University of Arizona Summer Field School - GEOS 414
The Summer 2019 GEOS 414 Field Camp Application is closed. The Summer 2020 application will open in November 2019. Additional information on our GEOS 414 Field Camp experience is provided below.
2016 Field Camp Video
2016 Music Video
GEOS 414 – Field Camp
The University of Arizona’s capstone Geology field course, GEOS 414, is a 5-week long, 6-credit intensive field course offered each summer. The course or an equivalent course at another university is required for the Geology and Geophysics tracks within the Geosciences Major. The summer 2019 course will run from July 09 – August 11, 2019.
For summer 2019, the estimated cost breakdown for students (in-state and out-of-state) is as follows:
$ 400 - deposit
$1,970 - fee for transportation and food
$2,826 – tuition and fees for 6 units of summer registration
$5,196 estimated total
Students enrolled in GEOS 414 will put into action principles and knowledge acquired in their on-campus courses in geology and geophysics. Students will study a broad range of rock types in various tectonic and geomorphological settings, often in the context of creating geological maps, in order to learn the geological and tectonic history of the western North American Cordilleran orogenic belt. The various exercises are designed to provide students with understanding of the Cordillera as an integrated tectonic system.
Students depart from Tucson in University vehicles, accompanied by professors and teaching assistants, and travel from campsite to campsite for the duration of the 5-week period. GEOS 414 will be the most physically and scientifically challenging course students take during their undergraduate curriculum and they must be prepared for long days of strenuous physical exercise, variable weather conditions, and extremely rough terrain. Students must also be properly attired and equipped to carry out this work safely. Backcountry campgrounds have limited facilities. Cell phone reception is also limited and students should not expect to be in contact by phone with friends/family.
Because students in GEOS 414 are supervised 24/7 by faculty and safety standards must be met, space in the UA field course is limited to 25 students each summer. Admission is therefore not guaranteed for UA students. All qualified students from the University of Arizona are welcome to apply. However, admission is competitive and based on GPA and overall quality of the application. Many other universities offer 6-credit field camps that can be transferred to UA, so students are urged to apply for a variety of field camps around the U.S. as well as ours to ensure they are able to complete the course in a timely fashion.
Information on other field camps can be found at http://geology.com/field-camp.shtml or in a list provided by UA Geosciences.
Applicants must upload a PDF copy of their unofficial transcript to their on-line application. A faculty letter of recommendation is required. The student may upload a PDF copy of the letter to the on-line application or their faculty member may email the letter of recommendation to Shawna Matteson at smatteson@email.arizona.edu.
Physical and Safety Requirements for Geology Field Camp
Field Camp Equipment List (Updated 12/12/18)
Photo Galleries