Course Description
The NIU Department of Geology and Environmental Geosciences has trained students in geological field techniques for nearly 35 years. Our class is run jointly with the Illinois State University (ISU) Department of Geography and Geology and is a six week program designed to teach students geological field mapping and integrative geologic problem-solving. The class spends four weeks in Wyoming and two weeks in the Black Hills of South Dakota, where the diverse geology provides for a wide range of mapping projects and geologic experiences.
During the course, students typically spend six days a week in the field working on a variety of group and individual projects. Early in the course students are familiarized with the regional Phanerozoic stratigraphy and Precambrian crystalline basement rocks, learning how to describe rocks, measure stratigraphic sections, and record geologic field data. After this initial introductory week, students conduct a series of group mapping projects ranging from two to four days in length, and covering areas from approximately one to three square miles. Included in these projects are map areas containing lightly to highly deformed Precambrian igneous and metamorphic rocks as well as Phanerozoic sedimentary rocks deformed during the Laramide Orogeny. Students will map rocks deformed in a wide variety of structural styles.
Costs
The cost of attending includes Northern Illinois University instructional fees for six credit hours, as well as meals, lodging and travel between DeKalb, IL, and the field sites, and local transportation for the entire six weeks of the course. The total cost for the course for this year is $3600. In-state and out-of-state students pay the same amount.
Logistics
This year’s course will run from May 18 - June 28. During this time students and faculty will be housed at various field sites, including Sheridan College, Sheridan, Wyoming, the Michelson Field Station near Cody, Wyoming, and Black Hills State University in Spearfish, South Dakota.
At the beginning of the course, students may travel with the group by van from DeKalb, Illinois, or may arrange for separate travel to Sheridan, Wyoming. At the conclusion of the course, students may travel by group to DeKalb, Illinois, or depart and travel privately to the destination of their choice. Students share rooms in dormitories, cabins or motels throughout the course. While on college or university property, students have ready access to campus recreational, computer, and internet facilities. With the exception of Sundays and two or three extended travel days at the beginning and end of the course, all meals are included in the cost of the course.
How to Apply
Students participating in the course must have completed courses in Structural Geology, Stratigraphy/Sedimentology and Mineralogy. Cumulative grade point averages for all geology courses must be 2.0 or greater (i.e. a "C" average).
To apply for the coming summer's course, contact Anne Petty Johnson at: lasep@niu.edu or (815) 753-5200.
Need Additional Information?
Questions about the course organization, content and schedule should be sent via e-mail to Dr. Mark P. Fischer, Field Camp Director, at: mfischer@niu.edu Questions about costs, payment schedules and the application process should be directed to Anne Petty Johnson at: lasep@niu.edu or (815) 753-5200.