Geoscience: Geography and Geoscience

In the first two years at Trinity students will acquire a broad grounding in geography and geoscience with an emphasis on physical geography, geology and human-environment interactions. Topics of study include climate change, natural hazards (e.g. volcanoes, earthquakes, landslides), energy, sustainability and natural resources. These foundation years cover a diverse range of material including: the origins and development of our planet; earth structure and composition; circulation in the atmosphere and oceans; the evolution of life on Earth; Earth surface processes and environments (e.g. glaciers, rivers and deserts). Students will also undertake a field course and expand their knowledge in social science and a language.

In years three and four at Columbia, students will follow a major in Earth Science while adding breadth through the Core Curriculum. The program for Earth Science majors aims to convey an understanding of how the complex earth system works at a level that will encourage students to think creatively about earth system processes and how to address multidisciplinary environmental problems. The breadth of material covered provides an excellent background for those planning to enter the law, business, diplomacy, public policy, teaching, journalism, and related fields. At the same time, the program provides sufficient depth so that graduates will be prepared for graduate school in the earth sciences.

The field placement at the end of year three provides students with invaluable experience and necessary skills to bring to their career of choice. In the final year, a capstone project allows students to explore in-depth an area of interest.