Portland State University Environmental Science

Welcome to Portland State University's Department of Geology!

We offer programs leading to bachelor's degrees in geology and earth science, as well as graduate degrees with focused research, pure and applied, in geochemistry, environmental and engineering geology, hydrogeology, surficial processes and neotectonics, planetary geology, and numerical modeling. We also offer MAT and MST degrees for teachers in secondary schools and community colleges, graduate certificates in hydrogeology, engineering and environmental geology for professional development, and minors in Computer Applications, Environmental Geology and Space and Planetary Science. As one of the founding units of the School of the Environment, the department has close ties with the departments of Geography and Environmental Science and Management and the USGS Water Science Center on campus. Our faculty also regularly work with community partners including the City of Portland, regional towns and counties, the state Departments of Water Resources and Environmental Quality, local consulting firms, and middle schools and high schools across Oregon.

Portland is a great location for studying Geology. There are over 25 extinct volcanoes and volcanic vents within the city limits and we can see three active volcanoes, including Mount Saint Helens, from the city. The Columbia River Gorge provides a fantastically beautiful location to study the Columbia River flood Basalts and to see the impacts of the great glacial outburst floods from glacial Lake Missoula. And then there are all of the fantastic geologic features along Oregon’s scenic coast. NW Oregon truly is a geological paradise and a great place to learn and do Earth Science.