The Department of Geological Sciences and Engineering, located in the Mackay School of Earth Sciences and Engineering is a large department with a diverse array of research interests encompassing the breadth of the geosciences.

Reno, located in a seismically active area, is at the boundary between the Great Basin and Sierra Nevada provinces and has excellent access to Yosemite National Park, Mono Basin, Lake Tahoe, Lassen Volcanic National Park, and the Carlin and Getchell mining trends.

Features in the region include desert, alpine, fluvial, and glacial environments, in addition to abundant seismic, volcanic and geothermal phenomena.

Degrees are offered in

• Geology (pdf flyer) - B.S., M.S., Ph.D.
• Geophysics (pdf flyer) - B.S., M.S., Ph.D.
• Geochemistry - M.S., Ph.D.
• Hydrogeology (pdf flyer) - B.S., M.S., Ph.D.
• Geological Engineering (pdf flyer) - M.S., Ph.D.

Further information for Graduate students in the Department of Geological Sciences and Engineering and be found at Graduate Program in Geology.

The Geological Engineering Program is an established ABET-accredited engineering program. On graduation in this program, students can obtain professional engineering registration in engineering and environmental fields.

Another major research strength of the Department of Geological Sciences and Engineering is association with the Nevada Seismological Laboratory, the Center for Neotectonic Studies, the Great Basin Center for Geothermal Energy, the Ralph J. Roberts Center for Research in Economic Geology (CREG), the Nevada Bureau of Mines and Geology and a field office of the United States Geological Survey (USGS), all of which are located in the Mackay School of Earth Sciences and Engineering, as well as the nearby Desert Research Institute (DRI).