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Courses

GPS offers a wide variety of courses in the fields of both earth and planetary sciences. Classes cover all areas of these fields of study and are available at both the undergraduate and graduate level.

For details about what each class covers, you may visit

The Caltech Catalog: Geological and Planetary Sciences and Environmental Science and Engineering which provides a summary of the course material and requirements.
The GPS course offerings page, which outlines the courses, listed by option and term, that are offered by GPS this academic year. For a look ahead to next academic year, take a look at the Course Schedule AY2020-21

To see when and where a class is held, you may visit

TA list AY 2019-2020

Course Addition for Fall Term -

Ge 193. "Venus" (1-2-0), 3 units. A seminar-style course focusing on recent and seminal papers, and featuring talks, about Venus scientific research across multiple disciplines. Topics include tectonics, geochemistry, habitability, atmospheric science, and technology. The course will meet once a week and consist of a series of talks, complimented with relevant papers for discussion. Instructor: Jackson.

Meeting Details: Wednesday, 3:00 pm to 4:30 pm, 162 S. Mudd
[Note: The first class will be held on Wednesday, Oct. 16, 2019]
Course Flyer [pdf]

Link to course outline, speakers, and background reading

Course Addition for Winter Term -

Ge 194. "Volcanism across the Solar System", 6 units. Volcanism is one of the core processes that creates and shapes the surfaces and atmospheres of rocky & icy worlds throughout our Solar System (and beyond). This seminar-style course will cover volcanic processes across the Solar System, including: active volcanism on Earth, Io, and Venus; ancient volcanism on Mercury, the Moon and Mars; cryovolcanism on outer planet satellites and on dwarf planets; the role of volcanism and magma ocean phases in the early Solar System's atmospheres and surfaces; and volcanic worlds beyond our Solar System. Instructor: de Kleer.

The class will meet once a week, and each meeting will be split between background lecture and discussions of assigned texts including textbook chapters, review articles, and research papers.

Course Addition for Spring Term -

Ge 195. (Special Topics in Geology: Geology of the American Southwest). Instructor: Bucholz
Ge 197. (Special Topics in Geobiology). Instructor: Fischer

The division also is committed to developing and maintaining high standards of classroom teaching and asks that students complete the following evaluation forms for each course.