Not many universities offer 4-year undergraduate degrees in palaeontology. The ones that do are mostly
in the USA, such as UC Berkeley (California). The usual route to becoming
a palaeontologist is to begin with getting a Bachelor's degree in one of two fields of science:
geology or biology. Which one you choose will very much depend on your interests.
Even after choosing say the geology path, it is still a good idea to also take courses in the
biology field, especially zoology and anatomy.
Each school has different course requirements for a degree program. You will likely have to take
courses in math, physics, chemistry as well as options from other faculties (English, foreign
languages, social sciences, history, arts, etc.) as a requirement for completing your degree. These
latter courses may seem like a waste of time, but they are requirements
for getting a degree, and you will have to take them. A course in English and
creative writing is important too because to be a good palaeontologist, you will have to be able to
write papers and you MUST be able to communicate properly. Mathematics is important because
study of fossils often includes statistical analysis.
If you're still in high school, make sure you take biology, physics, chemistry and math before
you graduate from grade 12. If you're missing any of these you will run into roadblocks in university.
Once you have your 4-year degree in geology or biology, then you will be able to specialize in
palaeontology in a Master's program (usually another 2 years), and continue with a PhD program
(another 2 to 5 years--some very bright people skip the Master's degree and go straight to the PhD).
You will find that you need a PhD in order to teach or do research in palaeontology.
The best way to find out which specific courses you need is to talk to the people in the departments
you are interested in. If you want to go to U of A, go to the department of Earth and Atmospheric
Sciences (geology), or Biological Sciences, and ask to talk to someone (a counsellor or one of the
professors) about course requirements for a career in palaeontology. They will ask you the right
questions and give you the best information. Same for any other university (such as U of Calgary) you
might be interested in attending. (Yes, you can get a palaeontology degree at U of C--there are several
graduate students studying dinosaurs there right now.)
You have to be a member to attend field trips. By joining the society you will be entitled to enjoy all the other benefits of membership too. To join the society visit the MEMBERSHIP tab on this website. If you plan to join the society, join several weeks before the field trip rather then on the day of the field trip. The field trip coordinator is busy organizing the trip and does not handle memberships at the site.
Visit the MEETINGS/EVENTS tab on this website. Once in that section of the website, scroll to the bottom
where you will find a map of
Mount Royal University in Calgary including the parking areas. The University does charge a small fee for
parking.
A map of the parking areas can also be found on the last page of the MEMBER'S GUIDE.
Yes, any member may sign out a book from the APS library. Speak with the APS librarian at the monthly meeting.
Refer to the MEMBERS GUIDE tab on this website. The MEMBERS GUIDE includes a section on this topic and provides recommendations.
Refer to the MEMBERS GUIDE tab on this website. The MEMBERS GUIDE includes a section on the regulations about fossil collecting.
To find out more please contact the webmaster, Vaclav Marsovsky at:
Ph. (403) 547-0182