Planetary Science Major

Program Requirements

  • Total Units Required: 52-57
  • Grade Requirement: The minimum grade required for coursework to count toward the major is a C- or better.

The Department of Earth, Environmental, and Planetary Sciences (EEPS) offers majors in Earth Science, Environmental Science, and Planetary Science. The curriculum is broad, and the requirements are flexible enough to accommodate diverse needs and interests. Many courses present hands-on, problem-oriented experiences, including ample opportunity for fieldwork, laboratory work, and the use of state-of-the-art computational facilities and research instrumentation. All majors are required to complete certain core courses as well as electives and a capstone experience that must be presented at the Spring EEPS Undergraduate Symposium.

Requirements for All Majors

Required Core Courses

Students pursuing any Earth, Environmental, and Planetary Sciences major must complete the following courses:

EEPS 2020Introduction to Earth, Environmental, and Planetary Science3
MATH 1510Calculus I3
MATH 1520Caculus II3

Students choose one of the following courses:

MATH 2130Calculus III3
SDS 2020Elementary Probability and Statistics3
SDS 3020Elementary to Intermediate Statistics and Data Analysis3

Students choose one of the following courses:

PHYSICS 1740Physics I3
PHYSICS 1760Focused Physics I4

Students choose one of the following courses:

CHEM 1601Principles of General Chemistry I3
CHEM 1701General Chemistry I3

Additional Electives

In addition to the disciplinary electives below, which are specific to each major, students must choose three EEPS elective courses at the 3000, 4000, or 5000 level, excluding the following courses: EEPS 3900 Independent Study, EEPS 4900 Independent Study, EEPS 4930 Internship, and EEPS 4990 Honors Research.

Skills Course

Students must complete one of the following:

EEPS 3870Geospatial Science4
EEPS 3883GIS for Earth, Environmental, and Planetary Science3
EEPS 4000Special Topics3
EEPS 4920Field Camp6
EEPS 4960Field Geology3
ENST 3600 Field Methods for Environmental Science3
ENST 3710Applications in GIS3

Capstone Experience

Students completing any major in the Department of Earth, Environmental, and Planetary Sciences must also build a portfolio of their work from projects completed in courses such as EEPS 4960 Field Geology, ENST 4820 International Climate Negotiation Seminar, internship experiences, or research. All capstones must be presented at the Spring EEPS Undergraduate Symposium.

Students must complete all of the requirements listed above for all majors as well as the following:

Disciplinary Required Courses

Students must complete the following course:

EEPS 3730Fundamentals of Planetary Science3

Students also select one of the following courses:

EEPS 3400Minerals, Rocks, and the Environment*4
EEPS 3410Introduction to Geochemistry3
EEPS 3530Earth Forces3
*

Planetary Science Majors enrolled between Fall 2025 and Fall 2028 may fulfill their disciplinary requirement with EEPS 3400 Minerals, Rocks, and the Environment or with EEPS 3410 Introduction to Geochemistry, whereas students enrolled in the programs in Fall 2028 and beyond must satisfy their disciplinary requirement with EEPS 3410 Introduction to Geochemistry.

Disciplinary Electives

Students select five of the following courses:

EEPS 4074Remote Sensing3
EEPS 4374 Petrology4
EEPS 4594Geodynamics3
EEPS 4604Introduction to Structural Geology4
EEPS 4674Planetary Mission Design3
EEPS 4734Planetary Geology3
EEPS 4744Planetary Geochemistry3
EEPS 5670Planetary Materials3
EEPS 5680Scientific Explortation of the Moon3
EEPS 5700Planetary Geophysics & Dynamics3
EEPS 5760Advanced Planetary Geology: Ice Worlds3

Additional Information

  • A grade of C– (C for summer field camp) is the minimum acceptable performance for each unit of credit for each required course, including those in mathematics, chemistry, and physics. A grade of C– is also the minimum acceptable performance for each unit of credit for any course required as a prerequisite to enrolling in advanced or sequential courses.
  • If a student has more than one major and/or minor, only introductory (1000- and 2000-level) courses may be counted, when relevant, toward the requirements of both majors. All advanced (3000- and 4000-level) courses must be unique to each major; in other words, no advanced course may "double-count" for the course work needed to fulfill the minimal requirements for either major. Should both major programs require the same course, a departmentally sanctioned elective must be chosen to replace the course in one of the programs.
  • Credits to be transferred from another institution must have prior approval from the Director of Undergraduate Studies in the relevant Arts & Sciences department.
  • Students may transfer up to 9 credits (or three courses, whichever is greater) of advanced coursework (course numbers 3000 or above) toward the completion of a major in the Department of Earth, Environmental, and Planetary Sciences. Students may transfer up to 3 credits (or one course, whichever is greater) of advanced coursework (course numbers 3000 or above) toward the completion of a minor in the Department of Earth, Environmental, and Planetary Sciences. This policy includes credit earned for courses taken while studying abroad or studying at another U.S. institution. Credits earned through the completion of an approved field camp do not count toward this limit.
  • Students may not place out of the chemistry, physics, or math requirements for the EEPS major. These courses must be taken at Washington University or at another accredited institution.
  • In the Department of Earth, Environmental, and Planetary Sciences, both Latin Honors and Departmental Distinctions require the completion of a senior thesis.
    • In the spring of their junior year, the student should select a faculty member to guide the generation of this thesis. The student should then enroll in EEPS 4990 Honors Research (GPA > 3.65) or EEPS 4900 Independent Study (GPA < 3.65) with that faculty member for the fall of their senior year. At that time, the student and faculty advisor should meet and choose the two additional readers for the student's thesis (the thesis committee) and establish a set of goals for the fall semester's work. At this time, the student should fill out the Senior Honors Topic Form.
    • The student may also (but is not required to) enroll in EEPS 4990 Honors Research or EEPS 4900 Independent Study in the spring semester of their senior year. The faculty advisor will determine, with the student, a date by which a complete draft is to be given to the faculty readers for review, such that the readers have ample time to review the work prior to issuing their evaluations. These drafts will be due no later than the Tuesday following Spring Break. A final copy containing revisions required by the committee is due by the first day of finals period.
    • An oral presentation of the senior honors research is expected to be presented to the department, usually late in the senior's last semester. The thesis document must be prepared following the department's formatting guidelines, which are available from the Director of Undergraduate Studies. All theses must be submitted in PDF format to Erin Marshall prior to graduation for online archiving.

Undergraduate Department Awards

  • The Ernest L. Ohle, Jr., Prize is presented to the senior judged to have the greatest promise for a successful career in Earth, environmental, or planetary sciences and who has demonstrated superior academic achievement. The prize is funded by an endowed donation from Dr. Ernest L. Ohle, Jr., an alumnus who had a distinguished career as a mining geologist.
  • The Courtney Werner Memorial Prize is awarded to a senior student who has majored in Earth, environmental, and planetary sciences and who has demonstrated outstanding academic achievement. Courtney Werner was an associate professor in the Department of Geology and Geological Engineering at Washington University. He joined the Department in 1923, having worked as a geologist for Gulf Oil Company. The prize is funded by endowed donations from his friends and former students.
  • The Harold Levin Award is for undergraduate students who have done outstanding jobs as assistants to the instructor. Professor Levin was a paleontologist who specialized in study of microscopic fossils as indicators of environmental conditions during deposition of sedimentary rocks. He was an outstanding teacher at all levels, ensuring that students remained engaged in his courses through dynamic lectures and discussions.
  • The Margaret E. Bewig Memorial Field Camp Award is presented to an EEPS major selected by the faculty from those attending summer field camp, based on a combination of academic merit and financial need. The award may be used to defray part of the cost of summer field camp. Margaret Bewig was the department secretary and later the administrative assistant from 1963 to 1986. She died on May 26, 1991. The award is funded by endowed donations from her friends, faculty, and former students.

Visit the Earth, Environmental, and Planetary Sciences page
for additional information about this program.

Contact Info

Website:https://eeps.wustl.edu/