Department of Geosciences
Welcome!
Life as a Geoscience or Environmental Science major is one of the most challenging, fun, and rewarding on the MTSU campus. Currently, the faculty educates approximately 150 undergraduate majors, making the MTSU Department of Geosciences one of the largest undergraduate programs in the southeastern United States. However, with a student-faculty ratio of approximately 15 to 1 and a commitment to diversity and equality, we are able to provide each student with the personal attention necessary to ensure academic success. In addition to receiving high-quality technology-based classroom and laboratory instruction, students participate in departmental field trips, attend regional and national conferences, and engage in faculty-supervised research. Importantly, the faculty considers our students’ education to be a year-long endeavor, and therefore encourages majors to participate in summer geoscience field courses, research programs, and pre-professional internships.
Our Programs
We have a lot of options to help you meet your post-university goals! To learn more about our degrees, check out the following links:
- Click here to see our programs with information on the topics, themes and skills they cover!
- Click here to see learn about faculty mentoring regarding specific careers!
How do you get started?
The first step to becoming a part of the Department of Geosciences is to take one of our General Education courses, Introduction to Earth Science and Laboratory (GEOL 1030/1031), Physical Geology and Lab (GEOL 1040/1041), or Physical Geography (PGEO 1030). These courses provide an overview of the Geosciences, and each counts as four credit hours toward the required MTSU General Education curriculum category of Natural Science. We also encourage you to reach out and visit us to discuss if Geosciences is the right major for you!
The Department of Geosciences office is located on the second floor of Davis Science Building (DSB 241). If you are interested in either a major or minor in Geosciences, please contact our department Executive Aide, Ms. Karen Wolfe (DSB 241, 615-898-2726, karen.wolfe@mtsu.edu), who will put you in touch with a Geosciences advisor.
Mailing address:
MTSU – Dept. of Geosciences
MTSU PO Box 9
Davis Science Building 241
Murfreesboro TN 37132
Dr. Todd Moore, Department Chair
615-898-2379
Karen Wolfe, Executive Aide
615-898-2726
Follow Us!
Faculty Spotlight
Click the image above to see a larger version.
Alan Brown:
"I did not start out in college thinking I would be a Geology major. In fact, I had little idea what a Geologist even was. It was my first class in Geology that ignited my love of Geology and Paleontology. I had a strong interest in Paleontology while in school but decided to focus instead on environmental geology because the job market was much better. After getting my Master’s degree I worked as an environmental consultant for 7 years.
Then, in 2005, I was hired as an instructor at Middle Tennessee State University. Once I started at MTSU my interest in Paleontology was rekindled. In the summer of 2009, I was invited to go on a dinosaur dig in Montana and I have returned to Montana to dig up dinosaurs every summer since. I volunteered at two museums in the area but they both closed. I then got together with a small group, and we decided to start a new museum. This museum is Earth Experience the Middle Tennessee Museum of Natural History in Murfreesboro, Tennessee, which opened in 2014. It is my passion and takes almost all my free time."
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Contact Us
Mail address:
MTSU - Dept. of Geosciences
MTSU PO Box 9
Davis Science Building 241
Murfreesboro, TN 37132
Dr. Todd Moore, Department Chair
615-898-2379
615-898-2726