Undergraduate study program:
The Department of Geology was founded together with the University of the Negev in 1971. The founding vision was to create a cadre of Earth scientists trained to carry out national development priorities, particularly in the evolving mineral industries of the Negev desert region. The mandate was to award a B.Sc. in Geology, and subsequently in 1975, in Geology and Mineralogy. The evolution of national and global environmental priorities led to a shifting of faculty expertise and student preferences. The name change to “Geological and Environmental Sciences,” finalized in 1997, reflects the Department's foresight regarding future global trends in academic geosciences that began in the early 1990s. The shift in priorities was instituted without compromising academic capabilities in classical geological disciplines. Our present, highly varied program, which leads to the degree of B.Sc. in Geological and Environmental Sciences, consists of five undergraduate single-department tracks, two dual-degree joint programs, and additional possibilities of major and minor study programs. This diversity of choice, although not recorded on the degree certificate, reflects current global trends, national needs, and student preferences.