Geological Sciences BA at University at Buffalo

Programme overview

Did you fill your pockets with rocks as a kid? Do you love hiking and being outside? Do you care about climate change, protecting our natural resources and keeping people safe from natural disasters?

Faculty: College of Arts and Sciences | Department: Earth Sciences | Study mode: full-time | Location: Buffalo, NY, United States

What you will study

How do landslides happen? How do you map a landscape, classify minerals and identify fossils?

Career pathways

Our alumni have served as a Mars mission simulation astronaut for NASA, overseen the No. 1 fossil park in the U.S., monitored volcanoes, captured hazardous waste, and co-discovered a hydrothermal field in the Pacific Ocean, to name just a few of their accomplishments.

Official programme page

Application information

Domestic applicants: USD 7,070 a year (2026-27). Undergraduate tuition for New York State residents, 2026-27 estimate, as listed for undergraduates generally; excludes fees (listed separately at $3,966), housing and related expenses. Rate applies to the undergraduate career, not a programme-specific fee Source

International applicants: USD 29,070 a year (2026-27). Undergraduate tuition for F-1/J-1 international students (same figure listed for out-of-state students), 2026-27 estimate, as listed for undergraduates generally; excludes fees ($6,466 for F-1/J-1 including International Student Fee and SUNY health insura Source

Fall entry (classes begin in August) and spring entry (classes begin in January) for first-year and transfer students.

Fall entry, domestic first-year: application opens August 1; Early Action (non-binding) deadline November 1; Honors College priority consideration December 15; Regular Decision deadline February 1; enrollment deposit due May 1 or 10 days after acceptance, whichever is later. Applications may continue to be submitted until capacity is reached.

Fall entry, domestic transfer: application opens August 1; priority scholarship consideration March 15; Regular Decision deadline May 1.

Fall entry, international first-year and transfer: Early Action November 1; Honors College priority consideration December 15; Regular Decision deadline February 1.

Spring entry: recommended application date is October 1 for first-year and international applicants and December 1 for domestic transfer applicants (priority scholarship consideration November 1 for transfer).

The application fee is $50 (non-refundable); applicants submit one of the Common Application, Coalition Application or ApplySUNY. SAT and ACT scores are not required for admission and scholarship consideration and may be submitted optionally. Fee waivers are accepted from SUNY, Common App, Coalition, College Board and NACAC.

Law (JD) application fee is $85; applicants submit the LSAT or GRE.

MD: AMCAS application accepted June 1 to November 15; supplemental application and materials due December 1; supplemental fee $100; Early Decision AMCAS due August 1 and supplemental due August 31.

Apply through the official page: https://www.buffalo.edu/admissions.html

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