Affiliated Units

A number of affiliated entities and programs help expand the learning opportunities offered to students at the Department of Geology and Geological Engineering -- including:

Museum of Geology

The South Dakota Mines Museum of Geology has been a repository of geologic and paleontologic specimens since the inception of the institution and currently holds over 500,000 specimens. Collections include mineralogy/petrology, paleobotany, invertebrate paleontology, micropaleontology, biology, and vertebrate paleontology, as well as a library and archives. The Museum is both an important academic resource and a popular stop for local residents and tourists. It's supported by the James E. Martin Paleontology Research Laboratory, a 33,000-square-foot facility that provides a safe, environmentally-controlled location for the Museum of Geology’s fossil, geological, and archival collections, protecting this rich and scientifically significant heritage.

Museum Website


Black Hills Natural Sciences Field Station

The Black Hills Natural Sciences Field Station is a cooperative program formed by a consortium of colleges and universities that offers variety of field courses. Six-credit courses are offered from the following locations:

  • Ranch A field station, an historic log mansion located in the northern Black Hills, near Beulah, Wyoming;
  • Dillon, Montana;
  • South Dakota Mines Campus in Rapid City, South Dakota,
  • Taskesti Field Station, located on north Anatolian Fault Zone, about 200 km east of Istanbul, Turkey;
  • and from Ainsa, northeastern Spain.

Other geology and paleontology field camps are offered at locations in the USA, including South Dakota, Wyoming, Montana, California and Hawaii; and at international locations including Bahamas, Spain, Turkey, Iceland, Nepal and the Andes and Galapagos Islands.

Field Station Website

Adventures in Nepal

Our video from 2011 shows geology field camp research in the Sol Khumbu region of Nepal. Students from across the country participated.