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Keele University

UCAS Code: F600 | Bachelor of Science (with Honours) - BSc (Hons)

Entry requirements

A level

B,B,B

BBB in three A levels

Access to HE Diploma

D:30

122 UCAS points in any Access to HE Diploma including Distinction in at least 30 Level 3 credits

GCSE/National 4/National 5

4 / C in GCSE Maths or Level 2 Functional Skills Maths, plus an English language qualification.

International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme

30

555 in three Higher Levels, OR 30 points

Pearson BTEC Level 3 National Extended Diploma (first teaching from September 2016)

DDM

DDM in any BTEC Extended Diploma / National Extended Diploma

T Level

M

Merit in any T level

UCAS Tariff

120

About this course

This course has alternative study modes. Contact the university to find out how the information below might vary.

Course option

3years

Full-time | 2025

Other options

4 years | Sandwich including industrial placement | 2025

4 years | Sandwich with time abroad | 2025

Subject

Geology

Are you fascinated by science and keen to understand how our planet works? How did the Earth form? How does our planet function and support life? What can we do to protect its future? Discover the answers, develop your own solutions, and explore Earth’s amazing journey with our innovative Geology BSc. Gain the practical, hands-on skills you’ll need as a highly sought-after geologist through fieldwork, laboratory projects, and industry work placement options, enabling you to thrive in a career such as geological engineer, geochemist, or geotechnician.

**Why choose this course?**
- This programme is accredited by the Geological Society of London

- Our unique 600-acre campus offers a fantastic natural environment to perform fieldwork

- Enhance your employability with study abroad and work placement options

- No prior knowledge of geology is required and there are no formal exams

- Top 20 in the UK for Earth and Marine Sciences (Guardian University League Table, 2024)

Your journey towards making a global impact starts here. Earth, our complex and fascinating planet, is facing serious environmental challenges, creating high demand for geologists who understand issues like carbon neutral energy sources and sustainable methods of resource extraction. Our programme will develop your geology knowledge and skills, empowering you to address these matters, and secure a promising future with excellent career prospects.

Never studied Geology before? We've designed this programme to provide you with a solid grounding in the subject during year one, laying the foundation for advanced study in years two and three.

Geology explores Earth’s origins, the evolution of life, and the exploration, extraction, and management of its natural resources. As an interdisciplinary subject, it draws on geography, environmental science, chemistry, biology, and physics. You will develop an understanding of Earth’s and other planets' structures and identify the physical, chemical, and biological processes occurring deep beneath our feet.

**About Keele**

Keele University was established in 1949 by the former Vice-Chancellor of Oxford University. Founded to meet the needs of a changing world, Keele has always had a pioneering vision to be a different kind of university.

We excel in both teaching and research, with some of the most satisfied students in England, and research that is changing lives for the better at a regional, national and global level.

Our beautiful 600-acre campus is one of the biggest in Britain – but all the most important services and facilities are on your doorstep, with accommodation, teaching spaces, facilities including a medical centre, sports centre and pharmacy, and a range of shops, eateries and entertainment venues – including the Students’ Union – clustered around the centre.

Modules

For a list of indicative modules please visit the course page on the Keele University website.

The Uni

Course location:

Keele University

Department:

Keele (Central)

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.

76%
Geology

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

82%
Staff make the subject interesting
95%
Staff are good at explaining things
74%
Ideas and concepts are explored in-depth
87%
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

95%
Library resources
89%
IT resources
100%
Course specific equipment and facilities
76%
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?

96%
UK students
4%
International students
63%
Male students
37%
Female students
82%
2:1 or above
5%
First year drop out rate

Most popular A-Levels studied (and grade achieved)

B
B
C

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.

£18,500
med
Average annual salary
97%
med
Employed or in further education
56%
med
Employed in a role where degree was essential or beneficial

Top job areas of graduates

18%
Natural and social science professionals
13%
Sales assistants and retail cashiers
12%
Other elementary services occupations

The market for geologists is has been quite linked to the oil industry for some time now, and the drop in the price of oil has meant the industry has stopped recruiting as many people for the time being. Geologists are still in demand, though, so the main effect has been to reduce the opportunities - and salaries - for geologists working abroad. At home, the oil industry remains a big employer, and so are the mining, civil engineering, construction and consultancy industries, with geology graduates working as geologists, geophysicists, civil engineers and environmental 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.

£19k

£19k

£23k

£23k

£28k

£28k

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

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

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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