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Geology program requirements

What the Geology Specialist requires, as the 2026-2027 Arts & Science Calendar states it, and every course it names.

Geology Specialist

  • Science program
  • 14.0 credits
  • Open enrolment
  • ASSPE0509

Enrolment

This is an open enrolment program. A student who has completed 4.0 credits may enrol in the program. The full enrolment requirements are on the Calendar's page for this program.

Completion requirements

(14.0 credits)

Compulsory Foundation Sciences (1.5 credits):

CHM135H1, MAT130H1/ MAT135H1, PHY131H1

Additional Foundation Sciences (3.0 credits):

Any 3.0 credits from the following, with no more than 1.0 credit from the same category:

Biology: BIO120H1, BIO130H1

Computer Science: CSC108H1, CSC148H1, CSC110Y1, ESS245H1/ ESS345H1

Chemistry: CHM136H1, CHM220H1, CHM222H1

Math: MAT136H1, MAT221H1

Physics: PHY132H1/ PHY152H1

Statistics: STA220H1/ GGR270H1/ STA247H1/ STA257H1, STA248H1/ STA261H1

Compulsory Foundation Geosciences (3.5 credits):

Field techniques: ESS234H1

Mineralogy and Petrology: ESS222H1/ ESS224H1

Sedimentation and Stratigraphy: ESS331H1

Structural Geology: ESS241H1

Additionally: JEG100H1/ ESS262H1, ESS221H1/ ESS321H1, ESS324H1

Additional Foundation Geosciences (2.5 credits):

At least 0.5 credit, but no more than 1.0 credit from each subgroup:

Geochemistry and Geophysics: ESS223H1, JGA305H1

Mineralogy and Petrology: ESS322H1, ESS424H1

Sedimentology, Glacial Geology, Geomorphology, Remote Sensing: ESS431H1, GGR201H1/ JEG201H1, GGR301H1/ JEG301H1, GGR315H1

Other Geosciences (3.5 credits):

A minimum of 3.5 credits from the following list that have not been used to fulfill the above requirements. At least 1.0 credit needs to be at the 400 level, and no more than 1.5 credits from the 200 level.

Second-year courses: ESS223H1, EEB240H1, ESS245H1/ ESS345H1, ESS261H1, GGR201H1/ JEG201H1, GGR205H1/ JEG205H1, GGR206H1/ JEG206H1, GGR272H1, GGR273H1

Third-year courses: ESS311H1, ESS312H1, ESS313H1, ESS324H1, ESS362H1, ESS381H1, ESS391H1, ESS392Y1, GGR301H1/ JEG301H1, GGR337H1/ GGR315H1, JGA305H1, JPE395H1

Fourth-year Courses: ESS410H1, ESS423H1, ESS424H1, ESS425H1, ESS431H1, ESS441H1, ESS445H1, ESS450H1, ESS461H1, ESS481H1, ESS490H1, ESS491H1/ ESS492Y1

Students in this program have the option to complete the Arts & Science Internship Program (ASIP) stream.

Notes:

Note 1Advanced courses, like CHM151Y1, PHY151H1, (MAT148H1, MAT149H1/ MAT137Y1) or (MAT158H1, MAT159H1/ MAT157Y1), can be used as credits for both foundation sciences sections, meaning, half of the credit will count for Compulsory Foundation Sciences, and the other half will count for Additional Foundation Sciences.

Note 2You may choose more than 2.5 credits from the Additional Foundation Geosciences list. In that case, the additional courses will count towards the Other Geosciences.

Note 3You need a minimum of 4.0 credits of 300/400-level courses

Note 4Students are advised to check the prerequisites of the upper-year courses when deciding on their 2nd and 3rd-year-course selection.

Note 5Students who do not wish to attain APGO certification are advised to speak to the Associate Chair, Undergraduate Affairs concerning their course selection.

Recommended Course Combinations:

Students interested in Mineral Exploration:

First Year: BIO120H1, CHM135H1, CHM136H1, MAT130H1/ MAT135H1, MAT136H1, PHY131H1, PHY132H1

Second year: ESS223H1, ESS224H1 or ESS221H1 and ESS222H1, ESS234H1, ESS241H1, ESS245H1/ ESS345H1, ESS262H1, STA220H1

Third Year: ESS331H1, ESS321H1, ESS322H1, JGA305H1, ESS311H1, ESS324H1

Fourth Year: ESS423H1, ESS424H1, ESS431H1, ESS441H1, ESS461H1, ESS490H1, ESS491H1, ESS492Y1

Students with an interest in GIS and Geology:

First Year: CHM135H1, CHM136H1, MAT130H1/ MAT135H1, PHY131H1, PHY132H1, CSC108H1

Second year: STA220H1, ESS223H1, ESS224H1, ESS234H1, ESS241H1, ESS262H1, GGR272H1, GGR273H1, MAT221H1

Third Year: ESS311H1, ESS312H1, ESS321H1, ESS322H1, ESS331H1, JGA305H1, GGR315H1, GGR375H1, GGR376H1, ESS324H1

Fourth Year: ESS424H1, ESS431H1, ESS490H1, ESS491H1, ESS492Y1, GGR415H1, GGR462H1, GGR472H1, GGR473H1

Courses these requirements name

  • CHM135H1Chemistry: Physical Principles
  • MAT130H1Calculus I for Life Sciences
  • MAT135H1Calculus I
  • PHY131H1Introduction to Physics I
  • BIO120H1Adaptation and Biodiversity
  • BIO130H1Molecular and Cell Biology
  • CSC108H1Introduction to Computer Programming
  • CSC148H1Introduction to Computer Science
  • CSC110Y1Foundations of Computer Science I
  • ESS245H1Computational Geology
  • ESS345H1
  • CHM136H1Introductory Organic Chemistry I
  • CHM220H1Physical Chemistry for Life Sciences
  • CHM222H1Introduction to Physical Chemistry
  • MAT136H1Calculus II
  • MAT221H1Applied Linear Algebra
  • PHY132H1Introduction to Physics II
  • PHY152H1Foundations of Physics II
  • STA220H1The Practice of Statistics I
  • GGR270H1Introductory Analytical Methods
  • STA247H1Probability with Computer Applications
  • STA257H1Probability and Statistics I
  • STA248H1Statistics for Computer Scientists
  • STA261H1Probability and Statistics II
  • ESS234H1Introduction to Geological Field Methods
  • ESS222H1
  • ESS224H1Introduction to Mineralogy and Petrology
  • ESS331H1Sedimentation and Stratigraphy
  • ESS241H1Geologic Structures and Maps
  • JEG100H1Introduction to Physical Geography and Earth Science
  • ESS262H1Earth System Processes
  • ESS221H1
  • ESS321H1Advanced Mineralogy
  • ESS324H1Advanced Geological Field Methods
  • ESS223H1Introduction to Geochemistry
  • JGA305H1Environmental and Archaeological Geophysics
  • ESS322H1Igneous Petrology
  • ESS424H1Metamorphic Petrology
  • ESS431H1Basin Analysis
  • GGR201H1Geomorphology last in the 2024-2025 Calendar
  • JEG201H1Geomorphology
  • GGR301H1Fluvial Geomorphology last in the 2024-2025 Calendar
  • JEG301H1Fluvial Geomorphology
  • GGR315H1Environmental Remote Sensing
  • EEB240H1Environmental Biology: From Organisms to Ecosystems
  • ESS261H1Earth System Evolution
  • GGR205H1Introduction to Soil Science last in the 2024-2025 Calendar
  • JEG205H1Introduction to Soil Science
  • GGR206H1Introduction to Hydrology last in the 2024-2025 Calendar
  • JEG206H1Introduction to Hydrology
  • GGR272H1Geographic Information and Mapping I
  • GGR273H1Geographic Information and Mapping II
  • ESS311H1Aqueous Geochemistry
  • ESS312H1Hydrogeology
  • ESS313H1Contaminants in the Environment and Geoethics
  • ESS362H1Oceanography
  • ESS381H1Special Topics in Earth Science
  • ESS391H1Directed Studies
  • ESS392Y1Directed Studies
  • GGR337H1Environmental Remote Sensing last in the 2021-2022 Calendar
  • JPE395H1Physics of the Earth
  • ESS410H1Field Techniques in Environmental Geosciences
  • ESS423H1Mineral Deposits
  • ESS425H1Advanced Methods in the Geosciences
  • ESS441H1Advanced Structural Geology
  • ESS445H1Global Tectonics
  • ESS450H1Geophysical Field Techniques
  • ESS461H1Palaeoenvironmental Studies
  • ESS481H1Advanced Topics in Earth Sciences
  • ESS490H1Geological Capstone Fieldtrip
  • ESS491H1Undergraduate Thesis Project
  • ESS492Y1Undergraduate Thesis Project
  • CHM151Y1Chemistry: The Molecular Science
  • PHY151H1Foundations of Physics I
  • MAT148H1Calculus I with Proofs
  • MAT149H1Calculus II with Proofs
  • MAT137Y1Calculus with Proofs last in the 2025-2026 Calendar
  • MAT158H1Analysis 1A
  • MAT159H1Analysis 1B
  • MAT157Y1Analysis I last in the 2025-2026 Calendar
  • GGR375H1Introduction to Programming in GIS
  • GGR376H1Geovisualization
  • GGR415H1Advanced Remote Sensing
  • GGR462H1GIS Research Project
  • GGR472H1Developing Web Maps
  • GGR473H1Geospatial Big Data
Check your progress in Atlas Geology Specialist in the Calendar

Requirements are quoted from the 2026-2027 Arts & Science Calendar, which is the official version. Atlas is independent of U of T, so confirm important decisions with your department or college registrar. See how to read program requirements or browse every program.

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