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Earth Sciences

Entry requirements


A level

A,B,B-B,B,B

Required subjects: A Levels: two of Biology, Chemistry, Geography, Geology, Mathematics, or Physics at B. GCSEs: English at C or 4 and Mathematics at A or 7. We will accept combinations of Mathematics and Physics both at grade B, or Mathematics, Science plus Additional Science all at grade B to meet this requirement.

International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme

30-32

32 points with 555 at HL - 30 points with 555 at HL. Required subjects: HL: two of Biology, Chemistry, Geography, Mathematics (Analysis and approaches only) or Physics at 5. SL: English at 5 and Mathematics (Analysis and approaches only) at 5 (if not at HL).

Scottish Higher

B,B,B,B

BBBB by end of S5 or AABB by end of S6. BBB must be achieved in one year of S4-S6. Required subjects: Highers: two of Biology, Chemistry, Geography, Mathematics, or Physics at B. Higher Applications of Mathematics is not accepted in place of Higher Mathematics. National 5s: English at C and Mathematics at A. We will accept combinations of Mathematics and Physics both at grade B to meet this requirement.

UCAS Tariff

108-128

We've calculated how many Ucas points you'll need for this course.

About this course


Course option

4years

Full-time | 2024

Subject

Geology

Do you want to:

* learn more about how our planet works?

* help protect the planet?

* tackle the greatest challenges facing society and the natural world?

* find out how we can live sustainably on our planet?

Then this degree is for you.

**Why Earth sciences?**

The world needs Earth scientists now more than ever before. We need them to:

* help us address the climate crisis

* adapt to environmental changes

* secure the energy and materials society needs

* live more safely and sustainably on our dynamic Earth

With our BSc Earth Sciences, you will:

* study our Earth's past to forecast and safeguard its future

* learn about the structure and composition of the Earth

* develop a deep understanding of the many processes that shape the Earth and life on it

* learn how these processes interact and depend on each other

Our degree will help you play a valuable role in our transition to a fair and sustainable society.

Making a difference starts here. Are you ready?

**What will I learn?**

Our BSc Earth Sciences is a new cutting-edge degree that prepares you for advanced careers in the Earth sciences and beyond.

It carefully balances data science, programming, and computing skills with traditional field and laboratory skills, along with a knowledge of Earth sciences.

We will train you in the skills needed to answer the important questions in the Earth sciences, including:

* How can we mitigate the effects of global change?

* What tools can we use to reduce greenhouse gas emissions to the atmosphere?

* Why is our planet able to sustain life?

* How does the Earth's interior work, and how do these processes affect the surface?

* How can we sustainably manage the Earth's resources to meet our energy, mineral, and water needs?

* How can we improve our understanding of natural hazards such as earthquakes and volcanoes to reduce their risk and save lives?

We embrace a hands-on approach to learning, so you can develop in-demand practical skills. Many of your activities simulate those that professionals perform in the real world.

You will also learn sought-after computational analysis and quantitative skills and will gain experience in:

* acquiring, analysing, assessing and presenting a wide range of data

* computing skills including programming and use of specialist software

* computer modelling and mapping

* Geographical Information Systems (GIS)

Demand is growing for these data skills across a range of employment sectors.

You will learn from leading national and international Earth scientists across a diverse range of fields. We help ensure your degree has real-world relevance and make you highly sought after by employers.

Our links provide you with valuable networking and potential employment opportunities. You will be able to meet and interact with professionals from various sectors throughout your studies. This will provide you with opportunities to gain insights into real working environments, where Earth scientists make real contributions to our everyday lives.

Additionally, this degree offers you flexibility in your studies. You'll be able to build your degree around topics you are curious or passionate about. Our staff can also help you design an interdisciplinary curriculum by choosing option courses from other disciplines.

**Open to a world of possibilities**

We are one of the largest and most successful groupings of geographers, Earth and environmental scientists in the UK.

* We have pioneered research proving human-caused greenhouse gases are warming our planet, which helped underpin the 2015 Paris Agreement.

* We are working with major space agencies to monitor the environment using satellite data.

* We are 15th in the world in the QS World University Rankings 2023.

Our staff will incorporate the latest research in your teaching, and share our discoveries with you.

Join us as our planet and humanity face some of the biggest challenges we have ever known.

Tuition fees

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

Channel Islands
£9,250
per year
England
£9,250
per year
EU
£34,800
per year
International
£34,800
per year
Northern Ireland
£9,250
per year
Republic of Ireland
£9,250
per year
Scotland
£1,820
per year
Wales
£9,250
per year

The Uni


Course location:

Central area campus

Department:

School of GeoSciences

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.

93%
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

91%
Staff make the subject interesting
89%
Staff are good at explaining things
91%
Ideas and concepts are explored in-depth
83%
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

96%
Library resources
84%
IT resources
94%
Course specific equipment and facilities
49%
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?

71%
UK students
29%
International students
54%
Male students
46%
Female students
83%
2:1 or above
5%
First year drop out rate

Most popular A-Levels studied (and grade achieved)

A
A
A

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.

£19,000
med
Average annual salary
95%
med
Employed or in further education
52%
med
Employed in a role where degree was essential or beneficial

Top job areas of graduates

20%
Natural and social science professionals
9%
Conservation and environment professionals
9%
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.

£24k

£24k

£27k

£27k

£33k

£33k

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.

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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

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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?

Have a question about this info? Learn more here