Bachelor of Science in Geophysics
The following courses are required for the B.S. degree in Geophysics. A written report on original research or an honors thesis is also required through participation in two or three quarters of GEOPHYS 185, Research Seminar Series, typically during the senior year. The departmental program proposal form can be downloaded at http://geo.stanford.edu/GP/undergraduate/major.html. Seniors in Geophysics who expect to do graduate work should take the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) early in their final undergraduate year.
CURRICULUM
PREREQUISITE COURSES
Students must complete course sequences in supporting mathematics and cognate sciences.
MATH 19,20,21. Calculus or MATH 41,42. Calculus and MATH 53. Ordinary Differential Equations
PHYSICS 41 and 110. Mechanics and Intermediate Mechanics
EE 141. Engineering Electromagnetics
or PHYSICS 120. Intermediate Electricity and Magnetism
CHEM 31A,B. Chemical Principles 1 and 2, or CHEM 31X, Chemical Principles (accelerated)
FUNDAMENTAL GEOPHYSICS
Students must take each of the following:
GES 1. Fundamentals of Geology
GEOPHYS 150. General Geophysics
or GEOPHYS 190. Introduction to Geophysical Field Methods
GEOPHYS 201. Frontiers of Geophysical Research at Stanford
ADDITIONAL ELECTIVES
- Three approved upper-level (100 or higher) Geophysics lecture courses, typically chosen from the following:
GEOPHYS 107. Journey to the Center of the Earth
GEOPHYS 140. The Earth from Space: Introduction to Remote Sensing
GEOPHYS 150. General Geophysics and Physics of the Earth
GEOPHYS 160. Waves
GEOPHYS 170. Global Tectonics
GEOPHYS 180. Geophysical Inverse Problems
GEOPHYS 190. Introduction to Geophysical Field Methods
GEOPHYS 222. Reflection Seismology
GEOPHYS 262. Rock Physics
- 6 units of GEOPHYS 185. Research Seminar Series (includes WIM requirement)
- Three additional approved upper-level (100 or higher) Earth Sciences lecture courses, typically chosen from the above GEOPHYS electives or from the following:
GES 102. Earth Materials
GES 110. Structural Geology and Tectonics
GES 111A. Fundamentals of Structural Geology
EESS 160. Statistical Methods for Earth and Environmental Sciences
ENERGY 120. Fundamentals of Petroleum Engineering
RECOMMENDED ELECTIVE
Students are recommended to take a programming class, but may not substitute it for any of the required or elective classes above.
CS 106A. Programming Methodology
HONORS PROGRAM
The department offers a program leading to the B.S. degree in Geophysics with honors. The guidelines are:
- Select a research project, either theoretical, field, or experimental, that has the approval of an adviser.
- Submit a proposal to the department, which decides on its suitability as an honors project. Necessary forms are in the department office.
- Course credit for the project is assigned by the adviser within the framework of GEOPHYS 205.
- The decision whether a given independent study project does or does not merit an award of honors is made jointly by the department and the student's adviser. This decision is based on the quality of both the honors work and the student's other work in Earth sciences.
- The work done on the honors program cannot be used as a substitute for regularly required courses.