Certificate in Paleontology
Certificates may be earned by regularly matriculated or extended learning students and denote successful completion of a prescribed program of study designed to:
- impart specified professional/vocational/career competencies; or
- produce mastery of the content of a sub-field of an academic major (discipline); or
- provide exposure to the range of materials in a traditional or emerging interdisciplinary field.
Certain certificate programs contain 6000-level courses as requirements and/or electives. These 6000-level courses may not be taken by undergraduate students. Candidates must receive two-thirds of their certificate-applicable credit from the university. The transferring of credit or the substitution of courses may occur only after application to the appropriate campus authority.
The Paleontology Certificate is an interdisciplinary certificate program designed for students with an interest in Paleontology and coursework in Geological Sciences and Biology. The curriculum develops core competencies and technical skills central to the field of paleontology and prepares students for employment or graduate study in paleontology and paleontology-adjacent fields.
Pre-Requisites for the Certificate Program
| BIOL 2020 | Principles of Biology II | 5 |
| CHEM 2300 | Organic Chemistry for Life Sciences | 4 |
| or CHEM 2400 | Organic Chemistry I Lecture | |
| GEOL 1000 | Introductory Geology | 3 |
| GEOL 1000L | Introductory Geology Laboratory | 1 |
Certificate Requirements (21-25 units)
| Core Courses (16) | ||
| GEOL 2000 | Interpreting Earth Systems History: Stories from an Ancient Planet | 4 |
| GEOL 3300 | Sedimentary Geology: Principles and Applications | 4 |
| GEOL 3500 | Introductory Paleontology | 4 |
| BIOL 3421 | Vertebrate Paleontology | 4 |
| Field Experiences (2-4) | ||
| Choose one course from the list below | 2-4 | |
| Introduction to Geologic Mapping | ||
| Advanced Field Geology | ||
| Advanced Field Geology - Dinosaur Excavation | ||
| Advanced Field Geology | ||
| Archaeological Survey and Excavation | ||
| Elective Courses (3-5) | ||
| Choose one course from the list below: | 3-5 | |
| History of Life on Earth | ||
| History of Life on Earth | ||
| Biology of Invertebrates | ||
| Comparative Biology of the Vertebrates | ||
| Evolution | ||
| Human Osteology and Functional Anatomy | ||
| Total Units | 21-25 | |