Mar 28, 2024  
2016-2017 University Catalog 
    
2016-2017 University Catalog [ARCHIVED CATALOG]

Planetary Sciences, BS


About the Program

Planetary sciences is a multidisciplinary study of planetary dynamics and includes course work in planetary geology, planetary atmospheres, planetary physics, spacecraft design and operation, and astronomy with elective options in astrobiology, impact cratering, and related topics with which to focus their study.  All students receive a strong background in math, chemistry, physics, computer science, geophysics, and remote sensing and are encouraged to get involved in undergraduate research in this unique program.

Planetary Sciences Website

Degree Requirements and Supplemental Information

The full Program Requirements for 2016-17 Planetary Sciences  include all Supplemental Information and selective lists of those categories which a student must fulfill in order to earn their degree. These are intended to be printer-friendly, but include less descriptive course detail.

Please see below for program requirements and the necessary degree fulfillments.

code-BS
Code-PLSI
120 Credits
“C-“or better required in  courses

Curriculum and Degree Requirements


A College of Science degree is conferred when a student successfully completes all requirements in their degree program.  Students will complete coursework or approved experiential learning activities to meet the following three degree components:

  1. Major
  2. Science Core Curriculum
  3. Free Electives

Students may use any of the following options to meet College of Science degree requirements:

  • Purdue Coursework
  • Ap, IB, and CLEP credit.  The use of AP and IB coursework varies between College of Science degree plans.
  • Transfer Credit. Students should consult the Admissions Transfer Credit Resource page for all available transfer options.

College of Science degree programs vary widely in their approval and use of the proceeding options and thus students are strongly encouraged to work closely with their academic advisors and to regularly consult their MyPurduePlan to view the use of each option in their degree plan. 


Most College of Science degree programs contain free elective credits students may use to pursue courses that relate to their interests or which support their major area of study. The elective area of a degree plan may also be used to complete minors, second majors and certificates such as the Entrepreneurial Certificate. With the exception of courses on the No Count List, any Purdue course may be used to meet the free elective area of a student’s degree plan.

College of Science Core Requirements

All Students starting Purdue University Fall semester, 2007 or later are required to pursue the 2007 Science Core curriculum.

The College of Science Core Curriculum requires the completion of approved coursework and/or experiential learning opportunities in the following academic areas:

Earning Core Curricular Requirements through Experience

Students may meet selected core curriculum requirements through approved experiential learning opportunities. Interested students should contact their academic advisor for more information on this option and incorporating experiential learning into their four-year program of study. For more information on earning requirements through experience, please click here.

Departmental/Program Major Courses (40 credits)


Required Major Courses (40 credits)


Other Departmental /Program Course Requirements (69-75 credits)


Electives


(5-11 credits if needed to reach 120 credits of countable credits) - LINK

University Core Requirements


  • Human Cultures Humanities
  • Human Cultures Behavioral/Social Science
  • Information Literacy
  • Science #1
  • Science #2
  • Science, Technology & Society Selective
  • Written Communication
  • Oral Communication
  • Quantitative Reasoning

16 Credits


16 Credits


Fall 2nd Year


14 Credits


Spring 2nd Year


16 Credits


Fall 3rd Year


16 Credits


Spring 3rd Year


  • Planetary Science Elective+ - Credit Hours: 3.00
  • Free Elective - Credit Hours: 3.00
  • Great Issues Option - Credit Hours: 3.00
  • Science/Engr Elective - Credit Hours: 3.00
  • Science/Engr Elective - Credit Hours: 3.00

15 Credits


Fall 4th Year


15 Credits


Spring 4th Year


12 Credits


Note


*Satisfies a University Core Requirement

+Electives for advanced courses and specializations.

^EAPS 55600 and 39100 Astrobiology are offered alternate years ans may be switched in the above schedule.

Students must earn a “C-” or better in all required  courses.

120 semester credits required for Bachelor of Science degree.

2.0 Graduation GPA required for Bachelor of Science degree.

2.0 average in EAPS major classes required to graduate.

Degree Requirements


The student is ultimately responsible for knowing and completing all degree requirements.

The myPurduePlan powered by DegreeWorks is the knowledge source for specific requirements and completion.

Critical Course


The ♦ course is considered critical. A Critical Course is one that a student must be able to pass to persist and succeed in a particular major.

Foreign Language Courses


Foreign Language proficiency requirements vary by program.  For acceptable languages and proficiency levels, see your advisor:

American Sign Language, Arabic, Chinese, French, German, (ancient) Greek, Hebrew, Italian, Japanese, Latin, Portuguese, Russian, Spanish