Climate Science
Durham University
UCAS Code: F645 | Bachelor of Science (with Honours) - BSc (Hons)
Durham University
UCAS Code: F645 | Bachelor of Science (with Honours) - BSc (Hons)
Entry requirements
A level
To include two science subjects from Biology, Chemistry, Economics, Further Maths, Geography, Geology, Maths, Physics, Psychology or Environmental Science. Specific subjects excluded for entry: Critical Thinking and General Studies. Information: Applicants taking Science A-levels that include a practical component will be required to take and pass this as a condition of entry. This refers only to English A Levels.
Access to HE Diploma
We require 60 credits with a minimum of 45 credits at level 3 (or equivalent). Applicants may be required to meet additional subject-specific requirements for particular courses at Durham.
Cambridge International Pre-U Certificate - Principal
General information on subjects/grades required for entry: To include two Science subjects.
International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme
General information on subjects/grades required for entry: Seventeen points (6, 6, 5) at Higher Level including two Science subjects.
Leaving Certificate - Higher Level (Ireland) (first awarded in 2017)
Pearson BTEC Level 3 National Extended Diploma (first teaching from September 2016)
Scottish Advanced Higher
Two Science subjects required.
Scottish Higher
Departments will normally make offers based on Advanced Highers. In the absence of 3 Advanced Highers, where these are not offered by the applicant’s school, offers comprising of Advanced Highers and Highers or a number of Highers may be made on a case by case basis.
At Durham we welcome applications from students of outstanding achievement and potential from all educational backgrounds. We will consider applicants studying T level qualifications for entry to many of our courses. Where a course requires subject specific knowledge and this is not covered within the T level being studied, you may need to supplement your T level studies with a suitable qualification to meet this requirement, for example at A level. Where this is needed this will be clearly stated in our entry requirements. Detailed entry requirements can be found on individual course entries on our courses database. https://www.durham.ac.uk/study/courses/f645/#entry-requirements-1237555
UCAS Tariff
We've calculated how many Ucas points you'll need for this course.
About this course
Climate change and humanity’s response to it will define life on the planet for billions of people but despite this there are few undergraduate degrees that focus on the broader climate problem.
This BSc in Climate Science uniquely offers a big-picture approach encompassing both recent and past climate change and its impact on Earth and human systems. It provides a holistic overview of climate science and equips you with the knowledge and skills to lead society towards the mitigation of this emergency.
Our flexible degree puts you in control. It gives you both the fundamentals and increased specialisation as you progress through the course, allowing you to choose a pathway of most interest to you. The degree acknowledges the breadth of the field of climate science and provides you with a solid background in diverse aspects of climate science that span geological time.
In the first year, you will learn about climate change and develop your understanding of Earth processes and resources.
In Year 2, you will learn about isotopes and can opt to study glaciers, the carbon cycle, how the Earth’s climate has varied in the past and how scientists reconstruct past climate change.
In your final year, you will study Earth Systems and can choose to learn about how climate change impacts coastal and alpine environments, atmospheric circulation, how it affected ancient civilisations, or explore the geochemistry of the environment. You will also undertake a dissertation and conduct fundamental research into an advanced topic of your choice related to climate science.
Modules
Year 1
Core modules:
Environmental Earth Science covers the Earth’s water cycle in terms of both quantity and quality. You will learn about the composition and materials of the Earth, the mode of formation, distribution and extraction of the Earth's resources and energy.
Introduction to Climate Change introduces you to contemporary climate change, incorporating the physical science underpinning our understanding of past, present and future climate change. It also explores some of the most serious impacts and competing perspectives around major climate change controversies.
Introductory Data Science introduces the fundamentals of data acquisition and analysis in a geoscientific context. You will learn how to apply computational tools to manipulate and visualise a range of scientific and geospatial data.
Sustainability introduces global issues and concepts around sustainability, with an emphasis on aspects most relevant to Earth Sciences such as water, climate, energy and mineral resources, food resources, and natural hazards, and is thematically taught around the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
In recent years, optional modules have included:
Field Studies
Mathematical Methods in Geosciences
Further Mathematics for Geoscientists
Understanding Earth Sciences
Planet under Pressure.
Assessment methods
You will be assessed through a combination of coursework, class tests and end-of-year examinations. A significant proportion of your final assessment will be through your research dissertation in the final year. The dissertation is worth one-third of your final-year marks.
The range of assessment methods is designed to assess your knowledge and understanding of climate-specific knowledge, alongside transferable skills in mathematics, scientific writing, informatics, policy, critical analysis and project management.
Tuition fees
Select where you currently live to see what you'll pay:
Extra funding
We're committed to supporting the best students irrespective of financial circumstances. https://www.durham.ac.uk/study/scholarships/
What students say
We've crunched the numbers to see if the overall teaching satisfaction score here is high, medium or low compared to students studying this subject(s) at other universities.
How do students rate their degree experience?
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Earth sciences
Teaching and learning
Assessment and feedback
Resources and organisation
Student voice
Who studies this subject and how do they get on?
Most popular A-Levels studied (and grade achieved)
After graduation
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Earth sciences
What are graduates doing after six months?
This is what graduates told us they were doing (and earning), shortly after completing their course. We've crunched the numbers to show you if these immediate prospects are high, medium or low, compared to those studying this subject/s at other universities.
Top job areas of graduates
What about your long term prospects?
Looking further ahead, below is a rough guide for what graduates went on to earn.
Earth sciences
The graph shows median earnings of graduates who achieved a degree in this subject area one, three and five years after graduating from here.
£26k
£31k
£42k
Note: this data only looks at employees (and not those who are self-employed or also studying) and covers a broad sample of graduates and the various paths they've taken, which might not always be a direct result of their degree.
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This is the percentage of final-year students at this university who were "definitely" or "mostly" satisfied with their course. We've analysed this figure against other universities so you can see whether this is high, medium or low.
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Post-six month graduation stats:
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It offers a snapshot of what grads went on to do six months later, what they were earning on average, and whether they felt their degree helped them obtain a 'graduate role'. We calculate a mean rating to indicate if this is high, medium or low compared to other universities.
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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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