Contact the Earth Sciences Department
Contact Administrative Assistant Travis Grant (Preferred Contact Method)
- Email: grant_travis@smc.edu
- Office Hours (Working remotely with limited on-campus availability, it is best to
email grant_travis@smc.edu)
- Monday, Wednesday & Friday: 8 a.m. – 12 p.m.
- Tuesday & Thursday: 1 – 5 p.m.
- Response Time: 48 hours
Department Chair Dr. Eric Minzenberg
- Email: minzenberg_eric@smc.edu
- Phone: 310-434-4367
Earth Sciences
Earth Sciences
Earth Sciences
Earth Sciences
Earth Sciences
Earth Sciences
Earth Sciences
The Earth Sciences Department houses five separate programs: Anthropology, Astronomy, Geography, Geology, and Sustainable Technologies.
Our Earth Sciences Department programs have many common objectives:
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To help our students discover the origin and development of the universe, our planet, all plant, and animal life including, and especially, humans;
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To better understand the complex interactive nature of the many processes that produce the planet's physical environment;
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To recognize the limits and finiteness of the Earth’s resources;
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To realize the capacity of humans to alter many global processes.
To meet department objectives, we provide our students with lectures, labs and field experiences that meet both natural and social science IGETC and GE requirements for transfer. The department also offers three sustainable technologies certificates in Solar Voltaic Installation, Energy Efficiency, and Recycling & Resource Management. Additionally, we offer GIS (Geographic Information Systems) courses to prepare our students for a future in Geospatial Technology.
The Earth Sciences Department is a major contributor to the SMC's Global Citizenship Initiative. We support it through our Latin American Education Program, student and faculty participation in field and Study Abroad programs. The department has offered a variety of field experiences from California to Central and South America, and Italy. For more information, please take a look at the Study Abroad Programs at SMC.
Programs of Study
Anthropology
Examine the origin, development, and organization of humans from both a biological and behavioral perspective.
Astronomy
Study the solar system, stars, galaxies, and space using principles of physics and mathematics.
Geography
Study the diverse environments, people, places, and spaces of the Earth’s surface and their interactions.
Geology
Study Earth’s origin, interior processes, plate tectonics theory, the evolution of surface environments, the linkage between climate and biology, and the various ways in which these processes are recorded in the rock record.
Geospatial Technology
Physical to human to geographic techniques, including geospatial studies and analysis, environmental and urban studies to analyze and solve the spatially related problems. Our range of geography courses at SMC provides excellent opportunities for students to build geographic knowledge and skills that can be used in many different fields and disciplines.
Sustainable Technologies Degree Information
Apply science and technology to build systems that empower people to live a cleaner, more ecological life while saving energy and the planet.