Founded in 1884 by Dr. Russell Conwell, Temple College became Temple University in 1907 and has evolved into a comprehensive urban research and academic institution. Temple University is a national center of excellence in teaching and research with an international presence.

The Department of Earth and Environmental Science offers students the opportunity to study the Earth with a variety of traditional and environmental geology course work. The faculty work closely with students to give a combination of field-based experience and current laboratory and computational techniques. The Department offers B.A., B.S., and M.S. degrees in Geology and advises students receiving the B.S. degree in Environmental Sciences. Starting in the Fall of 2009, the department is accepting applications for a Ph.D. in Geosciences.