Education · 1 of 5

The path

A four-year science degree gets you in. A master's decides how far you go.

1. 1

   High school

   Grades 11 and 12

   Chemistry, physics and math. Earth science if it is offered. Go outside and look at rock cuts on the highway.

2. 2

   Bachelor's degree in geology

   4 years

   Mineralogy, petrology, structural geology, sedimentology, plus chemistry, physics and calculus.

3. 3

   Summer field camp

   One summer

   Four to six weeks mapping real terrain, usually in the mountain west. Almost every program requires it and most employers ask whether you did it.

4. 4

   First job or a master's

   0 to 2 years

   Environmental consulting hires bachelor's graduates. Mining, petroleum and research work mostly want a master's, and those are often funded.

5. 5

   State license, if your work needs it

   After about 5 years of experience

   Pass the Fundamentals of Geology exam and later the Practice of Geology exam from ASBOG (the National Association of State Boards of Geology).