BSc (Hons) Geology
- UCAS code: F600
- Mode of study: Full time
- Duration: 3 years
- Entry requirements 2013: 240-300 points to include 2 A levels or equivalent, with 100 points from a single Science subject or 160 points from 2 Science subjects (Biology, Chemistry, Environmental Science/Studies, Geography, Geology, Mathematics or Physics).
- Please see details of the range of other qualifications that will also be considered on the 'Entry Requirements' tab below. Please do contact us for advice on other qualifications that aren't listed here.
Find out more:
Tel: +44 (0)23 9284 5550
Email: sci.admissions@port.ac.uk
Department: Earth and Environmental Sciences (SEES)
Course overview
Our geoscience courses provide an exciting and rewarding curriculum that will equip you with the personal and scientific skills and knowledge necessary for understanding the sustainable exploration and exploitation of the earth’s resources.
BSc (Hons) Geology provides a comprehensive, structured course producing graduates who readily find employment worldwide in mineral and petroleum exploration as well as many other industries.
Portsmouth provides an ideal base for geoscience studies with easy access to the sedimentary rocks of the Hampshire and Wessex Basins, the outstanding geology and fossil-bearing horizons of the Isle of Wight and the mineral-bearing metamorphic and igneous rocks of south west England. Our staff and researchers have international reputations in palaeobiology, crustal evolution sedimentology, stratigraphy and remote sensing.
Professional accreditation
Both the BSc (Hons) Geology and the BSc (Hons) Palaeontology courses are fully accredited by the Geological Society of London, the professional body that oversees geoscience in the UK. These degrees are automatically accepted as satisfying the first stage of professional development leading to the award of Chartered Geologist status.
Course content
BSc (Hons) Geology and BSc (Hons) Earth Sciences share a common first year and transfer between them is possible at the end of that year.
In the second and third year of the geology degree, students study a combination of core and optional geoscience units, whilst earth sciences students study a reduced geoscience core and follow one of three curriculum strands – earth systems, palaeobiology or a laboratory-based strand. The laboratory-based strand minimises the amount of fieldwork undertaken and should be considered by students who, for reasons of disability, would otherwise be unable to participate in the geoscience programme. Both courses include core and option units in the rapidly expanding field of computerbased analysis of geological data.
Both degrees have the opportunity to study units from the University’s language and elective programmes.
Year one
You will study the following topics:
- how the earth works: an introduction to all aspects of geoscience
- earth materials: the description and interpretation of minerals and igneons, metamorphic and sedimentary rocks
- earth history and life: an introduction to the study of past life on earth and its evolution, and geological time and the rock record
- quantitative methods: mathematical and IT skills and techniques for the geosciences
- science for earth systems: aspects of physics and chemistry used in the geosciences
- biodiversity and evolution: an introduction to aspects of biology for palaeobiology students
- natural hazards: the interaction of earth’s surface processes with the natural and man-made world
Year two
In your second year you will study a professional skills unit incorporating careers guidance and the fieldwork that is a vital component of any geoscience degree.
Students studying geology will study the following core topics:
- professional skills for geoscientists
- petrology
- structural geology
- sedimentology and stratigraphy
- geophysics and data analysis
- digital geological mapping
- hydrology and hydrogeology
Plus two optional topics from the following:
- volcanology
- trace fossils, isotopes and diagenesis
- palaeontology
- geological ground models
Year three
At this more advanced stage, you will have the opportunity to customise your studies by being able to choose from a range of units. All students undertake an independent project and an overseas field course. For geology and earth science students the project is field mapping based.
All geology and earth science students study core courses in geodynamics and economic geology and have the option to study the following topics:
- geoscience information systems
- magmatism and tectonics
- petroleum geoscience
- mineral exploration
- biostratigraphy
- palaeoecology
- large magnitude geological events
- contaminated land
- spatial data analysis
Teaching and assessment
Teaching is generally in small classes, providing an informal, friendly and supportive atmosphere for your studies. The lecture and laboratory programme is enhanced by structured tutorials, which support you both academically and with your personal development needs such as study skills and time management.
Assessment is by a mix of coursework and examinations, roughly 50:50. Coursework tasks include laboratory reports, oral and poster presentations, reports on field-based projects and computer-based assessment.
Career prospects
Our graduates are eminently employable and we have an enviable employment record, consistently above the national average. They enjoy varied careers worldwide, including mineral and petroleum exploration, oilfield services, mining and quarrying and geoscience information analysis.
A significant proportion go on to postgraduate study, either at Master’s level, usually with a particular specialised career path in mind, or at doctorate level for those wishing to pursue an academic career. The communication, numeric and IT skills you will gain also make you a good candidate for business or education-oriented careers.
Facilities and features
The School is fully equipped with geological and geochemical laboratories including X-ray diffraction, X-ray fluorescence spectrometry, scanning electron microscopy, ICPMS and digital photomicrography. It is our policy that you receive practical experience of using this equipment whenever possible. In addition, we have state-of-the-art computing facilities with an extensive suite of specialist geoscience software.
You will also have access to University-wide resources, including our student support services, computer suites and our extended library, which houses an excellent collection of journals and books.
Fieldwork
Fieldwork is an integral and essential component of any geoscience degree course. Although field-based learning is intensive, needing you to draw on a wide range of theoretical and practical knowledge, it is immensely rewarding and, above all, fun. The University contributes towards the transport and accommodation costs of all compulsory fieldwork. We ensure that, wherever possible, degree courses incorporate overseas fieldwork, giving you beneficial experience of working in a non-UK environment and minimising the risk of losing valuable field time to the weather.
All students undertake a project that normally involves a period of independent field study prior to the start of the final year. Whilst not everyone will be in a position to be so adventurous, past students have successfully arranged projects in California, Canada, Spain, Trinidad, Australia, Brazil and Hawaii. Exotic project proposals, however, must meet our academic, logistic and safety criteria.