Off-Campus Study

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Earth & Environmental Geoscience majors have the opportunity to participate in off-campus study and research in a wide variety of locations around the United States and abroad.

Summer Field Programs

Students on the “O.C.” trip explore Arches National Park. Photo by Austin Sun ‘19.

During the summer, the department hosts two field programs. GEOL 120 The Geology of American Parks is a two-week, half-credit course designed to introduce first-year and sophomore students to geological processes and field techniques while experiencing spectacular scenery in the United States and Canada.  
 
GEOL 320 Techniques of Field Geology, the five-week summer field program traditionally dubbed the "O.C.," is strongly recommended for all our majors.  

On the O.C., students engage in intensive field study, develop field skills essential for a professional geologist, and gain an understanding of the geologic history of the Western United States. Course locations, which change each year, have included the Colorado Front Range, Rocky Mountains, Canyonlands and Arches national parks in Utah, Yellowstone National Park, and Craters of the Moon National Monument in Idaho.

Semester Programs

Colgate's off-campus study office offers full-semester off-campus study opportunities all over the world.

The following Colgate off-campus study groups are designed specifically to accommodate the interests and course needs of students in the sciences:

You can also study geology on one of the approved programs around the world.

Affiliated Programs

Colgate is also directly affiliated with two programs of particular interest to Earth & Environmental Geoscience majors: