH, ENVIRONMENTAL, AND PLANETARY MATERIALS | 3 |
| EEPS 412 | ADVANCED PETROLOGY | 3 |
| EEPS 413 | ADVANCED PETROLOGY II | 3 |
| EEPS 418 | TRACE ELEMENT AND ISOTOPE GEOCHEMISTRY | 3 |
| EEPS 437 | EARTH’S NATURAL RESOURCES FOR THE ENERGY TRANSITION | 3 |
| Code | Title | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Surface Processes | ||
| EEPS 321 | EARTH AND PLANETARY SURFACE ENVIRONMENTS | 4 |
| EEPS 415 | GEOCHEMISTRY OF EARTH’S SURFACE | 3 |
| EEPS 425 | PLANETARY SURFACE PROCESSES | 3 |
| EEPS 430 | APPLIED STRATIGRAPHIC METHODS | 3 |
| EEPS 435 | REMOTE SENSING | 3 |
| EEPS 436 | GIS FOR SCIENTISTS AND ENGINEERS | 3 |
| EEPS 439 | GEOMICROBIOLOGY | 3 |
| EEPS 530 | SILICICLASTIC SEDIMENTS: DEPOSITIONAL SYSTEMS AND PROCESSES | 3 |
Policies for the BS Degree with a Major in Earth, Environmental and Planetary Sciences
Program Restrictions and Exclusions
Students pursuing the BS Degree with a Major in Earth, Environmental and Planetary Sciences should be aware of the following program restrictions:
- As noted in Majors, Minors, and Certificates, under Declaring Majors, Minors and Certificates, students may not obtain both a BA and a BS in the same major. Students pursuing the BS Degree with a Major in Earth, Environmental and Planetary Sciences may not additionally pursue the BA Degree with a Major in Earth, Environmental and Planetary Sciences.
- As noted in Majors, Minors, and Certificates, students may not major and minor in the same subject.
Transfer Credit
For Rice University’s policy regarding transfer credit, see Transfer Credit. Some departments and programs have additional restrictions on transfer credit. Requests for transfer credit must be approved for Rice equivalency by the designated transfer credit advisor for the appropriate academic department offering the Rice equivalent course (corresponding to the subject code of the course content). The Office of Academic Advising maintains the university’s official list of transfer credit advisors on their website: https://oaa.rice.edu. Students are encouraged to meet with the applicable transfer credit advisor as well as their academic program director when considering transfer credit possibilities.
Additional Information
For additional information, please see the Earth Environmental and Planetary Sciences major page, on the Department of Earth, Environmental and Planetary Sciences website: https://eeps.rice.edu/undergraduate/.
Opportunities for the BS Degree with a Major in Earth, Environmental and Planetary Sciences
Academic Honors
The university recognizes academic excellence achieved over an undergraduate’s academic history at Rice. For information on university honors, please see Latin Honors (summa cum laude, magna cum laude, and cum laude) and Distinction in Research and Creative Work. Some departments have department-specific Honors awards or designations.
Undergraduate Independent Research
The department encourages, but does not require, Earth, Environmental and Planetary Sciences (EEPS) undergraduate majors to pursue independent supervised research in EEPS 481. This can also be carried out as part of the Earth, Environmental and Planetary Sciences Honors Thesis Program (described below), or independently with a faculty mentor. Undergraduates enrolled in the Honors Research program automatically will be eligible for consideration for the university honor, the Distinction in Research and Creative Work. Other students who wish to be considered for this honor within the EEPS majors should discuss with an EEPS major advisor at the beginning of their senior year.
Honors Research
Undergraduates are encouraged to embark on an undergraduate honors thesis. The purpose of the honors thesis is for students to develop and demonstrate their creative and independent research potential. Students are recommended to begin in the fall of their junior year to provide ample time for research projects to be developed, executed, and written. However, honors theses must commence during the fall semester of senior year. Students are expected to enroll in at least two semesters of the course EEPS 481, spanning their senior year. Juniors who have identified a research project and mentor can also enroll in EEPS 481. Students should sign up for EEPS 481 for 3 credit hours.
Requirements and Recommendations for Completing an Undergraduate Honors Thesis
Fall Semester of Senior Year
At the beginning of the fall semester, seniors interested in the honors thesis program must identify a thesis advisor, a thesis topic, and enroll in the required courses. During the semester, students will participate in meetings with other honors thesis candidates to discuss basic research protocols and philosophies, and meet independently with their chosen scientific advisor, and generate data, experiments or models. At the end of the semester, students must submit final versions of their proposals, describing motivation, hypothesis, methodology, and preliminary results. The honors thesis committee will evaluate the proposals, and if approved, students can continue in the honors thesis program. Required courses:
| Code | Title | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|
| EEPS 401 | SEMINAR: UNDERGRADUATE HONORS THESIS | 1 |
| EEPS 481 | UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCH IN EARTH, ENVIRONMENTAL AND PLANETARY SCIENCES | 1-6 |
Spring Semester of Senior Year
A mid-semester progress report must be submitted to the thesis committee for feedback. At the end of the spring semester, students submit their final theses, and give public oral exit talks. To complete the honors thesis program, student theses must be approved by the honors thesis committee. Required courses:
| Code | Title | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|
| EEPS 401 | SEMINAR: UNDERGRADUATE HONORS THESIS | 1 |
| EEPS 481 | UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCH IN EARTH, ENVIRONMENTAL AND PLANETARY SCIENCES | 1-6 |
Further details about the program, and expectations and criteria for the thesis proposal and final thesis can be found on the EEPS Honors Thesis tab of the Department of Earth, Environmental and Planetary Sciences website.
Other Points of Consideration
Students who are accepted into the Rice Undergraduate Scholars Program (RUSP) can substitute EEPS 481 courses for semesters 2 and 3 with HONS 470 and HONS 471. However, the students will have to meet all other requirements of the honors thesis set by the department.
Additional Information
For additional information, please see the Earth, Environmental and Planetary Sciences major page, on the Department of Earth, Environmental and Planetary Sciences website: https://eeps.rice.edu/undergraduate/.