Undergraduate Advising

Prospective Students

If you are interested in Geology, we strongly encourage you to meet with a department advisor early in your career at Western! The department advisors are committed to assisting students in determining their best program of study.  Students are welcome to contact the Undergraduate Program Coordinator with any general questions, or a Geology faculty for specific questions regarding the field.

 Please see the 2023-2024 catalog to learn more about the different program requirements. 

Students interested in a Geology Major or minor may declare at anytime before Phase I registration as long as they are in good academic standing (GPA 2.0 or higher). 

Major and minor declarations are completed remotely.

New majors and minors are not declared during Phase I registration due to the high number of registration requests. 

Transfer Students

We encourage Transfer Students to declare in their first quarter at Western and if possible, contact the Department prior to coming to Western. We can assist you with course planning to assure that you are taking the appropriate transferrable courses and are prepared to take geology courses once you transfer to Western. Please contact the Undergraduate Program Coordinator or the Faculty Transfer Advisor for assistance.

Declared Geology Majors

Declared geology majors should meet with their faculty advisors to discuss course selection, plan of study, research opportunities, volunteer opportunities, applying to graduate school, preparing for a career, and any other related topics.

Meeting with your faculty advisor is also a way to make sure you’re on track to complete the program, and for BS Geology majors, to make sure you’re on track to take field camp!

While your assigned faculty advisor will be your primary point of contact, all students are welcome to seek advice from other geology faculty or contact the Undergraduate Program Coordinator.

Preparing for advising appointments

We encourage students to arrive prepared for their advising appointments by reviewing their remaining major requirements in Degree Works. Check out the Plans tab in Degree Works where you can create a plan of study quarter by quarter!

Advising FAQs

Declared Geology majors are strongly encouraged to meet with their faculty advisors on a yearly, if not quarterly, basis.

Geology majors are assigned a faculty advisor during their major declaration appointment. You can find your faculty advisor by checking your Degree Works page. You can also check with the Undergraduate Program Coordinator.

Email is the best way to connect with your faculty advisor and schedule an advising appointment. Dropping by their office hours for the quarter is also an option.

Quarterly office hours and locations will be posted on the Geology Homepage.

Find your faculty advisor’s contact information on the Geology Directory.

Students who are preparing to graduate should email the Undergraduate Program Coordinator for their degree evaluations.

Other Questions

Students may also contact the Undergraduate Program Coordinator with any general questions regarding core courses and other academic information.

Faculty Advisors