Concentrations: Environmental and Engineering Geology; Life, Ocean and Climate; Solid Earth and Tectonics; and General Geology

Major requirements and their VCCS equivalents (and RBC equivalents if applicable)

NOTE: The word "AND" between VCCS course numbers indicate JMU credit will be awarded for the completion of the VCCS sequence.

JMU Course: GEOL 102, Environmental Earth (see note) or GEOL 110, 110L Physical Geology

  • VCCS equivalents: BIO 107 or GOL 105, 106 or 110 or ENV 121
  • RBC equivalents: No equivalent
  • NOTE: Students who earn credit for GEOL 102 may still need to take GEOL 110L (1 cr. lab) at JMU

JMU Course: GEOL 280, Mineralogy

  • VCCS equivalents: GOL 207
  • RBC equivalents: No equivalent

JMU Course: GEOL 350, Paleobiology

  • VCCS equivalents: GOL 206
  • RBC equivalents: No equivalent
  • NOTE: For the General Geology concentration

JMU Course: CHEM 131, 131L, 132, 132L, General Chemistry I, II

  • VCCS equivalents: CHM 111, 112
  • RBC equivalents: CHEM 101, 102

JMU Course: MATH 235, Calculus I

  • VCCS equivalents: MTH 263
  • RBC equivalents: MATH 251

JMU Course: MATH 236, Calculus II or MATH 220, Elementary Statistics

  • VCCS equivalents: MTH 264 or MTH 155 or MTH 245
  • RBC equivalents: MATH 217 or 252

JMU Course: PHYS 140, 140L, 150, 150L, College Physics I, II or 240, 240L, 250, 250L, University Physics

  • VCCS equivalents: PHY 201, 202 or PHY 241, 242
  • RBC equivalents: PHYS 101, 102 or 201, 202

Advising Notes

Please Read: This major guide is a list of all possible major courses offered in the Virginia Community College System. Not all courses may be offered at your community college, and you are not required to complete all these courses in order to transfer. Rather, it’s designed to help you meet JMU major requirements before you transfer, and be better prepared to progress through the major once you arrive at JMU. Please be sure to read the advising notes for additional information on the major.

  1. Students should complete as many of the above chemistry, physics and math requirements at the community college as possible. The Geology Department recommends that these courses be completed before enrolling in geology courses numbered 300 and higher.
  2. Students who transfer with a transferable associate degree and the above chemistry, physics and math courses will be able to progress through the major and should be able to finish their degree in two years.

For more information:

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