Field Experience

Students pursuing a B.S. in Geology from the Harold Hamm School of Geology and Geological Engineering must complete at least three credits of field experience to graduate. Students can earn these credits through a variety of options. Your approval form must be submitted at least eight weeks prior to your selected field experience.

Options for Completing the Field Experience Requirement

Any of the following may qualify, pending departmental approval. To fulfill the field experience requirement:

Summer internships, such as those offered through Geological Society of America’s GeoCorps program, the National Park Service’s Geoscientist In The Parks program, and similar national and international programs;
Research experiences for undergraduates offered through the National Science Foundation (NSF REUs);
Research internships in academic or industry labs outside of UND;
One- and two-credit internal UND GGE field trips, such as the annual spring break trip. *For this to be approved, the student must have earned credit(s) for participating in the trip;
GEOE 397 Cooperative Education (for practical fieldwork experience with an employer);
Other relevant prior fieldwork experience in the geosciences, such as through prior industry employment that occurred prior to a student’s attending UND

Note: All of the above field and lab-based research experiences are referred to collectively as "field experiences" on the Approval Form and the "Field Experience Schedule Planner."

Frequently Asked Questions

Fill out the online Field Experience Approval Form for each field experience you seek to attend.
You are only required to earn three credits to fulfill the field experience requirement, but we encourage you to pursue additional credits for field research experiences as you desire. For example, many traditional field camps offer five or six credits for successful completion.
The three-credit requirement can be earned by successful completion of a single field experience or through several field experiences in the list above, through either of the following combinations:
- A single field experience of a least three credits
- A two-credit field experience plus a one-credit field experience
If you earn credits by completing an external field camp (such as the South Dakota School of Mines & Technology or elsewhere), those credits can be transferred to UND. In this case, your final transcript would show that you completed GEOL 491 Geologic Problems.

Approximate Schedule

Please see the separate "Field Experience Schedule Planner" for relevant deadlines laid out by GGE faculty to help you plan each step of the process of completing the field experience requirement. You can also ask any GGE faculty member if you have questions.