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Planetary Science with Astronomy

Entry requirements


Minimum of two A-levels or equivalent.

About this course


Course option

2years

Part-time | 2024

Subjects

Astronomy

Planetary science

Our Certificate of Higher Education in Planetary Science with Astronomy has been designed to allow easy access to the study of the fascinating and dynamic areas of planetary science. This course allows you to explore subject areas including the origin and structure of our own planet and solar system, the surface and interior of Earth and the other rocky planets, comets, asteroids and also astronomy and the more distant stars and planets.

Whether you would like to study planetary science with astronomy for your own interest, to enhance your career or to pursue a degree in the subject after completing this course, this certificate can be taken as a stand-alone qualification or as a starting point for the BSc Geology.

You can choose to study through in-person teaching, through distance learning or via a blend of both. This flexibility means you can fit your studies around work or any other commitments.

**Highlights**

- We offer you flexible teaching methods, balancing face-to-face and online learning.

- Studying with us will give you access to world-class research facilities and researchers working on the latest space missions.

- We are part of the joint UCL-Birkbeck Institute of Earth and Planetary Sciences (IEPS) meaning we share laboratories, expertise and events, all open to students for research projects. Find out more about our research facilities.

- In our joint submission with UCL, we were rated sixth in the UK for Earth Systems and Environmental Science research (in the most recent Research Excellence Framework (REF)).

- We have been offering evening study courses in the subjects of earth and planetary sciences for over 70 years and distance learning for more than 20 years.

**Careers and employability**

Graduates can pursue career paths in the oil, mineral and groundwater industries, education or research. Possible professions include:

- astronomer

- minerals surveyor

- research scientist

- higher education lecturer.

We offer a comprehensive careers service - Careers and Enterprise - your career partner during your time at Birkbeck and beyond. At every stage of your career journey, we empower you to take ownership of your future, helping you to make the connection between your experience, education and future ambitions.

Modules

For information about course structure and the moules you will be studying, please visit Birkbeck’s online prospectus.

Assessment methods

A combination of reports, practical work and written examinations.

Tuition fees

Select where you currently live to see what you'll pay:

England
£4,625
per year
International
£4,625
per year
Northern Ireland
£4,625
per year
Scotland
£4,625
per year
Wales
£4,625
per year

The Uni


Course location:

Birkbeck, University of London

Department:

School of Natural Sciences

Read full university profile

What students say


How do students rate their degree experience?

The stats below relate to the general subject area/s at this university, not this specific course. We show this where there isn’t enough data about the course, or where this is the most detailed info available to us.

Astronomy

Sorry, no information to show

This is usually because there were too few respondents in the data we receive to be able to provide results about the subject at this university.


Who studies this subject and how do they get on?

95%
UK students
5%
International students
53%
Male students
47%
Female students

Most popular A-Levels studied (and grade achieved)

C
C
C

Planetary science

Sorry, no information to show

This is usually because there were too few respondents in the data we receive to be able to provide results about the subject at this university.


Who studies this subject and how do they get on?

94%
UK students
6%
International students
52%
Male students
48%
Female students

Most popular A-Levels studied (and grade achieved)

C
C
C

After graduation


Sorry, no information to show

This is usually because there were too few respondents in the data we receive to be able to provide results about the subject at this university.

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Post-six month graduation stats:

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The Longitudinal Educational Outcomes dataset combines HRMC earnings data with student records from the Higher Education Statistics Agency.

While there are lots of factors at play when it comes to your future earnings, use this as a rough timeline of what graduates in this subject area were earning on average one, three and five years later. Can you see a steady increase in salary, or did grads need some experience under their belt before seeing a nice bump up in their pay packet?

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