BSc Geology Course Details, Colleges, Admission, Syllabus, Jobs, Salary, Scope 2023

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BSc Geology or Bachelor of Science in Geology is a 3-year long undergraduate level bachelor’s degree course focused on earth science. The course involves the study of rocks, minerals, other solid substances, their compositions, their history and other processes involving them.

This course is spread over 6 semesters and covers subjects like environmental science, earth science, mineral science, the study of other natural resources (like water, petroleum, natural gas, etc), their positioning and presence, climate change and related problems, etc. The course also includes fieldwork and exploration.

BSc Geology Colleges in Kolkata	BSc Geology Colleges in Hyderabad

To be eligible to apply for Geology Course, a candidate must have a minimum of 55% marks in HSC (10+2). The candidates must complete 10+2 in the science stream with Physics, Chemistry, Mathematics or Biology along with English as a compulsory language from any recognized education board. Admission to BSc Geology is generally on a merit basis. However, some institutes may conduct their own entrance examinations like Banaras Hindu University. The average fees charged for this course lie in the range of INR 10,000 to INR 30,000. Dual degree courses of BSc Geology-M.Sc Geology spread over a span of 5 years is also offered by some colleges and Universities like IISER, Kolkata.

Several job opportunities are also available after completing a BSc in Geology. Some of the job profiles offered are- Geologist, Petrologist, Hydrogeologist, Mine Supervisor, etc in some of the top companies. The starting salary offered after BSc Geology is around INR 3-4 LPA. After pursuing BSc Geology, students can also opt for higher studies and can opt for M.Sc Geology, M.Sc Petroleum Geology, M.Sc Marine Geology, PhD courses, etc.

Table of Contents

BSc Geology Course Highlights
BSc Geology: What is it About?
Why Study?
Admission Process
4.1 Eligibility Criteria
4.2 Top Entrance Exams
4.3 How to Prepare for Entrance Exam
4.4 How to Get Admission in Top College
Syllabus
Top Colleges in India
6.1 College Comparison
Distance Education
Courses Comparison
Jobs and Career Options
Future Scope
FAQs

Some of the important details about BSc Geology course are listed below in the table:

Course Level	Undergraduate Course
Full Form	Bachelor of Science- Geology
Duration	3 years
Examination Type	Semester type
Eligibility	10+2 with PCM/PCB and English with min 55% marks
Admission Process	Merit-based
Course Fees	INR 10,000 to INR 70,000
Average Salary (INR)	4,00,000 – 6,00,000
Top Recruiting Companies	GAIL, ONGC, Geological Survey of India (GSI), Coal India, ISRO, Bharat Petroleum Corporation Ltd, Hindustan Zinc Ltd
Job Positions	Geologist, Seismologist, Hydrogeologist, Mine Supervisor, Petroleum Geologist, Paleontologist, Earth Science Teachers etc.

BSc Geology: What is it About?

The programme teaches you about various rocks, minerals, fossils, crystals etc that are found on and under the earth’s surface.
It includes the study of mineralogy, palaeontology, petrology, economic geology, hydrogeology, stratigraphy, structural geology etc.
The course also includes mandatory fieldwork and practicals of different theory subjects.
Moreover, this course provides you with a great knowledge of nature and different natural phenomena like earthquakes, volcanoes, tsunamis and many others, how they occur, their after-effects etc.
After completion of this course, students can either pursue higher studies or can work in different departments in both the private and government sector.
M.Sc and PhD courses with multiple specialisations can be pursued after this course.
The course is also available as a distance education option.

Why BSc Geology course?

BSc Geology course is pursued by a lot of students these days. Given below are some reasons why you can think of pursuing this course:

Various Job Opportunities: After completion of BSc Geology course, a plethora of job opportunities are available for candidates. Job Opportunities are available in various government and private sectors. Candidates can work as geologists, hydrogeologists, palaeontologists, marine geologists etc.
Decent Salary: The entry-level salary of BSc Geology graduates is around INR 4 to 5 lakh per annum. With higher experience, the candidates can end up earning more than INR 18 lakh per annum in any field.
Various Career Options: Candidates pursuing BSc Geology have multiple options to opt as a career. Candidates can wish to pursue higher studies like M.Sc and PHD thereafter or can opt for various jobs available.
Top Recruiters: Some of the top companies recruit students who completed their BSc in Geology like- Geological Survey of India (GSI), Schlumberger, Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC), Physical Research Laboratory (PRL), National Institute of Oceanography (NIO), Oil India Limited (OIL), GAIL, etc.

BSc Geology Admission Process

Admission to BSc Geology is generally on the basis of merit list (marks scored in HSC- 10+2). However, some colleges may conduct their own entrance examinations.

Merit-Based

Candidates after completing their 12th can easily apply for this course on the official websites of college, once the application window is opened.
After the application window is closed, colleges release their merit list of selected candidates.
Subsequent lists may be released by colleges depending on the number of students applied and a number of seats available.
The cutoffs of the reputed colleges generally range between 75% - 85%.
The cutoffs for the topmost colleges like presidency college can even go above 90% marks.

Entrance Based

Some colleges like BHU conduct their own entrances as criteria to admit students into BSc Geology.
Apply for the entrances, if any, on the official website of conducting college as required.
Candidates are selected on the basis of marks scored in these entrance examinations.

Given below are the steps that can be followed to apply for BSc Geology course:

Step-1: Visit the official website of the college.

Step-2: Read all the instructions given on the website and then register yourself by creating an account.

Step-3: Sign-in into your account and fill necessary details- personal details, academic details etc.

Step-4: Upload the necessary documents as required.

Step-5: Recheck all the information that you have filled before going further.

Step-6: Complete your registration by paying the application fees.

Step-7: Download or print the application form for any future reference.

Step-8: Apply for the entrance exam, if any.

Step-9: Keep checking the official website for any further updates.

BSc Geology Eligibility Criteria

All the candidates applying for the BSc Geology programme need to comply with the eligibility criteria prescribed by the college. The basic eligibility criteria are:

Candidates must have completed their HSC (10+2) with minimum 55% marks from any recognised board.
Candidates should have studied Physics, Chemistry, Biology or Mathematics along with English as main subjects.
A relaxation of 5% marks may be given to candidates belonging to reserved categories.

However, the eligibility criteria may differ from college to college.

BSc Agriculture Eligibility	BSc Computer Science Eligibility	BSc Biotechnology Eligibility
BSc Psychology Eligibility	BSc Microbiology Eligibility	BSc IT Eligibility

BSc Geology Entrance Exams

Some Colleges or Universities conduct their own entrance examination for admission into BSc Geology programmes. Some of these entrances are given below:

BHU UET - Candidates applying at Banaras Hindu University need to appear for BHU UET Entrance examination conducted by the University for undergraduate courses.

Name of the Exams	Registration Dates	Exam Dates
NPAT	December 01, 2022 – May 21, 2023	January 04, 2023 – May 31, 2023
CUET	April 2023	May 21 – 31, 2023
CUCET	November 28 - May 29, 2023	November 28 - May 30, 2023
SET	December 10 – April 12, 2023	May 06, 2023 (Test 1) May 14, 2023 (Test 2)

How to Prepare for the Entrance Exam?

One can easily excel in entrance examinations if they already know about the pattern of the entrance exam.

BHU-UET has 3 sections for BSc Geology course namely – Physics, Chemistry and Mathematics.
Each section carries 50 marks.
The duration of the exam is 150 minutes.
It is an Objective type entrance examination i.e their Multiple Choice Questions in each section.

Points to remember while preparing for entrance examinations.

The questions in all the sections are based on the topics studied in school till class 12th in each subject.
To excel in this entrance exam, candidates must prepare all these topics.
Identify your weak areas and give more time to them.
Practice previous year’s question papers and sample paper and analyse.
Revision is the most important step in preparing for any entrance exam. So, revise all the concepts thoroughly.

How to get admission in a good BSc Geology college?

Generally, admission to most of the BSc Geology colleges is on the basis of marks scored in class 12th only, however, some colleges or universities may conduct their own admission test.

For merit-based, candidates need to score a good percentage in HSC or 10+2 examinations. Generally, the cut off for merit list for top colleges lies above 90% marks.
For the entrance exam, be updated about the syllabus of entrance exams and practice previous year’s papers.
Prepare well for class 12th examinations and entrances, if any. Practice previous year’s question papers.
Candidates need to be updated about those BSc Geology colleges and their admission process where they want to apply.
Apply at the college website when the application window is open.

BSc Geology Syllabus

The semester wise breakup of BSc Geology as given by UGC- University Grants Commission of India is given below in the table:

Semester-1	Semester-2
Earth System Science	Elements of Geochemistry
Mineral Science	Structural Geology
Communicative English	Environmental Science
GE-I	GE-II
Semester-3	Semester- 4
Igneous Petrology	Metamorphic Petrology
Sedimentary Petrology	Stratigraphic Principles and Indian Stratigraphy
Palaeontology	Hydrogeology
Field Work-I	Field Work-II
GE-III	GE-IV
Semester -5	Semester-6
Economic Geology	Engineering Geology
Geomorphology	Remote Sensing and GIS
Elective -1	Elective -3
Elective- 2	Elective -4

GE or General Electives in the first 4 semesters and Electives in the last two semesters are to be selected by candidates from the options of subjects given by the college.
The course also includes practicals and field training.

BSc Geology Books

Some of the books for BSc Geology Students are given below:

Book Name	Author
Igneous Petrology	J.D. Winter
Structural Geology	SK Ghosh
Geology of Petroleum	Arville Irving Levorsen
Exploring Geology	Reynolds
Essentials of Geology	Fredrick K. Lutgens
Foundations of Earth Science	Fredrick K. Lutgens
Sedimentary Petrology	S.M. Sengupta
Elements of Geology	S.M. Mathur
Geochemistry	Mason and Moore

BSc Geology Top Colleges

Below are given two different tables for top colleges and top universities offering BSc Geology courses:

Name of the Institute	Location	Average Annual Fees (INR)
Hansraj College	Delhi	21,395
Fergusson College	Pune	12,000
Ram Lal Anand College	Delhi	21,000
M G Science Institute	Ahmedabad	18000
Presidency College	Chennai	1,262
Dibrugarh University	Assam	20,000
Presidency University	Kolkata	4,391
Banaras Hindu University	Varanasi	1,982
Parul University	Vadodara	30,000

Source: College Websites

College Comparison

Given below is the comparison between two top colleges offering BSc Geology programme:

Parameters	Hansraj College	Fergusson College
Overview	The college was founded in 1948 and provides its students with various committees, clubs and research opportunities.	The college was established in 1895 and has various international collaborations.
Ranking (NIRF )	9	42
Affiliated to	Delhi University	SavitriBai Phule Pune University
Location	Delhi	Pune
Admission Criteria	Merit-based	Merit-based
Average Fees (INR)	21,395	12000
Average Placements (INR)	4.5 LPA	3 LPA
Top Recruiting Companies	GAIL, ONGC, Oil India, NTPC, Geological Survey of India etc.	Schulemberger, Geological Survey of India, GSDA, ONGC, PRL, CWPRS

Source: College Websites

BSc Geology Distance Education

Some colleges also offer an option of Distance Education to pursue BSc Geology.
This option is suitable for working professionals or for those who are studying some other course and also want to study BSc Geology as a side option.
The eligibility criteria for this course is also similar- candidates should have minimum 55% marks in class 12th examinations with PCM or PCM as subjects along with English from a recognised board.
There may be additional relaxation in marks for candidates belonging to reserved categories.
The admission to these colleges is usually merit based, i.e., on the basis of marks scored in class 12th examinations.

Some of the colleges offering BSc Geology in Distance Education are:

College Name	Location	Average Annual Fees	Course Duration
IGNOU	Delhi	INR 12,600	3 Years
Chhattisgarh University	Raipur	INR 15,000	3 Years

The average fees of these colleges lie between INR 10,000 to INR 40,000.

Course Comparison

BSc Geology and BSc Geography

Both courses are good courses and are undergraduate level courses.

Some of the differences between BSc Geology and BSc Geography are given in the table below to help you choose the course that you want to pursue:

Parameters	BSc Geology	BSc Geography
Overview	This course is an in-depth study of the composition and structure of the earth. It gives equal emphasis on both internal and external features of the earth.	This course is mainly concerned with the study of external features of the earth surface including maps, location of water bodies, inhabitants, etc.
Admission Criteria	Merit-based or entrance based	Merit-based or entrance based
Cut Offs	Cut Offs are usually high for this course	Cut Offs are usually high for this course
Duration	3 year	3 year
Examination Type	Semester type	Semester type
Average Annual Fees	INR 10,000- INR 70,000	INR 5,000- INR 3,00,000
Eligibility	10+2 with PCM/PCB	10+2 with PCM/PCB
Top Colleges	Hansraj College Delhi, MG Science Institute Ahmedabad, Fergusson College Pune.	Madras Christian College, Presidency College Chennai, Loreto College Kolkata
Job Roles	Geologists, Hydrogeologists, Paleontologist, Mine Supervisors	Geographer, Urban Planner, Cartographer, GIS Specialist
Top Recruiting Companies/agencies	ONGC, GSI, GAIL, ISRO, Coal India, NTPC	Planetariums, Armed Forces, ONGC, Coal India
Average Salary	INR 5 LPA	INR 7 LPA

Source: College Websites

Top BSc Geography Colleges in India	BSc Geography Admission Process

BSc Geology Job Prospects and Career Options

After completing their BSc Geology, candidates can either look for job options or can opt for higher studies.

Multiple job options are available for students in various government and private companies in different industries- oil industry, research area, mineral industry, mining industries etc.
Candidates can also pursue M.Sc in Biology or PhD thereafter. PhD course is available with a number of specialisations. Candidates can work in teaching institutions after completing their PhD.

Some of the Job profiles offered to BSc Geology students with their description and average salary are given below:

Job Profile	Job Description	Average Salary (INR)
Palaeontologist	A palaeontologist is scientists who study fossils of extinct flora and fauna species. They may work in labs, teach in institutions, conduct fieldwork for research.	5.5 LPA
Geologist	Geologists are those scientists who study the different components that make up the structure of the earth and other terrestrial planets. They travel on sites, gather samples, develop research proposals, conduct research, analyse data etc.	5 LPA
Petroleum Geologists	These are those scientists who work in the field of petroleum geology. They work on all aspects of extraction, estimation and processing of oil, petroleum, gas and other combustible resources buried in the earth.	8 LPA
Mine Supervisors	Mine Supervisors are responsible for conducting and managing mining activities. They are responsible to ensure the safety of mine workers, to supervise that targets are achieved and are of high quality, assigning shifts, training and development of workers, maintaining data etc.	2.36 LPA
Hydrogeologist	These are the scientists who work in the area of underground water. Their main responsibility is to monitor and analyse the flow of underground water, its distribution, quality and quantity. They also work to devise the measures to preserve underground water.	5.91 LPA
Marine Geologist	Marine Geologists are those people who study about areas affected by marines, coastal areas, under ocean ground, estuaries etc.	7 LPA

The graph below shows the various Job Profiles offered to BSc Geology students and their average salary:

Source: Payscale

BSc Geology Future Scope

BSc Geology opens up a number of opportunities and career options for candidates.

Students can opt for higher studies. They can opt for M.Sc in their field of interest. M.Sc course after BSc Geology is available with a number of specialisations- Mineralogy, Paleontology etc.
Students can opt for jobs in various public and private sectors. The pay package for entry-level jobs is quite decent, however, you can always earn higher with higher experience.
Students can also give exams for various civil services like UPSC etc.
After completing MSc, students can go for PhD degrees.

BSc Geology FAQs

Ques. What is the full form of BSc Geology?

Ans. The full form of BSc Geology is Bachelor of Science- Geology.

Ques. What are some of the sub-disciplines of BSc Geology?

Ans. Some of the sub-disciplines of BSc Geology are mineralogy, hydrogeology, palaeontology, astrogeology, economic geology, geochemistry, petrology etc.

Ques. What is the minimum cut off for general BSc Geology DU Admissions?

Ans. Only two colleges of DU offers BSc Geology as a regular course- Hansraj College and Ram Lal Anand College. The cut off for General category students for theses colleges is around 98+ and 90+ respectively.

Ques. Is it possible to do MBA after BSc Geology?

Ans. Yes, you can pursue MBA BSc in Geology provided you meet the eligibility criteria for MBA.

Ques. What are employment opportunities available after BSc Geology?

Ans. A number of firms recruit BSc Geology students for various job roles such as geologists, Marine geologists, assistant soil scientist, palaeontologist, mine supervisor, technical analyst etc. You can also work in teaching institutions.

Ques. What skills can be acquired by pursuing BSc Geology?

Ans. Students pursuing BSc Geology are required to have multiple skills- communication skills, oral and graphical methods, interpersonal skills, presentation skills, numerical problems solving skills, etc.

Ques. Is it possible to pursue LLB after BSc Geology?

Ans. Yes, you can pursue LLB after BSc Geology provided you meet the eligibility criteria.

Ques. Which is better BSc Geology or BSc Microbiology?

Ans. Both are different subjects and deal with different areas of study. BSc Geology deals with the study of structure and composition of Earth and BSc Microbiology deals with the study of microorganisms. Both the courses are good and any of them can be pursued as per your interest.

Ques. Is BSc Geology a good major?

Ans. Yes, BSc Geology is a good major which provides you with ample opportunities to work in fascinating areas. It is all about the study of earth science. However, it really depends on the interest of the candidate whether to pursue this course or not to pursue.

Ques. When will the registration in Delhi University start for BSc Geology courses?

Ans. The admission process for Delhi University has been started. The last date to apply for DU admissions is 4 July . You can apply by visiting on official site of DU.