Westminster's Paleontology Program

Why Should You Study Paleontology?

Paleontology focuses on understanding the history of life and includes principles from geology, biology, astronomy, chemistry and physics. If you're interested in searching out the Earth's and history's secrets through scientific discovery, paleontology combines several disciplines and brings life to the ancient past.

"This is a remarkable opportunity for students interested in the history of life," says program director David Goldsmith. "Throughout its long geologic history, Utah has been a tropical beach, a coal swamp, an inland desert, and even a freshwater lake. Nearly every possible environment for life and period of life's history is just waiting to be explored out there."

Why Choose Westminster's Program?

Westminster is the only college in the Internmountain West to offer a paleontology program. Westminster is in a unique position to offer this minor because of Utah's historic fossil record which is one of the most complete in the nation. Rocks exposed in Utah span a 543 million year history of animal life on earth, and most of the fossil sites are less than an hour from Westminster's campus. You will take classes like Introduction to Geology, Introduction to Organic Biology, Evolution, History of Life on Earth, Principles of Paleontology, and Sedmentology and Stratigraphy.

What Else?

Westminster's Paleontology Program offers an academic minor in paleontology. Many students take courses in conjunction with a science major; however, credits may complement a major in any academic program.