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Harvard offers outstanding opportunities for students who wish to pursue studies in Earth and Planetary Sciences (EPS). The field encompasses a broad range of science disciplines, technology, and applications to environmental and economic endeavors. Studies of the Earth involve students in the development and application of new tools and technologies such as space probes and sophisticated instruments, as well as field work in remote and challenging settings.

These are intellectually exciting times for the Earth and planetary sciences, which are of unprecedented importance to contemporary society. Our environment is increasingly subject to stresses placed upon it. As never before, we must understand the consequences of human activities for the Earth’s atmosphere, the oceans, the solid Earth, and the organisms that live on it. Exploring for, extracting, and conserving natural resources are vital to the global political economy. We must mitigate the ill effects of earthquakes, landslides, volcanic eruptions, and severe weather by learning to predict their time and place.

Because the Earth’s natural systems (atmosphere, ocean, biosphere, solid earth) are interconnected, the training of Earth scientists broadly spans the boundaries between biology, chemistry, engineering, physics, mathematics, and the Earth sciences themselves. This intellectual breadth is not always possible to acquire in a “pure” science program. The department trains students rigorously in the basic sciences, typically in the same foundational courses as students in Astronomy, Chemistry, Engineering, and Physics. These foundational courses are followed by upper-level courses that focus on disciplines within Earth and planetary science. Within the EPS Department students may focus on geological science, environmental geoscience, solid earth geophysics, geochemistry, geobiology, atmospheric and ocean science, and planetary science.

Alternatively, many students choose to take courses across these disciplines. All students are encouraged to participate in Department-sponsored field experiences. Most students complete their studies with a senior thesis that affords the opportunity to do original research under the guidance of department faculty, often involving field work or studies of original data or samples.

Career opportunities in earth and planetary sciences are diverse, spanning the private, government, and academic sectors. Government service includes research and administration in NASA, the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Agency, the US Geological Survey, the Environmental Protection Agency, and many other agencies and departments. Earth scientists work in and direct a number of oil and mineral exploration and production companies. There also are abundant opportunities in the academic world. Many opportunities continue to grow for entrepreneurs who build companies specializing in resources, natural hazards, waste repositories and cleanup, and environmental impact. In addition to scientific career paths, an undergraduate degree in Earth and planetary sciences is an excellent background for continuing study in law, business, public administration, and medicine.

The research environment of the department is an unparalleled resource for undergraduate education. Concentrators may work with faculty and graduate students on major research projects as a research or field assistant, in the context of course work, or as part of an undergraduate research project. Class sizes are small and student-professor contact is frequent and informal. Each graduating senior becomes personally acquainted with virtually every faculty member in the department. Writing a senior thesis, which may be based on field, laboratory, or theoretical research, provides students with the opportunity to explore beyond the elementary level in one or more of the subspecialties of Earth and Planetary Sciences.