Program overview
Geology is the study of Earth's "past and present"—from the rocks and minerals of the crust, to plate movements, volcanoes and earthquakes, to how resources like oil, minerals, and groundwater are formed. Core courses include General Geology, Mineralogy, Petrology, Structural Geology, Paleontology, Geochemistry, and Remote Sensing Geology. You'll learn to identify rocks in the field, examine mineral thin sections under a microscope, analyze terrain using satellite images, and even detect underground structures with geophysical instruments. This major is perfect for students who love the outdoors, have strong hands-on skills, and are curious about natural phenomena. If you enjoyed collecting rocks, reading maps, or were fascinated by dinosaur fossils as a child, geology might captivate you. Chinese universities have strong programs in geology—for example, China University of Geosciences (Wuhan and Beijing), Nanjing University, and Peking University—with world-class labs and field bases like Zhoukoudian, Mount Emei, and the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, where you can experience geological features from plains to high mountains.