Environmental Geoscience

UCAS code: FF86

Here's what Swansea University says about its Environmental Geoscience course.

Explore the Earth’s geographical and geological history and investigate the processes that have shaped the earth for millions of years. You will study topics like natural hazards, glaciology, and environmental change in order to develop an understanding of how humans have become agents of environmental change. From investigating the physical processes that shape our planet, to the environmental changes that have occurred over hundreds of millions of years environmental geoscience is a fascinating and highly topical subject.

You will gain skills in technical and scientific subjects such as geology, climate science, glaciology, volcanology and satellite monitoring of environmental change.

Our Royal Geographical Society (with the Institute of British Geographers) accredited BSc in Environmental Geosciences explores topics that overlap with subjects such as geophysics, climatology, meteorology and earth science. You will focus on the analysis of different physical environments here in the UK and on our international field courses, including coastal, volcanic, island and tectonic environments. You’ll also spend a week in Germany in your third year, studying ancient volcanic environments.

You’ll have access to specialist labs and field equipment to carry out project work, as well as our field kit ‘library’ where students can borrow waterproofs, boots and outdoor gear.

We are ideally placed to offer exceptional fieldwork opportunities. Just a short drive from the UK's first designated Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, the Gower Peninsula, you will have easy access to Bannau Brycheiniog, rural west Wales and the urban and industrial landscapes of South Wales. You'll also have an opportunity to carry out fieldwork overseas in Austria, Malaysian Borneo, Mallorca or Vancouver.

Through this degree, you will explore cutting-edge issues such as understanding and living with natural hazards, glacial environments and processes and restructuring quaternary environmental change.

You will be taught in our £4.2m state-of-the-art Science laboratories, in a vibrant and friendly department. You'll have access to our high-performance computer lab for processing and interpreting satellite Earth observation and GIS data, a stable isotope ratio mass spectrometer, a climatic test chamber, mineral magnetic characterisation equipment and an automatic organic carbon analyser.

Please come along to our next Open Day or get in touch for further information.** Book an Open Day here: https://www.swansea.ac.uk/our-open-days/

Typically, in Year 1 you'll study several compulsory modules covering topics such as global environmental change, Earth in action, Earth science in the field and Earth's changing face. You will then choose from optional modules covering geographical skills and methods, writing skills and personal development planning and practical field projects, and topics such as sustainability and geology. Typically in Year 2, you'll study compulsory topics such as Earth history and geological record of past environments. You'll then choose from a range of optional modules covering data analysis, approaches to physical geography and environmental research methods, and topics such as geographic information systems, glacial environments and processes, the Earth from Space, quaternary environmental change, global vegetation patterns and dynamics and urban modelling. You'll also have an opportunity to take part in an overseas field trip. In Year 3, you'll undertake your dissertation and choose from a range of optional modules which have previously included topics such as glaciology, humid tropical environments and landscapes, meteorology and atmospheric science, plate tectonics and global geophysics, environmental modelling and the climate of the last 1,000 years.

On the BSc Physical Earth Science course you will be taught through a combination of lectures, tutorials, seminars, practical classes and field classes. You will be assessed through a variety of methods, including examinations, coursework, practical work, fieldwork and continuous assessment from tutorials. You will also complete a dissertation in Year Three.