Geology

Program Overview

---

Geology

Geology is an applied science that aims to understand all aspects of our planet, ranging from the Earth's surface to the deep interior.

Careers and Further Study

This course opens up a world of future study pathways and career opportunities.

Career Pathways

Career opportunities are diverse and include the resources industries (e.g. minerals, petroleum, groundwater) or research fields such as planetary geology, volcano or earthquake hazard prediction. Additional career opportunities exist in government agencies dealing with resources or environmental consultancies and agencies. Many graduates continue to develop their specialist skills in industry or government agencies around the world, while others join academic institutions.

Further Study

Honours in Geology provides you with an opportunity to undertake coursework units with direct application to important resources in Western Australia as well as a research project. As a graduate you will be well positioned for career opportunities in the resources industries (e.g. energy, mineral deposits and groundwater) and environmental fields. The honours specialisation will strengthen and expand the knowledge and skills you gained during your undergraduate degree and will provide experience in completing a major research project, which requires high-level scientific writing and oral presentation skills. An honours degree may also lead you to the completion of a higher degree by research and further career opportunities in industry, university, or government research organisations. The Bachelor of Science with a major in Geology is recognised by the Australian Institute of Mining & Metallurgy (AusIMM). Students undertaking this course may be eligible for bursaries and scholarships offered by the AusIMM, and are eligible to apply for membership on completion of their degree.

Fees and Scholarships

Learn more about the fees that apply to you for this course. For fee type definitions and further assistance, see the Fee Calculator Help page. You can also search our database for scholarships that are relevant to you or this course.

Domestic Student Fees

For Commonwealth-supported places, student contribution amounts are charged by unit, based on area of study. For a fee estimate, go to the Fee Calculator and select “I want to price my units”. Fees are subject to annual indexation. Refer to the Handbook to identify the units required. More information on how fees are calculated.

International Student Fees

Annual course fee

2025

$46,300.00

Onshore international students are charged an annual course fee, charged per credit point at a rate dependent on the course in which the student is enrolled. Annual course fees are calculated based on an annual study load. Check the handbook to confirm the annual study load for your course.

Admission Requirements

The University of Western Australia welcomes applications from international and domestic school-leavers. If you’re interested in studying one of these majors, find out the admission details below.

Minimum Entry Requirements

Below you’ll find a list of admission equivalencies for this course's Australian Tertiary Admissions Rank (ATAR).

• All India Senior School Certificate (CBSE)
  • 9
• Canadian High School (except Quebec)
  • 68
• French Baccalaureate
  • 10
• Gao Kao (PR China NCEE)/750
  • 507
• GCE A-Levels
  • 8
• German Abitur
  • 3.6
• Hong Kong Diploma of Secondary Education
  • 14
• Indian Senior School Certificate (CISCE)
  • 45
• Indonesian Sekolah Menengah Atas (SMA) - Pass of 65
  • 75.5
• International Baccalaureate Diploma (IB)
  • 24
• Malaysian STPM
  • 10
• Monash University Foundation Year
  • 254
• NCUK Foundation Program
  • 8
• Norwegian Vitnemål
  • 3.5
• Singapore - Cambridge A Levels
  • 6.5
• South African National Senior Certificate
  • 4
• South Korean College Scholastic Ability Test (CSAT)
  • 324
• Sweden Slutbetyg
  • 14.5
• Trinity College Foundation
  • 280
• Unified Examination Certificate (UEC)
  • 14
• University of Western Australia College (UWAC) Foundation Program
  • 61
• US College Board Advanced Placements
  • 7
• US College Board SAT
  • 1130
• Western Australian Universities' Foundation Program (WAUFP)
  • 56
• Western Australian Certificate of Education (WACE) 2016 onwards
  • 75

English Competency

English is the language of instruction and assessment at UWA and you will need to meet the English language requirements of the University to be eligible for a place.

Minimum overall IELTS score of 6.5, with no band less than 6.0.

How to Apply

The application process to this course is different for the assured and graduate entry pathways, and for international and domestic applicants.

Domestic Pathways

• Domestic Assured Pathway/School Leaver Entry: Applications are lodged via TISC. Refer to TISC Online for current course codes and application deadlines.
• Domestic Graduate Entry: Applications are lodged via GEMSAS, which open and close in accordance with the GEMSAS timeline. All domestic applicants must submit a valid GAMSAT score by the application closing date.

International Pathways

• International Assured Pathway/School Leaver Entry: Applications are lodged via UWA's online application system or via an authorised international education agent.
• International Graduate Entry: Applications are lodged via UWA's online application system or via an authorised international education agent.

Course Details

Do you want to know more about our planet? Geology students learn about how applying knowledge of Earth's processes and time scales is fundamental to locating resources such as groundwater, petroleum and minerals, and understanding climate and other environmental changes. As most of Australia's mineral and petroleum resources are in Western Australia, UWA is the ideal place to study geology.

About the Course

A major in Geology involves the study of how the Earth formed and evolved during the past 4.4 billion years, including the origin of continents, oceans, atmosphere and life, and how natural processes deep within Earth's interior shape the surface on which we live.

Quick Details

• Status: Available
• Locations: Perth (Crawley campus), Albany (Regional campus)
• Attendance: Full-time, Part-time
• Delivery: On-campus
• Starting dates: Semester 1, Semester 2
• Weekly contact time: 18-24 hours contact time, plus your own study time
• Level of study: Undergraduate
• Course Code: MJD-GEOGY
• Full time/part time duration: 3 years (BSc), 4 years (BSc[Hons])

Course Structure

Our undergraduate degrees offer you a broad range of options allowing you to combine subjects in a way that matches your career goals and personal interests.

Level 1

• Core
  • Take all units (24 points):
    • EART1104 Discovering Earth (6)
    • EART1105 Dynamic Planet (6)
    • SCIE1104 Science, Society and Data Analysis (6)
    • SCOM1101 Communicating Science (6)
• Bridging
  • Bridging units must be successfully completed within the first 48 points of study. Students who have not achieved a scaled mark of at least 50 in Mathematics Methods ATAR or equivalent or higher are required to complete either MATH1721 or SCIE1500. Students who have not achieved a scaled mark of at least 50 in Mathematics Applications ATAR or equivalent or higher are required to complete MATH1720 and either MATH1721 or SCIE1500. MATH1721 should be taken if also considering majors that require it for progression to level 2 (e.g. Maths, Physics, Chemistry or Computer Science.):
    • MATH1720 Mathematics Fundamentals (6)
    • MATH1721 Mathematics Foundations: Methods (6)
    • SCIE1500 Analytical Methods for Scientists (6)

Level 2

• Core
  • Take all units (18 points):
    • EART2231 Earth Materials (6)
    • EART2232 Field Geology (6)
    • EART2234 Earth Processes (6)
• Option
  • Take unit(s) to the value of 6 points:
    • EART2204 Coastal Processes (6)
    • ENVT2251 Hydrology and Water Resource Management (6)

Level 3

• Core
  • Take all units (24 points):
    • EART3342 Geochemistry and Petrology (6)
    • EART3343 Structural Geology and Tectonics (6)
    • EART3344 Basin Analysis (6)
    • EART3353 Geological Mapping (6)