Requirements

Earth and Oceanographic Science (EOS) Major

The major consists of ten courses.

Earth and Oceanographic Science (EOS) Minor

The minor consists of five courses.

Additional Information and Department Policies

• First-year writing seminars do not count toward the major or minor requirements.
• Only one course numbered 1100–1999 in EOS may be counted toward the major or minor requirements.
• Students may opt to begin the major with EOS 2005 Biogeochemistry: An Analysis of Global Change having previously taken BIOL 1102 Biological Principles II or BIOL 1109 Scientific Reasoning in Biology; or CHEM 1092 Introductory Chemistry and Quantitative Reasoning II, CHEM 1102 Introductory Chemistry II, or CHEM 1109 General Chemistry. Such students may substitute an intermediate EOS laboratory course (2000–2969) or research experience course (ex. EOS 3115 Research in Mineral Science, EOS 3165 Research in Earth and Oceanographic Science: Topics in Petrotectonics, EOS 3515 Research in Oceanography: Topics in Paleoceanography) for introductory EOS (1100–1999).
• All courses counted toward the major or minor must be completed with a C- or better.
• Courses taken to fulfill major or minor requirements must be taken for regular letter grades (not Credit/D/Fail).
• Normally, one course taken at another college or university may be counted toward the EOS major requirements with departmental approval.
• Courses taken at other institutions or study away programs may not be counted toward the EOS minor.
• Students coordinating their EOS major with environmental studies may only double-count two cross-listed courses. Minors may double-count an unlimited number of cross-listed courses with another department or program. 

Independent Studies and Honors Projects

• Independent studies and honors projects do not count toward the major or minor requirements. 
• Intermediate independent study courses are numbered based on the area of focus: EOS 2970-2973 is for Solid Earth, EOS 2974-2977 is for Surface Processes, EOS 2978-2981 is for Oceanography, and EOS 2982-2985 is for interdisciplinary projects.
  • An intermediate collaborative study is EOS 2999.
• Advanced independent study courses are numbered based on the area of focus: EOS 4000-4003 is for Solid Earth, EOS 4004-4007 is for Surface Processes, EOS 4008-4011 is for Oceanography, and EOS 4012-4015 is for interdisciplinary projects.
  • An advanced collaborative study is EOS 4029.
• Honors research requires two semesters of work and the courses are numbered based on the area of focus:
  • EOS 4050-4051 is for Solid Earth, EOS 4052-4053 is for Surface Processes, EOS 4054-4055 is for Oceanography, and EOS 4056-4057 is for interdisciplinary projects.
• Please visit the student research section of the EOS department's website for more details regarding honors projects. 

Postgraduate Study

Students planning postgraduate study in EOS should note that they might present a stronger application if they take additional courses in the department and in the contributing sciences: biology, chemistry, computer science, mathematics, and physics. It is strongly advised that students consult with faculty on the design of their major and discuss the options of research projects through independent studies, fellowship-funded summer research, and honors projects.

Interdisciplinary Majors

Interdisciplinary majors at Bowdoin are distinct from the coordinate majors with digital and computational studies, education, and environmental studies. The department does not explicitly participate in formal interdisciplinary programs. However, the Departments of Earth and Oceanographic Science and Physics have identified major and minor pathways for students interested in majoring in EOS with an interest in physics (EOS major/physics minor), and students interested in majoring in physics with an EOS application (physics major/EOS minor). Students interested in an EOS major/physics minor with a focus in the solid earth discipline would be best served by selecting their optional physics courses from:

Students interested in an EOS major/physics minor with a focus in the surface earth discipline would be best served by selecting their optional physics courses from:

Students interested in an EOS major/physics minor with a focus in the oceanography discipline would be best served by selecting their optional physics courses from:

Information for Incoming Students 

Faculty and students in the Department of Earth and Oceanographic Science (EOS) at Bowdoin investigate fundamental questions about our planet’s past, present, and future. In our courses and research programs, we sample rocks, sediments, shells and waters to reconstruct Earth’s geologic history, including past climates. We study Earth’s systems at all scales—atoms to oceans—and use state of the art instrumentation and data analysis to unravel Earth’s past so that we can better understand and prepare for our future. 

EOS students learn the skills and knowledge to address questions such as: where will we secure fresh water to meet the needs of a growing global population? How will landslides triggered by more extreme storms affect populations? Do decreases in snowpack and glaciation in response to modern climate change impact volcanic hazards? How does natural resource extraction impact the Earth system?

From tracking how a harmful algal bloom develops along our coastline to learning how supervolcanoes form deep within Earth, studies in EOS open a world of possibilities.

EOS 1105 Introducing Earth, offered in the fall, is an introductory course aimed at first-year students. 24 seats are reserved for first-year students. The Earth is a dynamic system that has been shaped in part by geologic processes (ex: earthquakes, volcanic activity, mountain building). Classes and weekly laboratories introduce students to Earth and place tectonics through accessible field experiences along the Maine coast, rock and mineral specimens, images and models.

EOS 1505 Oceanography, offered in the spring, is an introductory course cross-listed with environmental studies. Registration priority is given to first-year students. Topics include: tectonic evolution of the ocean basins; the record of ocean history preserved in deep-sea sediments; global ocean circulation, waves, and tides; ocean ecosystems; the ocean’s role in climate change. Classes and weekly labs examine these principles in the setting of Casco Bay and the Gulf of Maine.

Other useful information
No placement tests are required for EOS courses. EOS is a popular coordinate major with environmental studies. Either EOS 1105 Introducing Earth or EOS 1505 Oceanography meets the introductory science course requirement for environmental studies.