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Home » Geology Field Camps

Geology Field Camps - A Comprehensive Listing



What is Field Camp?



Field camp is a tradition in the education of a geologist. It is an intensive course that applies classroom and laboratory training to solving geological problems in the field. Skills developed during field camp typically include: collection of geologic data, constructing a measured section, interpreting geologic structures and geologic mapping.


Geology Field Course Readings



Students preparing for field camp should read the following essays...
Scholarships that can be applied towards field camp expenses have been offered by the National Association of Geoscience Teachers and the Association of Environmental & Engineering Geologists. In addition, many of the schools listed below have financial assistance that applies to their own students.

Faculty might be interested in nominating their best field camp students to the USGS / NAGT Field Training Program or reading a 2001 Journal of Geoscience Education article by Carl Drummond titled "Can Field Camp Survive?" The article describes challenges faced by geoscience departments that continue to require or provide the field camp experience.

field camp cross-section
A geologic map is the basic tool of a field geologist. It is a map that shows the types of rocks present at the surface throughout the mapped area and the approximate location of rock unit contacts. Geologic structures such as fault traces and fold axes are shown with special symbols.

Most geology field courses teach students to read geologic maps and use them in the field to solve geologic problems. Some courses also provide instruction in the field and office work needed to prepare a geologic map.

Rock hammers, field books and hand lens

Geology Field School Directory


The purpose of this page is to help students find a geology field course. We link to department websites that have up-to-date information about their field courses (date, location, activities and contact). We visit each link in this list annually. If we do not find current field course information we assume that the field course is no longer offered and delete that department from this listing. The course will be added back to this list if a faculty member contacts us to let us know that their website contains the information needed by prospective students. This is free advertising for departments who present current information about their courses. If you have a new field course please send us the URL.

School

Field Location

Albion College Wyoming, Montana
Austin Peay State University Southern Wyoming or Northern Colorado
Ball State University South Dakota, Wyoming, Montana, Utah, Colorado
Black Hills Natural Sciences Field Station Wyoming and Turkey
Boise State University Sardinia, Italy
Bowling Green State University New Mexico and Colorado
California State University, Long Beach California
California State University, Sacramento California, Nevada
Central Washington University Oregon and Idaho
Clemson University Kentucky, Tennessee, South Carolina
Colorado School of Mines GEGN 316 - Field Geology
Concord University New Mexico, Colorado, Utah
Cornell University Argentina
East Carolina University New Mexico and Colorado
Elizabeth City State University New Mexico and Colorado
Eastern Washington University Montana
Emporia State University Kansas and Colorado
Fort Hays State University Colorado and Utah
Georgia State University Montana
Idaho State University Idaho and Wyoming
Illinois State University South Dakota, Montana, Wyoming
Indiana University Montana
Iowa State University / University of Nebraska Lincoln Wyoming
James Madison University Ireland
Kent State University South Dakota and Wyoming
Lehigh University Ohio, Wisconsin, Minnesota, South Dakota, Wyoming, Idaho
Louisiana State University Two different courses: New Mexico / Colorado, Wyoming, Arizona, Utah
Massey University / Geological Education Services New Zealand (January - February Camp) See Geology.com Article
Miami University-Ohio Montana, Wyoming, Idaho, Alberta
Michigan Technological University East Africa / South Africa (East Africa Rift Article by Camp Faculty)
Minnesota State University, Moorhead Colorado, Utah / Bahamas
Missouri University of Science and Technology Geology 373 - Geology Field Camp
Montana State University SW Montana
New Mexico Tech New Mexico, Colorado
North Carolina State University New Mexico and Colorado
Northern Illinois University Wyoming, Montana, South Dakota
Oklahoma State University Colorado
Oregon State University GEO 295 - Introduction to Field Geology / GEO 495 - Advanced Field Geology
Pennsylvania State University Utah, Wyoming, Idaho, Montana
Salem State College Montana
South Dakota School of Mines & Technology Multiple courses - Turkey / South Dakota, Wyoming / India
Southern Illinois University Carbondale Montana, Wyoming
Southern Utah University Two different couses: Utah, Nevada
Stephen F. Austin State University Texas, New Mexico, Arizona, Utah
Sul Ross State University Texas
SUNY Buffalo Colorado, Utah, Wyoming
SUNY Cortland Three courses: New York (offered in even numbered years)
SUNY Oswego New York
University of Akron South Dakota, Wyoming
University of Alabama New Mexico, Colorado
University of Alaska-Fairbanks Alaska
University of Arizona Wyoming, Utah, Nevada
University of Arkansas Montana
University of Arkansas Little Rock Colorado and New Mexico
University of Canterbury / Frontiers Abroad New Zealand
University of Florida New Mexico
University of Georgia / University of South Carolina New Mexico, Colorado, Utah
University of Houston GEOL 3355-3360 - Field Geology
University of Kansas Colorado
University of Kentucky GLY 323 - Field Geology
University of Louisiana-Lafayette Texas, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Wyoming
University of Memphis ESCI 4622 - Geology Field Camp: South Dakota / Montana / Wyoming
University of Minnesota Three different courses: Montana / Colorado / Minnesota
University of Minnesota-Duluth Minnesota - Precambrian Shield
University of Missouri-Columbia Wyoming
University of Montana Montana
University of Nevada-Las Vegas Utah, Nevada, Idaho, Texas, California
University of Nevada-Reno Utah, Nevada, California
University of New Mexico New Mexico, Colorado
University of North Carolina New Mexico, Colorado
University of North Dakota Three different courses - Turkey / South Dakota, Wyoming / India
University of Oklahoma Colorado, Louisiana Delta
University of Oregon Montana and Oregon
University of South Florida Utah, Florida
University of Texas-Arlington New Mexico
University of Texas-Austin Texas, New Mexico, Utah, Wyoming
University of Texas-Dallas New Mexico
University of Washington Montana
University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire Two different courses: Texas, New Mexico / Montana
University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh Utah
University of Wyoming Colorado, Utah, Wyoming
Victoria University of Wellington New Zealand
West Virginia University South Dakota, Wyoming, Montana
Western Illinois University South Dakota, Wyoming
Western Michigan University Michigan
Wright State University Multiple Field Courses

Other Field Experiences


These are not "bedrock mapping" field courses but some universities allow these courses as a geological field experience.
Antarctic University Expedition Antarctica Field Experience
Michigan Technological University Geology of Utah's National Parks
SIT Study Abroad Nepal Himalaya

A Field Camp Opportunity?


Every year lots of students and faculty write to us asking if there are any field courses that can be completed in December and January. Other than the course at Massey University in New Zealand (which is very popular) we don't know of a regularly-offered geology field course at that time of year. A December/January course in the southwest USA might attract a nice number of students? If you offer one let us know. We will advertise it here.
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