Browse all Geoscience courses →
Red: department · Gray: UW–Madison
GPA and percentages are weighted by recorded letter grades. UW comparisons use the same terms. Cross-listed courses count once within this department and once across UW; department totals should not be added together. Grade counts are not unique students. Offering counts reflect captured records, not a complete historical schedule.
Grades have not been recorded for this term. Historical results remain in the overview above.
No released grades for this term.
34 courses
Examines the origin and evolution of life using astronomy, biology, and geology, covering the search for extraterrestrial life and life's history in the solar system.
Offering recorded · Spring 2027 · Sources
Past student reviews · Eric Roden
The course was described as having too much material for a 2-credit load, requiring students to memorize lecture slides for exams. One student noted the workload felt more appropriate for a 3-credit class.
historical GPA · grades
Spring 2023–Spring 2026Limnology and Marine Science Seminar covers sections in various fields of zoological research.
Offering recorded · Spring 2027 · Sources
historical GPA · grades
Fall 2022–Spring 2026Covers basic climate principles, present climate variability, past evolution, and future projections of climate change.
Offering recorded · Spring 2027 · Sources
Past student reviews · Michael Notaro
One student found the quizzes manageable after studying the provided guide, noting the lectures were in-depth.
historical GPA · grades
Spring 2024–Spring 2026Survey of Oceanography covering ocean water properties, ocean-atmosphere interactions, seafloor structure, marine life, and human relationships with the marine environment.
Offering recorded · Spring 2027 · Sources
Past student reviews · Andrea Dutton
The course required a weekly smartbook assignment and a 20-question quiz, but it featured no exams or final exam.
historical GPA · grades
Spring 2023–Spring 2026Explores the science behind natural disasters like earthquakes, tsunamis, and hurricanes, addressing hazard assessment, forecasting, and mitigation to lessen societal impact.
Offering recorded · Spring 2027 · Sources
Past student reviews · Shaun Marcott
One student reported that the course had no midterm or final, consisting instead of six quizzes and a few exercises. They noted that getting an A was not too hard with a little work.
historical GPA · grades
Fall 2022–Spring 2026Rock Mechanics covers rock mass classification, stress and strain, linear/non-linear behavior, failure mechanisms, state of stress, lab testing, and engineering applications.
Offering recorded · Spring 2027 · Sources
historical GPA · grades
Spring 2023–Spring 2026 · limited sampleIntroduction to environmental remote sensing covering aerial photography, satellite imagery, electromagnetic radiation, data types, interpretation, analysis, mapping, and applications.
Offering recorded · Spring 2027 · Sources
historical GPA · grades
Spring 2023–Spring 2026Environmental Geology applies geology to problems arising from the intensive use of the earth and its resources.
Offering recorded · Spring 2027 · Sources
Past student reviews · Michael Cardiff
Students described different assessment structures; one noted labs became math-heavy and difficult, while another critiqued the exam format for including only one midterm and one final.
historical GPA · grades
Fall 2022–Spring 2026Covers principles, characteristics, and work of glaciers plus Pleistocene events, including a field trip.
Offering recorded · Spring 2027 · Sources
historical GPA · grades
Spring 2023–Spring 2025 · limited sampleIntroductory geology covering Earth's structure, history, plate tectonics, minerals, rocks, landforms, maps, and climate change on geologic and human timescales.
Offering recorded · Spring 2027 · Sources
Past student reviews · Stephen Meyers
The course was low stakes; one student noted it was possible to earn an A by completing assignments without attending lectures, though lectures were described as interactive.
historical GPA · grades
Fall 2022–Spring 2026Evolution and Extinction examines contemporary views on the origin and diversification of life, focusing on controversies regarding evolution, mass extinctions, and the co-evolution of Earth and life.
Offering recorded · Spring 2027 · Sources
Past student reviews · Clay Kelly
The workload included weekly readings with quizzes and roughly 2-3 hours of lecture per week. Some students found the content disorganized and difficult to follow while taking notes.
historical GPA · grades
Fall 2022–Spring 2026Directed Study course for independent study arranged with a faculty member.
Offering recorded · Spring 2027 · Sources
No recorded grade history
Covers the physical evolution of the Earth and its relationship to the development of life through geologic time, including a field trip.
Offering recorded · Spring 2027 · Sources
Past student reviews · Clay Kelly
Students found the course interesting as it covers all of Earth history.
historical GPA · grades
Spring 2023–Spring 2026 · limited sampleExplores the formation, collection, properties, and treatment of popular gemstones, covering their science and classification.
Offering recorded · Spring 2027 · Sources
Past student reviews · Huifang Xu
Exams were timed and consisted of 30 questions, requiring students to search through all lectures to find the correct answers.
historical GPA · grades
Fall 2022–Spring 2026Introductory course on applied geoscience data analysis covering uncertainty propagation, hypothesis testing, linear regression, time series, and experimental design for rock, soil, and water sampling.
Offering recorded · Spring 2027 · Sources
No recorded grade history
Topics in Geology covers special topics or discussions of recent research in Geoscience.
Offering recorded · Spring 2027 · Sources
No recorded grade history
Survey of sedimentation processes and products, covering depositional environments, sedimentary tectonics, sequence stratigraphy, and analytical methods.
Offering recorded · Spring 2027 · Sources
historical GPA · grades
Spring 2026–Spring 2026 · limited sampleGeological Field Investigation covers the study and application of principles and methods for geologic mapping and Earth history reconstruction.
Offering recorded · Spring 2027 · Sources
historical GPA · grades
Spring 2024–Spring 2026 · limited samplePrinciples of Economic Geology covers the composition, structure, occurrence, origin, and economic investigation of important groups of mineral deposits, including problems of mineral deposition.
Offering recorded · Spring 2027 · Sources
historical GPA · grades
Spring 2026–Spring 2026 · limited sampleIndividual mentored study for seniors completing theses for Honors in the Major, arranged with a faculty member.
Offering recorded · Spring 2027 · Sources
No recorded grade history
Senior Honors Thesis is individual mentored study for seniors completing theses for Honors in the Major, arranged with a faculty member.
Offering recorded · Spring 2027 · Sources
No recorded grade history
Involves mentored individual research and study for students completing a senior thesis.
Offering recorded · Spring 2027 · Sources
No recorded grade history
Mentored individual research and study for students completing a senior thesis.
Offering recorded · Spring 2027 · Sources
No recorded grade history
Directed Study: Independent study as arranged with a faculty member.
Offering recorded · Spring 2027 · Sources
No recorded grade history
Independent study as arranged with a faculty member.
Offering recorded · Spring 2027 · Sources
No recorded grade history
Principles of crystal chemistry emphasizing the structure and behavior of rock forming minerals, including X-ray diffraction and mineral defects.
Offering recorded · Spring 2027 · Sources
No recorded grade history
Advanced Topics in Geology covers special topics in Geoscience, focusing on evaluating research, assessing scientific information, and communicating results to peers.
Offering recorded · Spring 2027 · Sources
Past student reviews · David Lovelace
The review did not provide specific details regarding workload, assessment methods, or concrete difficulty demands.
historical GPA · grades
Fall 2022–Spring 2026A graduate seminar exploring geochemistry topics through recent literature, focusing on isotope fractionation principles and modern isotope analysis.
Offering recorded · Spring 2027 · Sources
No recorded grade history
Research course in GEOSCI supervised by individual faculty members, requiring graduate or professional standing.
Offering recorded · Spring 2027 · Sources
No recorded grade history
Advanced Independent Reading is an advanced-level mentored reading and research course for students with dissertator status, requiring consent of the instructor.
Offering recorded · Spring 2027 · Sources
No recorded grade history