Program overview
In simple terms, this major is all about studying Earth's "rocks" and "treasures." You'll learn how to identify different minerals and rocks, understand how they form, and discover which rocks contain valuable mineral resources (like copper, iron, and rare earths). Core courses include Crystallography and Mineralogy, Petrology (covering igneous, sedimentary, and metamorphic rocks), Ore Deposit Geology, and Geochemistry. There are plenty of lab sessions where you'll examine thin sections under a microscope, and field trips where you'll hike up mountains and hammer rocks. It's perfect for those who love nature, are curious about geological phenomena, and don't mind sun and wind. Chinese universities have a strong edge in this field—for example, China University of Geosciences (Wuhan/Beijing), Nanjing University, and Peking University. They boast extensive field training bases (like Zhoukoudian and Chaohu), and many professors directly participate in national large-scale mineral exploration projects, giving you exposure to real-world cases.