Environmental Geoscience

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.

A level offer – AAB

including two sciences from Biology, Chemistry, Computer Science, Marine Science, Economics, Environmental Sciences, Engineering, Life and Health Sciences, Further Mathematics, Geography, Geology, Mathematics, Physics, Psychology or Statistics.  

Contextual offer – BBB/ABC

including two sciences from Biology, Chemistry, Computer Science, Marine Science, Economics, Environmental Sciences, Engineering, Life and Health Sciences, Further Mathematics, Geography, Geology, Mathematics, Physics, Psychology or Statistics. 

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.

Alternative qualifications

• Other UK qualifications

• EU qualifications 

• International qualifications

International students who do not meet direct entry requirements for this degree might have the option to complete an International Foundation Year.

English language requirements

Country specific information

The fees for this academic year have not been confirmed yet.

Please also check costs for colleges and accommodation.

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:

• 88% in work or further study.

Of those in employment:

• 86% in highly or medium skilled employment.
• £31,000 is the average salary.

(Source: 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)

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

• 7th in The Complete University Guide 2025 and in The Times and Sunday Times Good University Guide 2025

• 6th in The Guardian University Guide 2025

• Top 100 The QS World University Rankings by Subject 2025

Staff

For a current list of staff, please see our department web pages.

Facilities

Our teaching takes place in the modern, purpose-built Arthur Holmes Building, located on the main University Mountjoy campus, close to other departments, colleges, the Bill Bryson library and the Teaching and Learning Centre.

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