1. Class Introduction

Innovation Class is the demonstration and pilot of undergraduate-talents training in our university, and is a channel for the exploration and implementation of undergraduate innovative talents training. Each year, about twenty one freshmen are selected from ten superior majors of our university, namely geology, resources exploration engineering, geochemistry, geological engineering, groundwater science and engineering, hydrology and water resources, environmental engineering, geophysics, prospecting technology engineering, and petroleum engineering. Innovation Class relies on the resources of advantageous disciplines and high-level teaching staff of this university, adopts the "Bachelor-Master-Doctor" successive training mode, implements an individualized and featured training program, stimulates students' desire to explore, and develops students' creative potentials. The aim is to promote the production of outstanding leading talents in the field of geology.

2. Academic Objectives

Innovation Class follows the principle of "Enhancing Foundation, Broadening Specialty, Individualized Teaching, Focal Training" to cultivate top-notch innovative talents with "Unblemished Character, Solid Grasp of Basics, Broad Knowledge, and Profound Expertise".  This course stresses a general basic education of earth sciences, holding the ideology to enable students to have "broad knowledge and solid grasp of basics". Equally important is personalized, independent professional training in this couse. Combining these two together, this curse is to cultivate top-notch innovative talents who are knowledgeble, capable, highlyqualified, innovative, and having international vision in the field of geosciences.

3. Academic Requirements

The first and second-year Innovation Class implement a separate teaching plan, which stresses mathematics, physics, chemistry and basic courses of geology. Students are settled in separate classes for important basic courses and follow a research-oriented teaching model. All teachers are carefully-chosen professors from this university or famous professors from other universities. At the same time, to train the imaginative thinking ability, humanity courses are provided as optional courses. The third and fourth-year students are required to earn necessary credits. The training programs would be jointly formulated by each superivsor and his student(s). The optional specialty courses fully reflect individual requirements. Students are free to choose courses under the guidance of instructors. Also, students are free to choose to study in prestigious universitiesat,at home or abroad. This university can subsidize students to study 4-8 elective courses in an overseas presptigious university for 6-12 months. The minimum credits required for third and fourth-year students is no less than 60 credits.

Graduates should possess the following knowledge and abilities:

(1)  To have solid basic knowledge of mathematics, physics and chemistry and higher cultural literacy.

(2)  To grasp basic theories, knowledge and skills of geosciences, know the forefront developments in geosciences, be familiar with methods for field work of geosciences, gain practical skills and initial capacity of scientific research.

(3)  To gain a strong ability for autonomous learning and innovative consciousness and be fluent in English for communications, expression and writing.

4. Length of Schooling and Degree

The length of schooling is four years of full-time study. Students will be awarded the Bachelor Degree of Science or Engineering when they have completed the required minimum credits and have met all other requirements.

5. Core Courses

Specialized Core Courses: Formulated by the instructor and students (39 credits).

Practice Courses: Comprehensive Physics Experiments, Comprehensive Chemistry Experiments, Geological Survey Field Trip in Beidaihe, Geological Survey Field Trip in Zhoukoudian, Professional Practice, Graduation Thesis.