Geology is the scientific study of the processes, composition and history of terrestrial planets. The field has a broad variety of applications, from geographic information systems to environmental science to the examination of other planetary bodies. At JMU, we urge students to go beyond the classroom and into the real world to explore their scientific interests. Whether our students are interested in local projects in the Shenandoah Valley or international projects in locations like Ireland, our faculty strive to engage majors in field-based research. Because our geology department consists entirely of undergraduate students, our majors receive more individualized instruction from our professionally recognized faculty. We also have a research requirement for majors, which means our students are prepared for their future career goals and also often emerge from our program with professional publications and presentation experience. Our majors are more than just studentsthey are scientists.