Environmental Geoscience
BSc
3 years full-time
Durham City
F630
Typical offers
A Level | AAB |
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BTEC | DDD |
International Baccalaureate | 36 |
Course details
Environmental Geoscience is a topical and growing area of study as society increasingly acknowledges the risks of deteriorating environmental conditions to the planet and navigates solutions to protect its future. This BSc connects Earth’s resources with humanity’s response to some of today’s global challenges such as climate change, sustainability and pollution.
Our flexible degree puts you in control, giving you both the fundamentals and increased specialisation as you progress through the degree, allowing you to choose a pathway of most interest to you.
Combining academic excellence, cutting-edge research and links to industry, the course will equip you with the tools needed for employment in a range of sectors, including environmental management, water management, energy, mining and geotechnics, or for further study or research. The course has a special emphasis on employability and benefits from consultations with experts from the industry, including Amec, Atkins, the Environment Agency, English Nature and Mott MacDonald.
In the first year, you will develop a fundamental understanding of Earth sciences, mapping skills, remote sensing and data analysis. Year 2 specialises more in environmental aspects, during which you will develop your knowledge of laboratory techniques, sedimentology and climate. In Year 3, you will undertake a research dissertation and also experience working in small groups on an environmental management project of your choice.
You may be able to transfer to the four-year MSci degree in Earth Sciences at the end of your second year. The fourth year combines a bespoke research project in your specialism, with advanced modules designed to integrate your Earth Science knowledge for vocational and/or research applications. You can also apply to add a placement year or a year abroad to your degree, increasing the course from three years to four.
Course structure
Year 1
Core modules:
Field Studies explores 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.
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.
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:
- Mathematical Methods in Geosciences
- Further Mathematics for Geoscientists.
Year 2
Core modules:
Sedimentary Environments covers the processes involved in the formation of sedimentary rocks and application of the techniques used to analyse these processes and a variety of environments.
Isotopes and Climate examines how stable isotopes can be used in understanding modern environment and climate systems, and in describing major events in the Earth's climate evolution. The module covers human impact on the global climate and how to understand and analyse future climate change predictions.
Fieldwork (Environmental) introduces the principles of laboratory and field investigations to prepare you for further research in your final-year dissertation.
In recent years, optional modules have included:
- Structural Geology and Tectonics
- Geophysical Methods for Geoscientists
- Igneous and Metamorphic Processes
- Modelling Earth Processes
- Ancient Life and its Environment
- Frontiers in Palaeontology
- Earth System and Climate: The Quaternary
- Earth System and Climate: Long Term Processes.
Year 3 (Year 4 if undertaking placement or year abroad)
Core modules:
Worth one-third of your final-year marks, you will produce an independent research Dissertation based on a computing, field or laboratory project chosen to suit your interests.
Environmental Geochemistry introduces a range of pollutants and their behaviour in the environment. It covers a range of common pollution problems and solutions for controlling pollutant movement in the environment, as well as waste and water management.
Environmental Management covers environmental economics and impact assessment through a range of UK case studies on water quality management practices and treatment technologies, flood risk and management, and air quality control.
In recent years, optional modules have included:
- Polar Quaternary Environmental Processes
- Habitable Environments (Astrobiology)
- Groundwater Hydrology
- Atmospheric Circulation and Dynamics
- Monitoring the Oceans: Geohazards and Climate Change.
- Tectonic Processes and Renewable Geo-resources
- Volcanology and Magmatism
- Earth Sciences into Schools
- Western Alps Fieldtrip (Anatomy of a Subduction Zone)
- Earthquake Sources and Waves
- Geochemistry of the Earth.
Additional pathways
Students on BSc Environmental Geosciences can apply to be transferred onto either the ‘with Year Abroad’ or ‘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.Learning
The course is delivered via lectures, practical classes, tutorials and fieldwork. The balance changes over the degree, as you develop your knowledge and your ability as an independent learner in preparation for professional life or postgraduate study. There are specialist field courses in the UK and abroad throughout your studies.
In Year 1, lectures and practicals dominate the timetable. You are also expected to undertake your own independent study to prepare for your classes and broaden your subject knowledge.
The balance starts to shift in the second year, with greater emphasis on self-directed learning and an opportunity to practice research methods.
In the final year, you will carry out a dissertation, producing a significant piece of independent research.
Assessment
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 environmental geoscience research dissertation in Year 3.
The range of assessment methods is designed to assess your knowledge and understanding of subject-specific knowledge, alongside transferable skills in mathematics, scientific writing, informatics, policy, critical analysis and project management.
Entry requirements
A level offer – AAB including two sciences from Biology, Chemistry, Economics, Further Mathematics, Geography, Geology, Environmental Sciences, Mathematics, Physics or Psychology.
Contextual offer – BBB/ABC including two sciences from Biology, Chemistry, Economics, Further Mathematics, Geography, Geology, Mathematics, Physics or Psychology.
BTEC Level 3 National Extended Diploma/OCR Cambridge Technical Extended Diploma – DDD plus A levels as above.
IB Diploma score – 36 with 665 in higher level subjects, including two science subjects from list above.
In addition to satisfying the University’s general entry requirements, please note:
-
We also consider other level 3 qualifications, including T-levels.
- If you do not satisfy our general entry requirements, the Foundation Programme offers multidisciplinary degrees to prepare you for a range of specified degree courses.
- If you are an international student who does not meet the requirements for direct entry to this degree, you may be eligible to take an International Foundation Year pathway programme at the Durham University International Study Centre.
- We are pleased to consider applications for deferred entry.
Science A levels
Applicants taking Science A levels that include a practical component will be required to take and pass this as a condition of entry. This applies only to applicants sitting A levels with an English examination board.
Alternative qualifications
International students who do not meet direct entry requirements for this degree might have the option to complete an International Foundation Year.
Fees and funding
Full Time Fees
Home students | £9,250 per year |
---|---|
EU students | £33,250 per year |
Island students | £9,250 per year |
International students | £33,250 per year |
The tuition fees shown for home students are for one complete academic year of full time study and are set according to the academic year of entry. Fees for subsequent years of your course may rise in line with an inflationary uplift as determined by the government.
The tuition fees shown for overseas and EU students are for one complete academic year of full time study, are set according to the academic year of entry, and will be subject to an annual inflationary increase and are expected to rise throughout the programme of study. The fee listed above is for the first year of the course only; fees for subsequent years will be confirmed not less than 3 months before the start of the academic year to which the increase is intended to apply and will be published on the Finance webpages here [link].
In deciding the annual level of increase the University will take into account inflationary pressures on the costs of delivery. Tuition fees will rise annually by up to the higher of;
- 6%, or,
- the latest annual percentage increase in the Consumer Prices Index.
Please also check costs for colleges and accommodation.
Scholarships and Bursaries
We are committed to supporting the best students irrespective of financial circumstances and are delighted to offer a range of funding opportunities.
Find out more about Scholarships and BursariesCareer opportunities
Earth Sciences
Our flexible courses have been developed to meet the needs of industry and provide you with the skills you need to succeed. You will graduate with the scientific foundations and transferable skills to move directly into the workplace or to progress to a more specialised postgraduate qualification.
Career prospects for Durham graduates are excellent. Geology and Earth Sciences graduates are highly valued by employers and go on to a wide range of highly successful careers in the sector and beyond, working in industry and research, including environmental management, water management, energy and engineering geology. Some of the high-profile employers our graduates have gone on to work for include ATKINS, ARUP, Centrica and the Environment Agency.
Of those students who graduated in 2020-21:
- 91% are in paid employment or further study 15 months after graduation across all our programmes
Of those in employment:
- 100% are in high skilled employment
- With an average salary of £26,825
(Source: HESA Graduate Outcomes Survey. The survey asks leavers from higher education what they are doing 15 months after graduation. Further information about the Graduate Outcomes survey can be found here www.graduateoutcomes.ac.uk)
Department information
Earth Sciences
Our lives on Earth are at a turning point. Studying Earth Sciences provides knowledge and insight into the implications of this and explores society’s options to secure a sustainable future for the Earth, its environment and its inhabitants.
Earth Sciences is the holistic study of the planet from the core to the surface, its water and the surrounding atmosphere.
Durham is one of the UK’s leading providers of Earth Sciences education. We offer six undergraduate courses, four of which are accredited by The Geological Society of London. Our courses explore the full geological spectrum including climate change, oceans, mass extinctions, rocks and minerals, volcanoes, and the structure and chemistry of the Earth. Our multidisciplinary approach applies physics, chemistry, mathematics, biology and physical geography to real world scenarios to make sense of today's major geoscience concerns.
Course structures are flexible with a balance of formal teaching, fieldwork and active learning to put your theoretical knowledge into practice. You can tailor your degree to your interests through the wide range of optional modules and you may also be able to spend a year studying abroad, extending your degree by a year. All our degree courses are informed by the latest pure and applied research, and you can be sure your education is in sync with the latest thinking and will help you on your journey to a profession in the Earth Sciences sector and beyond.
For more information see our department pages.
Rankings
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World Top 50 in QS World University Subject Rankings 2023
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7th in The Guardian University Guide 2024
- 5th in The Complete University Guide 2024
- 7th in The Times and Sunday Times Good University Guide 2024
Staff
For a current list of staff, please see the Earth Sciences Department web pages.
Research Excellence Framework
- Top 10 in the UK for research outputs (REF 2021)
Facilities
Situated on the main Lower Mountjoy Campus, our teaching takes place in the modern, purpose-built Arthur Holmes Building equipped with brand-new optical microscopes and a large teaching collection of rocks, fossils, geological maps, and thin sections.
We use industry-standard and research-level software (e.g., ESRI ArcGIS Pro, Python and Matlab). If your dissertation or research project involves laboratory study, you can access our world-class geochemistry and rock mechanics labs.
Throughout your course, you will have the opportunity to develop observation and analytical skills on residential field trips to study mountains, deserts, caves, volcanoes, rift valleys, faults and fossils.
Apply
Find out more:
Use the UCAS code below when applying:
Apply
F630
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