Hello! I’m Dr. Brandon Browne. I am a professor in the 
Geology Department at Humboldt State University.
Thanks for choosing to spend some time learning 
about our Geology Department.
HSU Geology is a close-knit community of students, 
faculty, staff, and alumni who believe in field-based,
experiential, and collaborative learning.
We work together to advance our 
understanding of geological processes
and apply our understanding to solving challenging
 geological and environmental problems.
So, what’s HSU Geology all about?
Let’s start with our mission statement. 
Then, I’ll explain what makes HSU Geology unique compared to other Geology Programs.
Next, I will talk about our department priorities. 
And last, I will overview our geology degree options.
The mission of the HSU Geology Department is to 
provide a rigorous, comprehensive, and up-to-date
geological education to help
students develop scientific thinking skills
with particular emphasis on field-based 
research and active geologic processes,
and to develop a scientific understanding of the
 interactions between human activities and geology.
This mission serves as a guiding principle when we
plan our curriculum, field trips,
research, professional development,
 and community engagement.
Every geology program is unique, so what are the things that make HSU Geology unique?
Three of the biggest are:
our tectonic setting, which allows us to emphasis active geologic processes in our curriculum and research,
our low student:faculty ratio, which means more meaningful student-faculty interactions,
and our commitment to experiential learning, which means HSU Geology students 
learn more geology by actually doing more geology.
HSU is located in one of the world’s most geologically
 dynamic regions,
which provides an unparalleled 
natural laboratory to study processes like
tectonics, earthquakes, landslides,
volcanoes, active rivers, and rapid erosion.
HSU is located only 50 miles to the northeast of the 
seismically active Mendocino Triple Junction,
which is where the Pacific, North American, 
and Juan de Fuca tectonic plates –
all of which are moving in different directions 
relative to one another – come in contact.
HSU is also located within an active subduction zone – known as the Cascadia subduction zone,
which produces earthquakes, faulting, 
and the Cascades volcanoes.
This is a very different geologic setting from central 
and southern California.
Thanks to our geologic setting, 
HSU geologists study things like active tectonics
through mapping and trenching across active faults
 to expose fault systems in cross-section.
Active processes like tsunami inundation through 
modeling, mapping, monitoring of currents,
and coring into coastal sediments that preserve 
thousands of years of past coastal processes,
including sea level changes and paleo tsunami events.
Active processes associated with 
volcanic eruptions that occurred
as recently as 100 years ago in the nearby Cascades
Active processes that occur in response 
to climate change,
like changes in the volume and extent of glaciers
And, active fluvial processes related to the numerous rivers and streams of NW California, including how
our understanding of fluvial processes can inform salmon habitat restoration efforts
Another unique quality about HSU Geology is our size.
Our geology classes are a bit smaller than other CSU geology programs and have a low student:faculty ratio.
Most geology classes have only 15 to 25 students per 
professor and some advanced classes have as few
as five students per professor where undergraduate students and graduate students can learn together.
This low student to faculty ratio 
translates to a couple key outcomes.
First, it means that students have more access to 
professors to ask questions,
discuss their ideas, receive feedback, and engage 
in meaningful research experiences.
Second, our relatively smaller size fosters a sincere and supportive community among the students
as well as the faculty. We want you to feel like you are welcome here with us.
Furthermore, HSU Geology isn’t like other 
programs that have many temporary faculty
or graduate students 
teaching their classes and laboratories.
At HSU, our focus is on undergraduate student learning
 in the field, laboratory, and classroom,
which is why the vast majority of classes 
and laboratories are taught by professors
who are both experts in their field of study 
and skilled teachers.
Finally, the combination of our unique geologic setting 
and our low student-faculty ratio
allows HSU Geology to be committed to a 
curriculum that centers on hands-on
and high-impact field-based learning 
and research experiences.
We think this commitment makes us unique compared 
to other geology programs that may be larger
or located in urban environments where the geology has 
been concealed by freeways and neighborhoods.
The HSU Geology department has four main priorities. 
These priorities are based on the goal
of including specific experiences 
in each student’s educational journey.
These experiences include: 
Field-Based Experiences, Analytical Experiences,
Professional Development Experiences, 
and Capstone Experiences
We are proud of our reputation as a 
geology program that prioritizes hands-on
and high-impact field-based learning 
and research experiences for our geology students.
Our location in NW California 
near the Cascadia subduction zone
provides a world-class natural laboratory
 to study a variety of active processes,
including tectonics, earthquakes,
 geomorphology, volcanology,
hydrogeology, climate change, and tsunami currents.
Students also engage in fieldwork elsewhere 
in the United States and abroad.
HSU Geology faculty maintain 
active research laboratories composed of both
undergraduate and graduate students as
well as strong collaborative ties with
colleagues at neighboring R1
universities to facilitate student
access to state-of-the-art analytical instrumentation.
For example, HSU Geology students and faculty 
regularly travel to institutions like UC Santa Cruz,
UC Berkeley, Oregon State University, and the 
University of Arizona to engage in a variety
of sample analyses, including radiocarbon dating, 
electron microprobe analyses,
stable isotope analyses, 
and detrital zircon geochronology.
Preparing students for their future careers as 
geoscientists - and supporting faculty
to pursue opportunities to stay current in their
scientific field - are priorities
for the HSU Geology program. Humboldt Geology 
students and faculty achieve these experiences by
presenting original research findings at 
scientific conferences,
engaging in geological field 
expeditions with professionals,
integrating GIS into our curriculum and research, and working with Geoscience professionals –
many of whom are HSU Geology alumni –
 in the our local community.
HSU Geology students engage in two main types of 
"capstone" courses, which are courses with
learning objectives that
require students synthesize and
integrate their knowledge and skills
acquired through their completion of the
core geology curriculum to complete a
comprehensive geology project.
The capstone course for geology majors pursuing a BS 
in Geology is a 4-week geology field camp,
which is a 24/7 immersive field experience where 
students, faculty, and staff camp and work together
in a remote field location to resolve 
and unravel the area’s geological history.
Students use this opportunity to synthesize their 
writing and presenting skills,
spatial and geologic mapping abilities, 
rock and mineral identification,
and their understanding of processes that 
occur over geologic timescales.
The capstone course for geology majors pursuing a 
BA in Geoscience is the Geoscience Capstone,
which typically involves outreach and 
educational activities in the local community.
Through their involvement in the Geoscience capstone, 
students gain experiences collaborating
with local schools, museums, and 
other community groups
to educate and inform the public
about geologic hazards like earthquakes
and tsunami as well as develop hazard
preparation materials and refine mitigation strategies.
HSU Geology offers two degree options: a BS degree 
in Geology and a BA degree in Geoscience.
About 60% of our students pursue a BS degree in Geology.
The BS degree is a comprehensive degree designed to prepare students for professional careers
in the geological sciences, like geotechnical consulting 
and environmental consulting or careers in research.
About 40% of our students pursue the BA degree in
Geoscience, which is a degree designed for students
who desire an education that combines a strong geological background with another field of study
that they are interested in, which may include
 geospatial analysis, environmental science,
education, business, or something else.
The very best way to learn about the HSU Geology
program is to visit our incredible region for yourself
and get to know some of our wonderful 
students, faculty, and staff.
I’m sure you’ll be as intrigued by the rugged mountains, 
rushing rivers, dynamic coastlines,
and Humboldt vibe as we are.
If you aren’t quite ready to visit but would like some more information about the Department of Geology
at Humboldt State, please call us at 707-826-3931
check out our webpage, or send us an 
email to geology@humboldt.edu
Thank you for spending this time learning about
HSU Geology. Take care!
