history in the making
David Houseknecht
© David Houseknecht, USGS

What are the requirements for becoming a professional geologist?

The American Geosciences Institute – Geologists are scientists who study the Earth’s history, nature, materials and processes, and a career in geology offers broad scope to anyone interested in the Earth and how it works.
If you want to have a career in geology, take as many Earth science, biology, chemistry, physics, mathematics and computer science courses as you can. To become a geologist, college students need to study an array of courses in geoscience, mathematics, life and physical sciences.
Jobs in geology are found in government agencies, private companies, and non-profit and academic institutions.