Geoscience Degree Programs

Geoscience programs at Winona State University prepare students for a broad spectrum of careers and/or entry to graduate school through a discovery-based undergraduate curriculum rich with field and research opportunities.

Geoscience graduates solve a broad range of environmental problems as consultants in both industry and government; they discover and manage our planet’s mineral and energy resources; they teach in our elementary schools, high schools and colleges; they work in museums and national parks; they practice environmental law and write for newspapers and magazines; they even explore other planets. The possibilities are limited only by your imagination. Geoscience is an interdisciplinary field that connects with many other disciplines in virtually unlimited ways.

Our curriculum is flexible and offers both bachelor of science and bachelor of arts degrees. It also provides an ideal liberal arts education for the 21st century: broad preparation in the natural sciences; developing and deepening observational skills, hypothesis building, idea testing and critical thinking. The Department of Geoscience is ready to help you succeed!

The department also offers two minor options; the traditional Geoscience minor that students majoring in other disciplines may choose to enhance their degree, and our new, innovative Geoscience – Geospatial information Science (GIS) minor. Many disciplines rely on spatial information to perform a variety of tasks, analyze trends, and make decisions. The GIS minor program will give students experience working with geospatial data within the framework of a geographic information system, the computer program(s) used to store and analyze spatial data. Students will gain experience in design and analysis of spatial data and presenting that information in meaningful ways. This minor will help students obtain valuable GIS experience, a benefit in many industries and disciplines whether in research, graduate school, or the work force.