樱花影视

EOS 400 Advanced Field Geology

EOS 400 is a field-based, summer session course, generally taken by SEOS students between their third and fourth year of studies.  It is a required course for students in our Earth Sciences program (Geology Option) and represents an elective course that can be used towards meeting Engineers and Geoscientists British Columbia (EGBC) academic qualifications for both their 'Geology' and 'Environmental Geoscience' designations (see here for more details). Pre-requisites of EOS 300 (Earth Science Field School) and EOS 316 (Igneous and Metamorphic Geology) will be strictly enforced.

Forecasted dates for upcoming EOS 400 trips (tentative and subject to change – contact smcgold@uvic.ca for more info):

• August 22 – September 4, 2026 (domestic – details below)
• August 21 – September 3, 2027 (domestic – details TBD)
• August 19 – September 1, 2028 (domestic – details TBD)

Newly redesigned! 2026 DOMESTIC BC/ALBERTA TRIP DETAILS:

Discover how continents evolve through orogenesis as we travel across the western Canadian Cordillera between 樱花影视 and Calgary. This 14-day field course includes a mix of hikes, full-day and multi-day projects at selected thematic field sites, and shorter roadside stops on travel days. Together, these field sites will build your understanding of how tectonics, magmatism, sedimentation, and climate have shaped BC and Alberta over Earth’s history. Hone your field skills on this capstone course that is key for anyone hoping to work in Geoscience in western Canada.

Dates: August 22 – September 4, 2026

Location: Across the Canadian Cordillera of southern BC and Alberta. Trip starts & ends at UVic.

Course Instructor: Jon Husson (jhusson@uvic.ca)

Co-ordinator: Siobhan McGoldrick (smcgold@uvic.ca)

Pre-requisites: EOS 300 and EOS 316. Note that this means students must have completed EOS 300 in or before May 2026 to qualify. If you plan to complete both Earth Science field schools in the same calendar year, please ensure that in your application for EOS 300 you mention this in the comment field.

Enrolment capacity: 20 students maximum – registration priority will be given to declared SEOS students whose program requires the course. Note: students who qualify to take EOS 400 in a given year, but who delay will have lower priority than those who would normally take the course in a given year and are NOT guaranteed a spot.

Accommodation: Accommodation during the field school will be provided by UVic, with the exception of ONE night: Students are responsible for their own accommodations in 樱花影视 the night of September 3, 2026.

Accommodations arranged by UVic are shared and may include standard hotel rooms (2 queen beds or similar), cabins with queen or twin bunk beds, and a large bunk room with privacy dividers. Students must bring a sleeping bag, sleeping pad, and pillow (or use a stuff sack and spare clothes). Contact Siobhan if you have concerns or questions about sleeping gear or arrangements.

Transportation: All transportation during the program will be provided. Students are responsible for arranging their travel to 樱花影视 ahead of the start date, and from 樱花影视 (leaving no earlier than 7 PM) on the last day.

Mandatory pre-trip meetings: There will be a few mandatory pre-trip meetings to prepare for the field component. These will be scheduled as 1-hr evening meetings at a mutually agreed upon time, from late February to April 2026 (dates/times TBD)

Estimated costs: As an off-campus course, EOS 400 carries a participation fee (exclusive of tuition) paid to SEOS to partially recover costs of running the trip, including vehicle rentals, ferries, meals for approximately half of the trip, fuel, and accommodations. The 2026 participation fee is expected to be between $1,300 and $1,500; application deposits are counted towards that fee.

Why is this fee higher than in some past years?        

We are spending more days in the field in the re-designed field school and are supplying all meals for ~half the trip duration. Both factors increase the costs of running this field school. The trade-off is that we gain more time in the field & students save money on meals.

Refunds: All refund requests will be considered on a case-by-case basis at the discretion of SEOS administration.

• Deposits will ONLY be considered for refund under the following circumstances:
  • the student is not offered a seat in the course due to capacity
  • extenuating extreme circumstances (i.e. medical issue, death in the family, etc.)
• Participation fees over and above the deposit will be considered for refund under the following circumstances:
  • extenuating extreme circumstances (i.e. medical issue, death in the family, etc.)
  • failure of a pre-requisite course

No refunds will be considered in the case of conflicts with work schedules or personal choice circumstances.

Possible Sources of Funding:

• Experiential Learning Fund – requires an application through SEOS; watch for emails in January 2026; deadline typically in March annually.
• UVSS Travel Pool – contact UVSS directly, apply as an individual or as a group
• Fundraising as a group!

Participation fees (deposit and remaining balance) can be . Please select "EOS 400 Field School Deposit - $250" from the drop-down list.

Students Enrolled with CAL: We can and do make accommodations for CAL-enrolled students who face barriers to participation in field courses. To make successful accommodations, students need to start that conversation with the field school coordinator and course instructor early in the planning process. If you foresee a requirement for accommodation to participate in EOS 400, please contact Siobhan McGoldrick and Jon Husson directly.

Questions? Concerns? Please contact Siobhan (smcgold@uvic.ca).