Get degree ideas using our A level explorer tool

Geoscience

Entry requirements


Sorry, no information to show

About this course


Course option

3years

Full-time | 2024

Subject

Environmental geoscience

Understanding the processes involved in shaping the Earth’s surface, our natural resources, natural hazards, water supplies and renewable energy can inform us about the impact of past and present changes in environmental conditions. This knowledge will allow us to predict behaviour and develop solutions to protect society and the planet’s future from today’s global challenges.

Our flexible Geoscience degree, puts you in control, giving you both the fundamentals and increased specialisation as you progress, allowing you to choose a pathway of most interest to you.

Combining academic excellence and cutting-edge research, the course will equip you with the tools needed for employment in a range of sectors, including mineral exploration and petroleum geology, engineering geology, environmental and hydrogeology consultancies, GIS, geological surveys, or for further study or research. Numeracy, critical thinking and problem-solving skills developed on the course are highly valued in a wide range of non-geology careers, including teaching, business management, insurance and accounting, banking and finance.

In the first year, you will develop a fundamental understanding of Earth Sciences. Year 2 specialises more in the geological aspects, during which you will develop your knowledge of core geological disciplines associated with igneous, metamorphic, sedimentary and tectonic processes. In Year 3, you will undertake a geological research dissertation and increase your understanding of specialist geological topics of your choice with optional residential fieldwork opportunities.

You may be able to transfer to the four-year MSci degree in Earth Sciences at the end of your second year. You can also apply to add a placement year to your degree, increasing the course from three years to four.

Modules

Year 1
Core modules:
Earth Materials introduces you to Earth minerals and rocks and teaches you techniques for identifying them.

Field Studies introduces techniques for description and interpretation of natural geological features. This module also covers mapping skills, and the observation, recording and processing techniques needed for fieldwork and imagery.

Understanding Earth Sciences covers an introduction to the areas of petrology, sedimentology, structural geology and palaeontology and relates the processes to the plate tectonic cycle.

Examples of optional modules:
Mathematical Methods in Geosciences
Further Mathematics for Geoscientists
Environment and Resources
Geoinformatics.
Year 2
Examples of optional modules:
Structural Geology and Tectonics
Sedimentary Environments
Geophysical Methods for Geoscientists
Isotopes and Climate
Fieldwork
Igneous and Metamorphic Geochemistry and Petrology
Modelling Earth Processes
Geophysical Data Applications
Ancient Life and its Environment.
Year 3 (Year 4 if undertaking a placement)
Core module:
You will produce an independent research Dissertation based upon field, laboratory or computer datasets chosen to suit your degree and interests.

Examples of optional modules:
Petrology, Geochemistry and Global Tectonics (Field work)
Environmental Geochemistry
Volcanology and Magmatism
Deformation Processes in the Lithosphere
Earth Structure and Dynamics
Hazardous Geophysical Flows
Earth System and Climate
Environmental Management
Petrology, Geochemistry and Global Tectonics
Earth Sciences into Schools.
Additional pathways
Students on the Geoscience BSc can apply to be transferred onto the ‘with Placement’ pathway during the second year. Places on these pathways are in high demand and if you are chosen your studies will extend from three years to four.

Placement
You may be able to take a work placement. Find out more.

The Uni


Course locations:

College allocation pending

Durham City

Department:

Natural Sciences

Read full university profile

What students say


We've crunched the numbers to see if overall student satisfaction here is high, medium or low compared to students studying this subject(s) at other universities.

85%
Environmental geoscience

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.

Earth sciences

Teaching and learning

88%
Staff make the subject interesting
95%
Staff are good at explaining things
88%
Ideas and concepts are explored in-depth
78%
Opportunities to apply what I've learned

Assessment and feedback

Feedback on work has been timely
Feedback on work has been helpful
Staff are contactable when needed
Good advice available when making study choices

Resources and organisation

85%
Library resources
85%
IT resources
80%
Course specific equipment and facilities
83%
Course is well organised and has run smoothly

Student voice

Staff value students' opinions
Feel part of a community on my course

Who studies this subject and how do they get on?

89%
UK students
11%
International students
57%
Male students
43%
Female students
90%
2:1 or above
5%
First year drop out rate

Most popular A-Levels studied (and grade achieved)

A
A
B

After graduation


The stats in this section 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.

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.

£20,000
med
Average annual salary
100%
high
Employed or in further education
75%
high
Employed in a role where degree was essential or beneficial

Top job areas of graduates

16%
Business, research and administrative professionals
16%
Natural and social science professionals
12%
Teaching and educational professionals

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.

£25k

£25k

£31k

£31k

£41k

£41k

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.

Explore these similar courses...

Higher entry requirements
Durham University | Durham
Geography
BSc (Hons) 3 Years Full-time 2024
UCAS Points: 144-168
Lower entry requirements
University of Southampton | Southampton
Environmental Geoscience
BSc (Hons) 3 Years Full-time 2024
UCAS Points: 120-128
Same University
Durham University | Durham
Environmental Geoscience
BSc (Hons) 3 Years Full-time 2024
UCAS Points: 136-160
Nearby University
Newcastle University | Newcastle upon Tyne
Earth Science
BSc (Hons) 3 Years Full-time 2024
UCAS Points: 128-147

Share this page

This is what the university has told Ucas about the criteria they expect applicants to satisfy; some may be compulsory, others may be preferable.

Have a question about this info? Learn more here

This is the percentage of applicants to this course who received an offer last year, through Ucas.

Have a question about this info? Learn more here

This is what the university has told Ucas about the course. Use it to get a quick idea about what makes it unique compared to similar courses, elsewhere.

Have a question about this info? Learn more here

Course location and department:

This is what the university has told Ucas about the course. Use it to get a quick idea about what makes it unique compared to similar courses, elsewhere.

Have a question about this info? Learn more here

Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF):

We've received this information from the Department for Education, via Ucas. This is how the university as a whole has been rated for its quality of teaching: gold silver or bronze. Note, not all universities have taken part in the TEF.

Have a question about this info? Learn more here

This information comes from the National Student Survey, an annual student survey of final-year students. You can use this to see how satisfied students studying this subject area at this university, are (not the individual course).

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.

Have a question about this info? Learn more here

This information is from the Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA), for undergraduate students only.

You can use this to get an idea of who you might share a lecture with and how they progressed in this subject, here. It's also worth comparing typical A-level subjects and grades students achieved with the current course entry requirements; similarities or differences here could indicate how flexible (or not) a university might be.

Have a question about this info? Learn more here

Post-six month graduation stats:

This is from the Destinations of Leavers from Higher Education Survey, based on responses from graduates who studied the same subject area here.

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.

Have a question about this info? Learn more here

Graduate field commentary:

The Higher Education Careers Services Unit have provided some further context for all graduates in this subject area, including details that numbers alone might not show

Have a question about this info? Learn more here

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?

Have a question about this info? Learn more here