<p>The title says it all. I'm a Junior who's highly interested in Paleontology. I'm looking for a college that offers it as a major...or is very emphasized. Preferably something on the west coast, or around the west. </p>
<p>I've already found San Diego State University, but it'd be nice to have more choices.</p>
<p>Does anyone know anything?</p>
<p>UC Berkeley: <a href="http://www.ucmp.berkeley.edu/about/paleo_education.php%5B/url%5D">http://www.ucmp.berkeley.edu/about/paleo_education.php</a>
Montana State: <a href="http://www.homepage.montana.edu/%7Eespaleo/%5B/url%5D">http://www.homepage.montana.edu/~espaleo/</a>
University of Alberta: <a href="http://www.biology.ualberta.ca/programs/undergraduate/index.php?Page=733%5B/url%5D">http://www.biology.ualberta.ca/programs/undergraduate/index.php?Page=733</a></p>
<p>Reeny, paleontology is a highly specialized field best left for grad school. I suggest finding schools with strong programs in geology AND biology. You'll need a strong background in both areas to be successful in paleontology. Chicago's graduate program in paleontology, for example, expects students to have taken courses in mineralogy, structural geology, stratigraphy, biogeochemistry, meteorology/climate change, probability/statistics, ecology and evolution, and developmental biology. </p>
<p>Geology will be harder to find than biology, so here's a list of geology programs: <a href="http://www.usd.edu/esci/geodepts.html%5B/url%5D">http://www.usd.edu/esci/geodepts.html</a></p>
<p>LACs with good geology programs: 5 College Consortium, Hamilton, Bates, Williams, Occidental, Bryn Mawr, William & Mary, Sewanee, Caltech, Franklin & Marshall, Carleton, Earlham, Beloit, Wittenberg, Albion, Juniata, Macalester, Pomona, Bowdoin, and Whitman</p>
<p>Universities with good geology programs: <a href="http://www.stat.tamu.edu/%7Ejnewton/nrc_rankings/area30.html%5B/url%5D">http://www.stat.tamu.edu/~jnewton/nrc_rankings/area30.html</a></p>
<p>The University of Michigan has a minor in Paleontology, but I don't think they offer it as a concentration. I am pretty sure it falls under the Geological Sciences major.</p>
<p>Michigan also has a large Museum of Paleontology </p>
<p><a href="http://www.paleontology.lsa.umich.edu/%5B/url%5D">http://www.paleontology.lsa.umich.edu/</a></p>
<p>Actually, the Museum offers research opportunities to undergrads intended to help Paleontology minors write their senior thesis (assuming they are Honors students).</p>
<p>Reeny, </p>
<p>My son was interested in invertebrate paleontology. He has a BS and MS in geology. He narrowed his college choices down to locations that had the fossils he wanted to study.</p>
<p>I'd advise doing geology for undergrad and pursuing paleontology, a highly specialised field as it is, for grad.</p>