Geology at CSU Sacramento

College Majors Science Majors
1

<p>I plan on transferring to a CSU soon, I chose Sacramento State University out of convenience and affordability. I have a few questions about this school and my choice of major at this school. </p>

<p>Overall, is this a good quality school?
Is this school a good choice for a geology major?
How does this school compare to other State Universities in academic quality?</p>

<p>The only things I care about are academics, I don't care about the "college experience" or social factors. I just want to go to a school where I can get a good quality education.</p>

<p>I plan on going to graduate school, Sacramento State offers a masters degree in geology, would it be a better idea to transfer to a UC for a graduate degree as opposed to applying for the masters program at Sac State? If so, why?</p>

<p>Would a graduate degree from a CSU be looked upon as less significant than a graduate degree from a UC?</p>

<p>Another Question Below.
I know geology requires a lot of mathematics, I do not have a solid background in maths. Right now, I am reading an algebra textbook to refresh and improve my algebra skills. I know geology requires calculus, I also have a pre-calculus textbook that I used in a class I ended up dropping, would I be better off reviewing that instead of reinforcing my lacking knowledge of algebra? Math is really not a problem for me, I do enjoy studying it, but I do not feel comfortable with my current mathematical knowledge. Any advice on how I can prepare for more difficult mathematics would be appreciated.</p>

2

<p>I don’t know anything about Sac State. I’m heading to Cal Poly Pomona this fall. However, I’ve lurked and read enough to know that you do not “transfer” to graduate school. It’s separate and where you attended plays a small role (besides some top programs). </p>

<p>A graduate degree from a CSU will hold less value than one from a UC, period. You’re expected to trade up when going to graduate school. Getting into graduate school you more or less have equal playing ground but that depends on your GPA, SOP, LOR, test scores, etc. My brother’s friend was at CSUN and ended up at Harvard (4.0 student, tho) for grad school.</p>

<p>Edit: I’m an applied math major and if you have strong algebra skills you will be fine in Calculus. One of my friends recently transferred to UC Berkeley as a Geology major and she took up to Calculus III and also had two semesters of physics (dunno if you need that). </p>

<p>My advice is to work all the problems. Then, rework them. Don’t slack and put off your work. Ideally, if you have time after class, you should review your notes and then start working on your homework since it’s still fresh in your mind. Go through your book and get the extremely important concepts down cold. Ask yourself if you’re unsure of anything and if so, remedy that. Do NOT hesitate to go to office hours! Also, if you like working with study groups, form one. Albeit, they can be more distracting than helpful.</p>

<p>Your pre-calculus knowledge will come in handy. You’ll need to know trig identities but the most important skill from algebra you need is algebraic manipulation. I’d suggest heavily brushing up on Algebra II type stuff and reviewing Trigonometry up to a point. You’ll basically need to know the identities and end up memorizing the derivatives/integrals of them. You should know how to graph everything and know the unit circle like the back of your hand. </p>

<p>The hardest part of Calculus is the algebra. If you feel that you are severely lacking, review basic algebra and then move onto your pre-calculus material.</p>

3

<p>My elder son, who just finished his junior year, is a Geology major at Sac State and believes that for a CSU, it probably has the strongest program in California except for SDSU which is nearly impossible to get into if you are not applying from their service area. The Sac State Geology Department is fairly large and has a brand new building which it shares with the USGS which provides many opportunities for collaberation with working geologists and internships. The Department has excellent facilities for a CSU including a unique campus wide system of wells that are used for hydrogeology research. The campus is right on the American River and very close to its confluence with the Sacramento River. Hydrogeology is definitely a strong point for Sac State.</p>

<p>According to my son, the faculty are all good teachers and are very approachable outside of class for any questions a student might have.</p>

<p>A wide range of courses is offered with the intention of giving the student a good general background in Geology. As far as quantitative skills required you will really have to step up your game, the minimum needed to get a bachelors degree is Calculus I (Math 30) which is the first semester of a three semester sequence for Math, Physical Science and Engineering majors. As for Physics, the minimum required is Physics 5A and Physics 5B which is an Algebra based two semester sequence primarily intended for premed and Life Science majors. For Geology majors intending to go to graduate school at Sac State or another university, the Geology Department recommends Math 30, Math 31, Math 32 and Math 45 (Calculus I, Calculus II, Calculus III and Differential Equations) and Physics 11 A, 11 B and 11 C which is a three semester Calculus based sequence for Physics and Engineering majors. In addition, two semesters of Chemistry is required.</p>

<p>My son chose the Math 30,31,32 and 45 plus the Physics 11 A,B and C sequences which has been kind of tough on his GPA but he is hoping the much more challenging level of the courses he has taken and the enormous difference in quantitative skills he has obtained will compensate for a slightly lower GPA when applying to graduate school or for a job.</p>

<p>As far as getting both your BS and MS in Geology at Sac State goes, most experts say that you should get your graduate degee from a different school than where you got your BS and get your graduate degree from a research university like one of the UCs (except UC Merced) rather than a teaching university like Sac State and other CSUs with one exception: SDSU has a joint program with UCSD for a PhD in Geophysics. The Geology Departments at Sac State and SDSU enjoy a good relationship with each other which could help in getting into that program.</p>

<p>The MS in Geology is more and more becoming the standard credential needed to get an entry level position in Geology, particularly with the major oil companies which only recruit for geologists at certain schools and Sac State is not one of them. Chevron recruits heavily at Sac State but makes it clear they are only coming to interview people in Information Tecnology, Computer Science, Engineering, Accounting and Finance and do not want to talk to any aspiring Geologists or Geophysicists. If you would be happy with settling in the Sacramento area doing mainly Hydrogeology there would probably be no harm in getting both degrees at Sac State.</p>