WGU C893: Geology II: Earth Systems

Geology II: Earth Systems at a glance

WGU C893, Geology II: Earth Systems, is a graduate-level science content course inside WGU's Master of Arts in Science Education (Secondary Earth Science) and its related licensure and endorsement pathways. Rather than teaching you how to run a classroom, it deepens your own command of how the planet works as a whole: how the geosphere, atmosphere, hydrosphere, and biosphere interact and hold a dynamic equilibrium over geologic time. If you plan to teach earth or general science at the middle or high school level, this is the course that makes sure you can explain those connections with authority.

Direct answer: Pass C893 by treating Earth as one connected system rather than a list of isolated facts. Work steadily through the official learning resources for each sphere, use active recall and practice questions to check whether you can actually explain the interactions and not just define terms, and schedule the objective assessment once you can teach every topic aloud without notes.

Because Geology I: Physical is the prerequisite, C893 assumes you already understand minerals, rocks, plate tectonics, and Earth's internal and surface processes. It builds outward from that foundation into systems thinking, Earth history, and a strong strand of meteorology and climate. Most students reach it after finishing the physical geology course, so you arrive with the core vocabulary already in place. It sits alongside the teaching-focused parts of the master's program, such as D184 Standards-Based Assessment, where you learn to measure the very science understanding this course builds.

What the C893 assessment covers

The course is organized around the four Earth systems and how they exchange matter and energy. Based on WGU's published competencies for the course, expect the assessment to draw from these areas:

• The geosphere: the structure and function of Earth's solid systems, including soils and their utility in the environment.
• The atmosphere: its structure and composition, and how today's atmosphere differs from Earth's historical atmosphere and from the atmospheres of other planets.
• Meteorology: the physical principles behind weather patterns and the movement of air masses, and how to reason toward a forecast.
• Climate: the factors and influences that drive climate, and how to anticipate long-term effects.
• The hydrosphere: surface water, ice, groundwater, and oceans, and the questions surrounding global water management.
• Earth history and life: how physical and biological evolution unfolded together across geologic time.
• Systems interaction: how the biosphere, geosphere, atmosphere, and hydrosphere interface and co-evolve over geologic time. This integrating theme is what you are ultimately expected to be able to teach.

Meteorology carries real weight here, so do not treat the weather and climate material as a side note to the "rock" content.

How hard is C893, and how long will it take?

Difficulty is personal, but a few patterns tend to hold. If you enjoyed Geology I and you are comfortable with reading-heavy science, C893 usually feels manageable. The challenge is less about hard math and more about breadth: you are asked to hold four systems in your head at once and explain how a change in one ripples into the others. Many students report that the meteorology and climate sections take the most time, especially if atmospheric science is new to them.

A realistic pace for a working adult is a few focused weeks, moving competency by competency, with the final stretch reserved for practice questions and self-explanation. WGU is self-paced, so a strong background can compress that timeline and a shaky one can stretch it. Let your ability to explain each system out loud, not the calendar, decide when you sit the exam. If you want to compare notes across your program, the broader School of Education hub links other course guides you may be taking in the same term.

A study plan built for Earth systems

Because this is a breadth course about connections, your study method matters as much as your hours. Build the plan around retrieval and integration rather than passive reading.

1. Map the four spheres first. Before diving into detail, sketch one diagram with the geosphere, atmosphere, hydrosphere, and biosphere, and draw arrows for the exchanges between them, such as evaporation, weathering, and the carbon cycle. Return to this map as you study each unit; the assessment rewards students who can see the connections, not just the parts.
2. Use active recall instead of rereading. After each section of the official course material, close it and write out what you remember in your own words. For a systems course this is decisive: recognizing a term is not the same as being able to explain how an air mass forms or why groundwater and surface water are linked.
3. Space your reviews. Revisit earlier spheres on a spaced schedule, for example the geosphere on day one, again a few days later, and again before the exam, so the material survives while you move on to the atmosphere and hydrosphere. Spacing consistently beats cramming for a broad content exam.
4. Practice test on interactions. Turn the competencies into questions: how does today's atmosphere differ from Earth's early atmosphere? What factors drive long-term climate change? How do the oceans connect to the water cycle? Answer from memory, then check. Where the course offers pre-assessment or practice items, use them to find your weakest sphere and go straight there.
5. Teach it out loud. You are training to be a science teacher, so rehearse the role. If you can explain the water cycle, air-mass movement, and Earth's evolutionary timeline to an imaginary high-school class without notes, you are close to ready. This doubles as preparation for the communication skills reinforced in courses like D268 Introduction to Communication.
6. Use your instructor and cohort. Your course instructor and study cohorts exist to unstick the confusing parts. Book time with them on meteorology or climate if those sections slow you down, and start the course by completing the planning conversation your instructor sets up.

Common mistakes students make in C893

• Memorizing vocabulary in isolation instead of understanding how the spheres interact, when the integrating competency is exactly where much of the difficulty lives.
• Underestimating the meteorology and climate material because it feels separate from traditional "geology."
• Skipping the course-planning conversation with the instructor that is built into the start of the course.
• Rereading passively and mistaking familiarity with the page for genuine mastery of the concept.
• Rushing to schedule the objective assessment before being able to explain each system aloud.
• Forgetting the Geology I foundation, since tectonics, rock types, and Earth's structure still appear as context for the systems questions.

C893 Exam Readiness Checklist

Use these self-checks before you schedule. Aim to answer "yes, from memory" to each one.

• Can you diagram the four Earth systems and label at least one exchange between each pair?
• Can you describe the structure and composition of the atmosphere and contrast it with Earth's early atmosphere?
• Can you explain how air masses move and what drives common weather patterns?
• Can you name the main factors influencing climate and reason about their long-term effects?
• Can you connect surface water, groundwater, ice, and oceans into one coherent picture of the hydrosphere?
• Can you trace major milestones in Earth's history and the co-evolution of life and the planet?
• Can you explain, with a concrete example, how a change in one sphere affects the others?
• Can you teach each competency out loud without looking at your notes?

C893 FAQ

Is C893 an objective assessment or a performance task?

Geology II is a content-knowledge course, and like WGU's other geology and physical-science courses it is completed through an objective assessment made up of selected-response items rather than a written project. The larger performance task in the master's program is the separate culminating Teacher Performance Assessment, not this course. Always confirm the current format in your own course page before you schedule.

Do I need to finish Geology I first?

Yes. Geology I: Physical is the stated prerequisite, and C893 assumes you already know minerals, rocks, plate tectonics, and Earth's internal and surface processes. Taking them in order means you enter Earth Systems with the vocabulary and foundation already in place.

How much math is involved?

C893 is conceptual rather than heavily quantitative, so success depends more on reading, reasoning, and connecting systems than on calculation. If your overall program includes separate quantitative requirements such as C362 Calculus I, treat those as their own preparation and keep your C893 study focused on Earth-systems understanding.

How important is the meteorology content?

Very. WGU describes the course as examining the Earth systems with an emphasis in meteorology, and weather, air masses, and climate form a substantial part of the competencies. Budget real time for them, particularly if atmospheric science is unfamiliar to you.

How long does C893 usually take?

Because WGU is competency-based and self-paced, there is no fixed length. Many students complete a content course like this in a few focused weeks, faster with a strong background and slower if the atmosphere and climate material is new. Progress when you can teach each topic, not when a deadline arrives.

Where should I look for reliable study material?

Start with the official learning resources linked inside your course and the guidance of your course instructor, since those are aligned to the actual competencies. Student-shared notes and videos can help you review, but verify anything specific against the course materials. You can browse related guides through our full WGU course guide index. For official program details, see WGU's Secondary Earth Science master's program page and the WGU Institutional Catalog.