Program Overview

Geology, BSc

Introduction

Geology - studying the Earth beneath our feet and its fascinating 4.5 billion years of history, from volcanoes and earthquakes to dinosaurs and ancient rivers - is central to our transition to a sustainable future.

The BSc Geology programme provides you with the skills you need to explore the processes that have shaped the Earth and its surface and subsurface environments through time, equipping you with powers to address the major modern world challenges, from climate change to sustainable energy, and from water security to natural disasters.

Aberdeen is ranked 1st in the UK for overall student satisfaction in Earth Sciences in the 2024 National Student Survey.

Study Information

At a Glance

• Learning Mode: On Campus Learning
• Degree Qualification: BSc
• Duration: 48 months
• Study Mode: Full Time
• Start Month: September
• Location of Study: Aberdeen
• UCAS Code: F601
• Pathway Programme Available: Undergraduate Foundation Programme

The BSc Geology is aimed at students who are interested in the physical processes that have shaped our planet and its near neighbours over the last 4.5 billion years, and who want to use our understanding to anticipate and protect the earth's future.

This programme teaches and utilises the latest fieldwork, digital and technological skills and techniques to show you how to extract valuable information recorded in Earth’s rocks, minerals and fossils: an archive that holds the keys to many of the issues we face today such as climate change, water management, natural hazards and transition from fossils fuels to geothermal energy and other sources of renewable energy. The Science Teaching Hub provides students with the most modern microscopy laboratories in the UK. Our advanced microscopes and cameras allow you to study rocks and capture images like never before.

You will examine the origin, structure and composition of the three major rock groups; igneous, metamorphic and sedimentary, learning about the most fascinating and important geological events and how we date them, and developing the professional geological skills needed to gather and interpret data in the field.

In the final two years, you will specialise more in the topics that interest you, for example, climate change through deep time, planetary geology and the effects of life, geology for society, and imaging and interpreting the Earth.

Fieldwork is fundamental to geology, and at Aberdeen, we enjoy easy access to numerous world-class sites, such as Arran, Skye, the North West Highlands of Scotland. The School of Geosciences is also a world-leader in the application of virtual technology, which means our students can learn how to combine the latest digital tools with our unrivalled field study locations.

Aberdeen Global Scholarship

The University of Aberdeen is delighted to offer eligible self-funded international on-campus undergraduate students a £6,000 scholarship for every year of their programme.

What You'll Study

• Year 1
  • Two core courses: Earth Through Geological Time, which looks at the evolution of the Earth over the past 4,500 million years, and Earth's Materials, looks at the origin, physical and characteristics of the rocks and minerals that make up the Earth.
  • Compulsory Courses:
    • The Nature of The Environment Through Geological Time (GL1005)
    • Earth's Materials (GL1505)
    • Getting Started at the University of Aberdeen (PD1002)
  • Optional Courses: Select a further 90 credit points from courses of choice.
• Year 2
  • Four courses all of which are taken for Single and Joint Honours programmes. These include Stratigraphical Principles, Petrology & Mineralogy, Geophysics and Introduction to Field Geology, which is a six-day residential course on the Isle of Arran.
  • Compulsory Courses:
    • Petrology & Mineralogy (GL2015)
    • Earth’s Life, Environments and Climate Through Time (GL2017)
    • An Introduction to Field Geology (GL2510)
    • Geophysics (GL2511)
  • Optional Courses: Plus 60 credit points from courses of choice.
• Year 3
  • Year 3 is the start of the Honours degree and all but one course option in each semester is geology focused. At year 3 there are two main residential field courses as well as day field trips.
  • Compulsory Courses:
    • Field and Mapping Techniques 1 (GL3026)
    • Igneous & Metamorphic Petrology (GL3031)
    • Sedimentology (GL3521)
    • Field & Mapping Techniques 2 (GL3525)
    • Project / Dissertation (GL3508)
    • Structural Geology & Tectonics (GL3527)
  • Optional Courses: Plus 15 or 30 credit points from courses of choice.
• Year 4
  • One of the main components of the BSc final year is the 5 week independent field project. You undertake your independent research over the summer between years 3 and 4, and much of the autumn term is focused on working up the report.
  • Compulsory Courses:
    • Frontiers in Earth Science (GL4036)
    • Geological Mapping Project (GL4023)
    • Integrative Geology Through Fieldwork (GL4532)
    • Geoscience and the UN Sustainable Development Goals (GL4535)
    • Planetary Geology (GL4033)

How You'll Study

• Learning Methods:
  • E-learning
  • Field Trips
  • Field Work
  • Group Projects
  • Individual Projects
  • Lab Work
  • Lectures
  • Research
  • Seminars
  • Tutorials
• Assessment Methods:
  • Students are assessed by any combination of three assessment methods:
    • Coursework such as essays and reports completed throughout the course;
    • Practical assessments of the skills and competencies they learn on the course; and
    • Written examinations at the end of each course.
  • The exact mix of these methods differs between subject areas, years of study and individual courses.
  • Honours projects are typically assessed on the basis of a written dissertation.

Why Study Geology?

• Earth Sciences at the University of Aberdeen is ranked 1st in the UK for student satisfaction by the 2024 National Student Survey
• Geology at Aberdeen is ranked 8th in the UK by the Times and Sunday Times Good University Guide 2024.
• You will learn the latest professional fieldwork skills and techniques including: recording sedimentary successions (“logging”); recording structural and spatial data; presenting geological data on maps; recognising the character of igneous, metamorphic, and sedimentary rocks at scales larger than hand specimen; and conducting fieldwork safely, effectively, and responsibly
• The School of Geosciences is at the forefront of developing the latest digital technology. V3 Geo, for example, has been developed by Aberdeen geoscientists and is a bespoke public repository and viewer for 3D virtual geoscience models, with a focus on virtual geological outcrops
• The Science Teaching Hub provides students with the most modern microscopy laboratories in the UK.
• As part of their Honours Curriculum students have extended their geological reach to Earth’s Satellites and other planets. Profs Javier Martin-Torres and Maria-Paz Zorzano of the Department of Planetary Sciences have joined forces with Drs Alex Brasier and Malcolm Hole of the Department of Geology & Geophysics to deliver a 15 credits module on Planetary Sciences
• Our planetary sciences team have an instrument on the NASA Curiosity rover, which is exploring Mars’ surface right now – you can track the rover here
• Gain experience using specialist software, including that used for virtual modelling of geological features and processes, and for visualising and understanding the Earth on scales from hundreds of kilometres to smaller than a single grain of sand
• Access the School of Geoscience’s world-class facilities and equipment and laboratories, including 3D Seismic Interpretation Facilities; ACEMAC Nano Scale Electron Microscopy and Analysis Facility; Dirty and Clean Sedimentary Laboratories; Geochemistry Laboratory; GIS Equipment; Hydrology Laboratory; Petrographic and Stereomicroscopes; Petrophysics Laboratory
• You will have the opportunity to join professional societies to expand your knowledge, skills and professional networks beyond the classroom

Entry Requirements

• Qualifications:
  • SQA Highers:
    • Standard: AABB
    • Minimum: BBB
    • Adjusted: BB
  • A LEVELS:
    • Standard: BBB
    • Minimum: BBC
    • Adjusted: CCC
  • International Baccalaureate: 32 points, including 5, 5, 5 at HL, with two Mathematics/ Science subjects at HL.
  • Irish Leaving Certificate: 5H with 3 at H2 AND 2 at H3 including a minimum of H3 from two Science or Mathematics subjects.

English Language Requirements

• IELTS Academic: OVERALL - 6.0 with: Listening - 5.5; Reading - 5.5; Speaking - 5.5; Writing - 6.0
• TOEFL iBT: OVERALL - 78 with: Listening - 17; Reading - 18; Speaking - 20; Writing - 21
• PTE Academic: OVERALL - 59 with: Listening - 59; Reading - 59; Speaking - 59; Writing - 59
• Cambridge English B2 First, C1 Advanced or C2 Proficiency: OVERALL - 169 with: Listening - 162; Reading - 162; Speaking - 162; Writing - 169

Fees and Funding

• EU / International students: £24,800
• Home Students: £1,820
• England, Wales, Northern Ireland, and Republic of Ireland: £9,535

Careers

• The transition to net zero energy has led to increasing demand for geology skills in the development of low-carbon technologies such as carbon capture and storage, offshore wind, geothermal and nuclear waste sequestration.
• Aberdeen is the hub of the energy transition in the UK so if you are interested in joining the energy industry, in either oil and gas or renewables, there is no better place to study. We have extensive links with industry and our students benefit from guest lectures, industry-based projects and various networking events.
• You will also have the opportunity to join professional societies to expand your knowledge, skills and professional networks beyond the classroom. The American Association of Petroleum Geologists and the Petroleum Exploration Society of Great Britain have a unified student chapter within the department. Other events in the department are organized by the Aberdeen Geological Society.
• In addition to the energy sector, geology graduates can enter careers in other areas directly related to the earth sciences, including finding and maintaining water resources (hydrogeology), mining (including for the precious metals needed in all modern technology, and for noble gases needed for medical equipment), and environmental management.
• Geologists are also highly sought after in other sectors including finance and business, due to their transferable skills and knowledge, for example, data collection and analysis, interpreting different types of data (textual, numerical and visual), as well as working with and communicating with teams.