B.A. in Earth Sciences Major Math Options
Earth Sciences Major Math Requirement Options
The Bachelor of Arts in Earth Sciences differs from most STEM majors because you have two options for completing a Major Foundation requirement.
- ERTH 505 (Quantitative Methods in Earth Sciences) or
- MATH 226 (Calculus I)
If you choose ERTH 505, you will still need to take a separate course to satisfy the Area 2 GE requirement but the department does not specify which Area 2 course you should take. BUT your Physics courses do require a specific Area 2/math course as prerequisites depending on which Physics track you choose.
- PHYS 111/112 (General Physics I) requires a C- or better in either of the Pre-Calculus options (MATH 197/198 or MATH 199).
- PHYS 220/222 (General Physics with Calculus I) requires a C or better in MATH 226 (Calculus I) and recommends concurrent enrollment in MATH 227 (Calculus II).
Here are your options:
- If you know you plan to take PHYS 220/222
- Plan to take MATH 226 as it is a prerequisite for this version of Physics.
- If you do not meet the prerequisites for MATH 226, you will need to take one of the Pre-Calculus options first.
If you know you plan to take PHYS 111/112
- You need a C- or better in either MATH 197/198 or MATH 199 which will also satisfy the Area 2 GE requirement but not the Major Foundation requirement.
- You can choose to take ERTH 505 or continue on to MATH 226 to satisfy the Major Foundation requirement.
If you have questions, please contact us at gatorsmartstart@sfsu.edu