The EES department strongly encourages all of our majors to attend a summer field camp, especially if you are considering graduate school in the geosciences. A geology field camp is a course where students will solve geological problems outside, in the field.

Traditionally, geology field camps have emphasized making geologic maps, so students learn rock identification, map reading, orienteering skills, and map interpretation.

Some field camps specialize in certain aspects of geology, and many offer subsections in hydrogeology, geophysics, and environmental sciences. While many field exercises are still completed with pencil and paper, some integrate GIS and GPS into their courses. Because there is a range of field courses, it is important to check the required prerequisites, but some programs enforce these prerequisites differently.

There are many options for field camps in terms of length, focus, and location, so it is worth looking at a number of them to consider your options. Geology.com maintains a list of field camps and a few essays about what you’ll do at field camp and how to choose an appropriate one. These essays are a good place to start when thinking about what field camp is best for you. A comprehensive list of geoscience field camps is available to select from.