Mar 28, 2024  
2021-2022 Hill Book (Class of 2025) 
    
2021-2022 Hill Book (Class of 2025) [ARCHIVED HILL BOOK]

Earth and Planetary Sciences


Program Director

Alessandro Massarotti
Office: Shields Science Center 303
Phone: 508-565-1430
amassarotti@stonehill.edu
The Earth and Planetary Science, B.S. is an interdisciplinary program offered jointly by the Biology, Chemistry, Mathematics and Physics Departments.

Mission of the Program

The Earth and Planetary Sciences major is meant to serve students with a strong interest in math, physics, chemistry and computational methods applied to planetary sciences, who wish to pursue technical careers (e.g. traditional/alternative energy industries) or graduate studies at research universities with strong Earth and Planetary Science programs.  The major would be useful to those wishing to pursue advanced degrees in areas such as planetology and space exploration, planetary astrophysics, geology/geophysics, Earth’s evolution, climate modeling or meteorology.

Learning Goals

Majors in Earth and Planetary Science will:

  • demonstrate a clear understanding of these five core curriculum areas: general chemistry, general physics, general principles of environmental science and geology, climate science and oceanography.
  • use the aforementioned knowledge in these areas to describe and explain Earth cycles and the main drivers of geological phenomena.
  • understand how science is performed: observation, hypothesis development, experimental design & execution, data collection and interpretation.
  • understand the philosophical, ethical, and societal dimensions of planetary science as a human endeavor.

Programs

    Major