Undergraduate Studies

Undergraduate Scholarships

Several scholarships, administered by the department or other entities, are available to prospective and current undergraduate geology majors in the Department of Geological Sciences.

Tuition Scholarships for Prospective & Current Geology Majors

Our department has tuition scholarships available for prospective and current geology majors who demonstrate promising academic achievements and who are interested in pursuing a career in the Earth Sciences. These funds have been endowed by members of the Geological Sciences Advisory Board (GSAB) to honor the outstanding achievements of three UA-affiliated Geologists who made lasting contributions to the department, University and Profession:

  • Doug Jones was a beloved leader in the University of Alabama community, serving as Professor and Chair of Alabama’s Department of Geological Sciences and as Dean of Arts and Sciences. His efforts to expand and improve the Department and University continue to benefit students decades after his retirement. Learn more about the Douglas Jones Scholarship.
  • Gary Hooks is one of the longest-serving members of Alabama’s faculty and has led generations of students to pursue successful careers in geology. His former students created this fund to honor his remarkable gifts as a teacher and mentor which served to influence many geology majors over the years.
  • Tom Joiner is a former Alabama State Geologist, widely-respected professional geologist, and co-founder of the GSAB. This scholarship was established by the GSAB to honor his great service and leadership within the profession of geology, the state of Alabama, and the University of Alabama community.

If you are interested in applying for a tuition scholarship, please submit a completed GSAB Scholarship Application (pdf) to Dr. Delores Robinson at dmr@ua.edu. Applications are reviewed regularly, and funds are typically awarded to the successful applicants in the subsequent semester to application.

General Departmental Scholarships

students in the summer field course
Students participating in the summer field course

Research Scholarship

Sponsored by the W. Gary Hooks Endowed Geology Fund, the Department of Geological Sciences Research Scholarship provides funding for undergraduate and graduate research. Scholarship amounts are determined on a case-by-case basis, but the cap for undergraduate and graduate scholarships are $600 and $1000, respectively.

Learn more about the Research Scholarship.

Travel Scholarship

The A.S. Johnson Travel Fund provides travel support to promising full-time undergraduate and graduate students in geological sciences. Funding may be used only for travel to conferences/professional meetings to give presentations. Students must be presenting work that is supervised by a geological sciences faculty member.

Learn more about the Travel Scholarship.

Summer Research Scholarship

The Walter B. Jones Summer Research Scholarship supports faculty research within the state of Alabama and student research associated with and supervised by a faculty member. This scholarship is intended for research related to mineral, oil/gas, and/or water resources to continue ongoing research, initiate new research, and/or provide seed money to enhance external funding opportunities for projects within the state.

Learn more about the Walter Jones Summer Research Scholarship.

Field Course Scholarship

The Field Course Scholarship provides outstanding undergraduate geological sciences majors with supplementary funds for the summer field course. Applications are accepted during the spring semester for students seeking funding for the summer field course (GEO 495). These scholarships are underwritten by the W.C. Johnson and the Harold Stowell endowed support funds.

For questions or to apply, email Dr. Kim Genareau at kdg@ua.edu.

External Scholarships

The Alabama Geological Society (AGS) offers student travel grants to offset the cost of travel for graduate or undergraduate students who would like to attend professional conferences and present research.

Learn more about the AGS Student Travel Grant, or find additional scholarships in our External Funding list (pdf).