Undergraduate Program
The Department of Geology and Geological Engineering offers a Bachelor of Science degree in Geological Engineering.
Geological Engineers deal with a wide variety of the resource and environmental problems that come with accommodating more and more people on a finite planet. Foundations for building, roads and other structures must be properly evaluated and stabilized; contaminated sites and ground-water must be accurately characterized before cleanup can be accomplished; water supplies must be located, developed and protected; and new mineral and energy resources must be located and developed in an environmentally sound manner. Geological Engineers are the professionals trained to meet these challenges.
Undergraduate students follow five general career paths
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Geological Engineering/Geotechnics:
Careers in site investigation, design and stabilization of foundations; site characterization, design, construction and remediation of waste disposal sites or contaminated sites; and assessment of geologic hazards.
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Hydrology:
Careers in assessment and remediation of groundwater and surface water contamination, design of groundwater control facilities and exploration for and development of water supplies.
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Energy Exploration and Development:
The location of oil, gas and coal and their efficient extraction.
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Mineral Exploration and Development:
The search for and development of natural deposits of metals, industrial materials and rock aggregate.
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Geological Science:
Graduates of this track have become experts in global climate change, the early history of the Earth, planetary science, and simulation of sedimentary rock sequences, to name a few.
At all levels the GE program emphasizes laboratory and field experience. All courses have a laboratory session and after the junior year students participate in a field course, which is five weeks of geologic mapping and direct observation. The course involves considerable time outdoors in the mountains and canyons of southwestern Colorado and Utah.
The Bachelor of Science in Geological Engineering curriculum provides a strong basis in geological science and traditional engineering along with specialized upper level instruction in integrated applications to real problems. The program is accredited by the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology and students have the background to take the Engineer in Training Exam and to become registered Professional Engineers.
Field Trip Documents
All three documents (Field Trip Policy, Student Health Form and Travel Waiver and Release of Liability) should be submitted to the Geology & Geological Engineering Department.
If an incident occurs, please submit the incident report document.
Advising Flowcharts and Checklists
ENGINEERING ADVISING CHECKLIST 2024-2025 03-25-2025 fillable
EXPLORATION ADVISING CHECKLIST 2024-2025 03-25-2025 fillable
Free Engineering Electives for Specific Specialties
Students in the Environmental, Engineering Geology and Geotechnics, and Ground-Water Engineering Concentration may further specialize by utilizing their free elective courses to emphasize a specific specialty. Suggested courses are presented below and should be selected in consultation with the student’s advisor. The emphasis area is an informal designation only and it will not appear on the transcript.
Engineering Geology and Geotechnics Emphasis
| CEEN415 | FOUNDATION ENGINEERING | 3.0 |
| GEGN475 | APPLICATIONS OF GEOGRAPHIC INFORMATION SYSTEMS | 3.0 |
| EBGN321 | ENGINEERING ECONOMICS | 3.0 |
| GEGN399 | INDEPENDENT STUDY IN ENGINEERING GEOLOGY OR ENGINEERING HYDROGEOLOGY | 1-6 |
| GEGN499 | INDEPENDENT STUDY IN ENGINEERING GEOLOGY OR ENGINEERING HYDROGEOLOGY | 1-6 |
| GEGN307 | PETROLOGY | 3.0 |
| GEOL321 | MINERALOGY AND MINERAL CHARACTERIZATION | 3.0 |
| CSCI261 | PROGRAMMING CONCEPTS | 3.0 |
| MNGN404 | TUNNELING | 3.0 |
| MNGN408 | UNDERGROUND DESIGN AND CONSTRUCTION | 2.0 |
| MNGN410 | EXCAVATION PROJECT MANAGEMENT | 2.0 |
| MNGN445/545 | ROCK SLOPE ENGINEERING | 3.0 |
Water Engineering Emphasis
| CEEN301 | FUNDAMENTALS OF ENVIRONMENTAL ENGINEERING: WATER | 3.0 |
| CEEN302 | FUNDAMENTALS OF ENVIRONMENTAL ENGINEERING: AIR AND WASTE MANAGEMENT | 3.0 |
| CEEN461 | FUNDAMENTALS OF ECOLOGY | 3.0 |
| CEEN470 | WATER AND WASTEWATER TREATMENT PROCESSES | 3.0 |
| CEEN471 | WATER AND WASTEWATER TREATMENT SYSTEMS ANALYSIS AND DESIGN | 3.0 |
| CEEN475 | SITE REMEDIATION ENGINEERING | 3.0 |
| CEEN480 | CHEMICAL FATE AND TRANSPORT IN THE ENVIRONMENT | 3.0 |
| CSCI260 | FORTRAN PROGRAMMING | 2.0 |
| CSCI261 | PROGRAMMING CONCEPTS | 3.0 |
| EBGN321 | ENGINEERING ECONOMICS | 3.0 |
| CHGN403 | INTRODUCTION TO ENVIRONMENTAL CHEMISTRY | 3.0 |
| CEEN492 | ENVIRONMENTAL LAW | 3.0 |
| GEGN475 | APPLICATIONS OF GEOGRAPHIC INFORMATION SYSTEMS | 3.0 |
| GEGN481 | ANALYTICAL HYDROLOGY | 3.0 |
| GEGN483 | MATHEMATICAL MODELING OF GROUNDWATER SYSTEMS | 3.0 |
| GEGN499 | INDEPENDENT STUDY IN ENGINEERING GEOLOGY OR ENGINEERING HYDROGEOLOGY | 1-6 |
| GEOL321 | MINERALOGY AND MINERAL CHARACTERIZATION | 3.0 |
| HASS487 | ENVIRONMENTAL POLITICS AND POLICY | 3.0 |
| HASS488 | GLOBAL WATER POLITICS AND POLICY | 3.0 |
| MATH332 | LINEAR ALGEBRA | 3.0 |
| MEGN451 | FLUID MECHANICS II – AERODYNAMICS | 3.0 |
Suggested Geologic Science and Engineering Electives (Exploration Track)
| CEEN 312 Soil Mechanics |
| CEEN 312 Soil Mechanics Lab |
| CEEN 415 Foundation Engineering |
| GEGN 473 Site Investigation |
| GEGN 466 Groundwater Engineering |
| GEGN 483 Mathematical Modeling of Groundwater Systems |
| GEGN 475/575 Applications of GIS |
| GEGN 503 Integrated Exploration & Dev |
| GEGN 582 Integrated Surface Water Hydrology |
| GEOL 410 Planetary GE |
| GEOL 440 Plate Tectonics |
| GEOL 551 Applied Petroleum Engineering |
| GEOL 552 Unconventional Petroleum Systems |
| GEOL 560 Imperial Barrel AAPG Competition |
| GEOL 585 Application of Seismic Geomorphology |
| GEOL 645 Volcanology |
| GPGN 432 Formation Evaluation |
| MNGN 312 Surface Mine Design |
| MNGN 314 Underground Mine Design |
| MNGN 321 Introduction to Rock Mechanics |
| MNGN 407 Rock Fragmentation |
| MNGN 421 Design of Underground Excavations |
| MNGN 445 Open Slope Design |
| PEGN 308 Reservoir Rock Properties |
| PEGN 311 Drilling Engineering |
| PEGN 414 Well Test Analysis & Design |
| PEGN 419 Well Log Analysis & Formation Evaluation |
| PEGN 423 Petroleum Reservoir Engineering I |
| PEGN 424 Petroleum Reservoir Engineering II |
| PEGN 426 Well Completions and Stimulation |
| PEGN 428 Adv. Drilling Engineering |
Accreditation
The Geological Engineering program is accredited by the Engineering Accreditation Commission of ABET, https://www.abet.org, under the General Criteria and the Geological Engineering and Similarly Named Engineering Programs Program Criteria.
The enrollment and graduation data for the Geological Engineering program and other Mines programs can be found on the homepage of the Mines Office of Institutional Research.
ABET Objectives and Outcomes
Program Educational Objectives
Program educational objectives are broad statements that describe what graduates are expected to attain within a few years of graduation. Graduates from the Department of Geology and Geological Engineering will:
- Demonstrate a high level of technical competence
- Demonstrate prowess in written, oral and graphical communication
- Experience good teamwork and leadership practices
Student Outcomes
Student outcomes describe what students are expected to know and be able to do by the time of graduation. Students finishing a program in Geological Engineering will be able to:
| 1. An ability to identify, formulate, and solve complex engineering problems by applying principles of engineering, science, and mathematics |
| 2. An ability to apply engineering design to produce solutions that meet specified needs with consideration of public health, safety, and welfare, as well as global, cultural, social, environmental, and economic factors |
| 3. An ability to communicate effectively with a range of audiences |
| 4. An ability to recognize ethical and professional responsibilities in engineering situations and make informed judgments, which must consider the impact of engineering solutions in global, economic, environmental, and societal contexts |
| 5. An ability to function effectively on a team whose members together provide leadership, create a collaborative and inclusive environment, establish goals, plan tasks, and meet objectives |
| 6. An ability to develop and conduct appropriate experimentation, analyze and interpret data, and use engineering judgment to draw conclusions |
| 7. An ability to acquire and apply new knowledge as needed, using appropriate learning strategies |
| More specifically, each outcome relates to Performance Indicators as follows: |
| 1. Solve Complex Problems |
| A. Apply tools from this course to solve open-ended or poorly defined problem |
| B. Integrate tools from several courses to solve problem |
| C. Ability to model a problem from a descriptive statement and identify geological engineering tools to solve the problem |
| 2. Design Solutions |
| A. Develop a geologic model using data sets of varying sizes |
| B. Set up and run a computer model to address a specific problem and to test potential solutions |
| C. Ability to recognize potential constraints |
| D. Ability to generate conceptual design solutions |
| 3. Communicate |
| A. Give an effective oral presentation of a complex geological engineering topic and respond to questions at a professional level |
| B. Write a report in industry style |
| 4. Ethics and Professionalism |
| A. Identify ethical aspects of problem statements and proposed solutions |
| B. Ability to analyze technology changes and potential consequences |
| C. Develop several alternatives to solve a geological engineering problem and provide an evaluation of each |
| D. Respond to stakeholder questions about a resource development project in a simulated meeting |
| 5. Teamwork |
| A. Able to fulfill duties of team roles |
| B. Able to communicate effectively in a team |
| 6. Develop and Conduct Experiments |
| A. Able to design a data collection program to address a geological engineering component of a project |
| B. Able to conduct laboratory and computer modeling work expected for geological engineers |
| C. Able to compare laboratory and modeling data to theoretical expectations and explain differences |
| 7. Teach Yourself New Knowledge |
| A. Able to independently find and use technical information |
| B. Able to assess and monitor one’s own learning |
Listen
Earth and Environmental Science: An iTunes audio podcast by Christian V. Shorey, Teaching Professor Environmental Science and Climatology. To access, iTunes will need to be installed on your computer.
Listen
Earth and Environmental Science: For others that do not use Apple, the podcast episodes are in mp3 form.