For information about the admission process, including deadlines, visit the Office of Undergraduate Admissions website. Applications can be submitted via the Common Application.

Supporting documents not submitted online should be mailed to:

Office of Undergraduate Admissions
The George Washington University
800 21st St NW Suite 100
Washington, DC 20052

For questions visit undergraduate.admissions.gwu.edu/contact-us.

The following requirements must be fulfilled:

The general requirements stated under Columbian College of Arts and Sciences, Undergraduate Programs.

Program-specific curriculum:

Prerequisite courses
Two courses selected from the following:
GEOL 1001Physical Geology
GEOL 1002Historical Geology
GEOL 1005Environmental Geology
Required courses in related areas
CHEM 1111
CHEM 1112
General Chemistry I
and General Chemistry II
PHYS 1011
PHYS 1012
General Physics I
and General Physics II
or ASTR 1001
ASTR 1002
Stars, Planets, and Life in the Universe
and Origins of the Cosmos
One course selected from the following:
MATH 1220
MATH 1221
Calculus with Precalculus I
and Calculus with Precalculus II
MATH 1231Single-Variable Calculus I
STAT 1051Introduction to Business and Economic Statistics
STAT 1053Introduction to Statistics in Social Science
STAT 1111Business and Economic Statistics I
STAT 1127Statistics for the Biological Sciences
Required courses for the major
GEOL 2111Mineralogy
GEOL 2112Igneous and Metamorphic Petrology
GEOL 2122Structural Geology
GEOL 3128Sedimentology and Stratigraphy
GEOL 3129Sedimentology and Stratigraphy Lab
GEOL 4195Geological Field Methods
Four courses selected from the following and approved by the program advisor:
GEOL 2106Oceanography
GEOL 2151Introduction to Paleontology
GEOL 2190Special Topics in Geology (3 credits only)
GEOL 2333Evolution and Extinction of Dinosaurs
GEOL 3118Volcanology
GEOL 3131Global Climate Change
GEOL 3138Hydrogeology
GEOL 3140
GEOL 3189Geophysics
GEOL 3191Geology of Energy Resources
GEOL 4199Undergraduate Research or Reading (3 credits only)

In addition to the University General Education Requirement, undergraduate students in Columbian College must complete a further, College-specific general education curriculum—Perspective, Analysis, Communication (G-PAC) as well as the course CCAS 1001 First-Year Experience. Together with the University General Education Requirement, G-PAC engages students in active intellectual inquiry across the liberal arts. Students achieve a set of learning outcomes that enhance their analytical skills, develop their communication competencies, and invite them to participate as responsible citizens who are attentive to issues of culture, diversity, and privilege.

Coursework for the University General Education Requirement is distributed as follows:

  • One course in critical thinking in the humanities.

  • Two courses in critical thinking, quantitative reasoning, or scientific reasoning in the social sciences.

  • One course that has an approved oral communication component.

  • One course in quantitative reasoning (must be in mathematics or statistics).
  • One course in scientific reasoning (must be in natural and/or physical laboratory sciences).
  • UW 1020 University Writing (4 credits).
  • After successful completion of UW 1020, 6 credits distributed over at least two writing in the discipline (WID) courses taken in separate semesters. WID courses are designated by a "W" appended to the course number. 

Coursework for the CCAS G-PAC requirement is distributed as follows:

  • Arts—one approved arts course that involves the study or creation of artwork based on an understanding or interpretation of artistic traditions or knowledge of art in a contemporary context.
  • Global or cross-cultural perspective—one approved course that analyzes the ways in which institutions, practices, and problems transcend national and regional boundaries.
  • Local or civic engagement—one approved course that develops the values, ethics, disciplines, and commitment to pursue responsible public action.
  • Natural or physical science—one additional approved laboratory course that employs the process of scientific inquiry (in addition to the one course in this category required by the University General Education Requirement).
  • Humanities—one additional approved humanities course that involves critical thinking skills (in addition to the one course in this category required by the University General Education Requirement).
  • CCAS 1001 First-Year Experience

Certain courses are approved to fulfill GPAC requirements in more than one category.

Courses taken in fulfillment of G-PAC requirements may also be counted toward majors or minors. Transfer courses taken prior to, but not after, admission to George Washington University may count toward the University General Education Requirement and G-PAC, if those transfer courses are equivalent to GW courses that have been approved by the University and the College.

Lists of approved courses in the above categories are included on each undergraduate major's page in this Bulletin.

In addition to the general requirements stated under University Regulations, in order to be considered for graduation with Special Honors, candidates must maintain a cumulative grade-point average of 3.3 both overall and for courses in the major, and must submit an approved Honors thesis.