Bachelor of Science [B.S] [Earth and Planetary Sciences] From Washington University

Understanding the Earth system is also the key to addressing many environmental challenges, including climate change, water quality, and sources of energy. Thus, as an earth scientist, you are uniquely poised to help solve some of society’s most pressing problems through careers in government, non-profit organizations, academia, and industry.

Because planets are complex systems, earth and planetary sciences is by necessity an interdisciplinary field. We apply biology, chemistry, physics, and math to investigate topics such as early life on Earth, the structure of the Earth’s deep interior, the nature of contaminant transport, and the evidence for water on Mars.

If you’ve developed a passion for the basic sciences and are looking for a way to study these sciences outside traditional disciplinary boundaries, earth and planetary sciences is an ideal choice of major. Both the EPS and EES majors offer a range of customization that allows students to focus on topics with the greatest relevence to their academic interests and career plans.