Discover Our Majors: Geology

If you enjoy exploring Earth and its processes and elements, but are unsure about what you can do with a degree in geology, we have answers. Geologists play a behind-the-scenes role in keeping our day-to-day lives running, and the career opportunities are diverse.

“Geology is incredibly relevant in the world we see today,” said Jenna Holt, who will graduate with a B.S. in geology this summer. “The things we use every day, like cell phones, solar panels and cars, are made up of critical minerals.” 

Mining exploration and extraction are viable career prospects for geologists — as well as reclamation and restoration work to reduce its environmental impacts. 

“The field of environmental geology is expanding. Whether you like it or not, practices like mining and oil fracking are necessary in our society,” Holt said. “We can’t just get rid of it, so we have to explore ways to clean up areas that have been previously destroyed. We also have to find ways to make our oil and mining methods more sustainable, and avoid causing major environmental problems in the first place.”

Landscapes affect our economies and the layout of our towns and cities, so having geologists to consult on things like construction decisions is important.

“You need to be aware of what you’re building on, especially if you’re in an area that’s prone to natural hazards like landslides and earthquakes,” Holt said. “You want to make sure you have a stable foundation.” 

Enroll at NC State. Explore Earth.

Holt came to NC State to learn about the Earth and its formation. But she’s also learned that you can shape your college experience to suit your goals and passions.

Growing up, Holt was fascinated by dinosaurs and later developed an interest in natural history. NC State’s geology major and paleontology minor — a big draw for her given that paleontology programs are rare at the undergraduate level — have allowed her to explore both. 

NC State is really good about having an interdisciplinary focus.

As part of her paleontology work in the Department of Biological Sciences, she traveled to Gainesville, Florida, over the 2024 winter break.

“I was working on shark teeth, so we took photos and measurements of different specimens there,” she said.

Holt has been able to expand her academic interests even further.

“NC State is really good about having an interdisciplinary focus,” she said. “I took a forensic anthropology class, and that’s been one of my favorite electives.”

Having nature as a classroom for both paleontology and geology coursework has been a perk for Holt. Geology students can expect most of their courses to include field work — across campus, the state and the country.

From studying mountain processes in western North Carolina to touring water processing plants and examining outcrops more locally in Falls Lake, students have plenty of opportunities to put their skills into practice. 

Holt remembers going on an overnight camping trip to the mountains in Virginia as part of her course on sedimentology and stratigraphy — the study of sand, silt, and clay and layered rock and soil, respectively.

“We got to do a lot of hands-on stratigraphic work on that trip,” Holt said. “We don’t get to measure a lot of exposed stratigraphy during class very often, so having that hands-on experience was really nice.” 

She went on a fall break trip to the Olympic Peninsula in Washington as part of the “Regional Geology of North America” course through the Department of Marine, Earth and Atmospheric Sciences, home of the geology program. 

“We picked up rocks and examined all of the differences between them, which was really cool,” Holt said. “We did a lot of marine science stuff, too. We went digging around tide pools.” 

She’s spending the first part of summer 2026 preparing maps and reports of geological formations in New Mexico for MEA 465, a required field camp for geology students. 

“It’s three weeks of hardcore geology,” Holt said. “So many maps. It’s a great time.” 

From Coursework to Career

Holt’s schoolwork keeps her busy, but that hasn’t stopped her from taking on other opportunities to advance her career.  

“I definitely took it on myself to try to take advantage of as much as I could,” she said. “There’s not a single opportunity I’ve had that I regret taking.” 

During her senior year, Holt worked in the lab of Ethan Hyland, an associate professor in the Department of Marine, Earth and Atmospheric Sciences. She studied phytoliths, or microscopic mineral deposits in plant tissue that can help researchers learn about past climates and environments. 

There’s a lot out there that we still don’t understand and that could be waiting to be uncovered.

Holt served as vice president of the paleontology club and as the secretary and social media manager for the geology club. 

“The geology club went on camping trips my freshman year. We went to the Appalachian Mountains once and we got rained out,” she said. “It was one of my favorite experiences I think I’ve had.” 

Holt — who first stepped foot on NC State’s campus as a Science Olympiad participant — is also involved with the Science Olympiad Alumni Organization. Science Olympiad hosts science competitions for K-12 students across North Carolina, with the state tournament being held in NC State’s Reynolds Coliseum each year. 

Holt also took advantage of opportunities beyond campus, interning at the Geology and Petrology Research Lab at the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences. The museum’s geology collection includes samples of every type of gemstone ever found in North Carolina. Research in the lab is primarily focused on apatite geochemistry. Apatite is a group of phosphate minerals found in phosphorus and vertebrate bones and teeth. 

“I get to see all the different rock and mineral specimens they have, and I also get to work on some of them, which is pretty exciting,” she said. 

After completing her B.S. in geology this summer, Holt will head to the University of Missouri to pursue a master’s in geological sciences with a focus in paleontology. She will focus her research on Ediacaran fauna, soft-bodied multicellular organisms that are Earth’s earliest form of complex life. Fossil impressions of Ediacaran fauna — which existed roughly 600 million years ago and are unlike any living creature we know of today — can give researchers insight into the origins of complex life forms on our planet.

Holt is keeping her options open in terms of what she wants to do after graduate school, but is excited for the future of geology. 

“There’s a lot out there that we still don’t understand and that could be waiting to be uncovered,” she said.