Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences

departmental office (Room 250).  Students who choose an external field camp may still take Field Geology (460:410) for credit and to gain additional field experience, especially in geologic mapping, seismic interpretation, and regional synthesis. Students who choose an external field camp and/or the Rutgers Field Geology course (460:410) may take Geologic Field Methods (460:411) for credit and to gain additional field experience, especially in surveying methods and use of computers to collect, analyze, and present field data. Note that Geologic Field Methods by itself does not satisfy the departmental field requirement. The table below looks at some of the features of external field camps and the Field Geology and Geologic Field Methods courses. It also lists their advantages and disadvantages.

	External Field Camp	Field Geology (460:410)	Geologic Field Methods (460:411)
Credits	3-6	3	2
Duration	3-6 weeks	12-13 field days	6-7 field days
Held during	Late Spring and Summer	Late August; written report is completed during first half of fall semester	Fall semester; written report is completed during second half of fall semester
Cost	Up to $4000 plus transportation	~$200-300	None
Satisfies Field Requirement	Yes	Yes	No
Geologic Mapping	Yes	Yes	Yes
Geologic Surveying	Variable	No	Yes
Computer Applications	Variable	No	Yes
Advantages	Heavy emphasis on geologic mapping; learn about geology in different parts of North America; opportunity for travel; grade not included in Rutgers GPA	Gain proficiency in basic field methods and mapping in the scenic Fundy basin, Nova Scotia, Canada; interpretation of seismic profiles; major project involves integrating multiple data sets; relatively inexpensive; low time commitment during late August	Provides additional proficiency in field methods applied to NJ geology plus surveying & computer applications; major project stresses integration of multiple data sets; no additional cost to student; low time commitment during fall semester
Disadvantages	Cost; long time commitment during summer; quality of camps is variable; few camps stress regional syntheses and written reports	Less mapping experience than field camp; no exposure to other geological areas of North America; a few grad schools require 6-week field camp	Elective course; may not fit into schedule; by itself, this course does not satisfy Rutgers field requirement