BEng (Hons)
Engineering Geology and Geotechnics
Professional engineering geologists are highly sought after
Course Overview
Why take this course?
Want to one day be involved in the building of a tunnel, dam, road, building development, offshore oil or gas platform, quarry or mine excavation?
This course provides you with the technical expertise to be part of such projects. It’s the first step to becoming a professional engineering geologist.
What will I experience?
On this course you can:
- Use our state-of-the-art geological and geotechnic labs for practical work
- Travel to Hong Kong for field-based learning and project work
- Visit geological sites in Norfolk and the Cotswolds
Sandwich bursary
Associated with the sandwich course is an Industrial Bursary Scheme, which will give financial support to selected students in the form of a bursary. Our industrial partners include leading UK and international contractors and consultants together with the Geological Society of London. The Industrial Bursary Scheme members will provide salaried vacation employment, third-year placement and training. Students enrolled onto the sandwich pathway without a bursary will be responsible for finding employment, but will be assisted by the University of Portsmouth and industrial supporters of the scheme.
For those wishing to be considered for an Industrial Bursary, it is likely that key qualifications for success will be maths and physics at A Level or equivalent. However, this is not mandatory and each applicant will be assessed on merit rather than strict adherence to qualifications. For more information and an application form, go to the Industrial Bursary web page.
What opportunities might it lead to?
This course is fully accredited by the Geological Society of London, the professional body that oversees geoscience in the UK. It is the first stage of professional development leading to the award of Chartered Geologist status after a period in industry.
Engineering geologists play a key role in the construction industry, with many building projects crying out for their technical expertise.
Here are some routes our graduates have pursued:
- site investigation
- mine stabilisation
- coastal engineering
- building project development
There are several field trips throughout the course, with a 12-day trip to Spain at the end of the first year.
Gabriela Lawnicka, BEng (Hons) Engineering Geology and Geotechnics student
Key Facts
- UCAS Course Code:
- F612
- Duration
- 3 years full time, 4 years sandwich with work placement
- Entry
260-320 points to include 2 A Levels or equivalent, with 180 points from two science subjects (biology, chemistry, environmental science/studies, geography, geology, mathematics or physics) or one science and one relevant technology subject.
Other qualifications- Fees
UK/EU/Channel Islands and Isle of Man full-time students: £8,750 p/a*
International full-time students: £11,900 p/a*
*Please note that all fees are subject to annual increase.- Contact
- sci.admissions@port.ac.uk
+44 (0)23 9284 5550 - Department
- School of Earth and Environmental Sciences
Subject:
Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences
Find out what our students say about studying at Portsmouth, including:
- Fieldtrips in the UK and abroad providing invaluable practical skills
- The open-door approach of the lecturers, many of whom have industry experience
- Superb careers advice and support that is part of your course
Visit us at our open day
Wed 10 Jul
Structure & Teaching
Year one
To be a good engineering geologist you first need to be a good geologist. In your first year we concentrate on the fundamentals of the geological sciences, as well as focusing on the physics and chemistry of earth processes.
Core units in this year include:
- How the Earth Works
- Earth Materials
- Earth History and Life
- Natural Hazards
- Quantitative Methods
- Science for Earth Systems
Year two
Specialise in the more applied areas of the subject and benefit from field work that is a vital component of any geoscience degree.
You will specifically focus on the following areas:
- The mechanical behaviour of engineering soils and rocks
- How to investigate the ground and interpret the results
- Ground water and flood management
- More geology, focused on structural aspects of geological interpretation and map work
Year three*
Customise your studies by undertaking an independent project where you can decide the geological-based topic, collect samples, carry out lab tests and report your findings. You’ll also consolidate your learning in the study of the following specialist subject areas:
- Landslides and slope stability assessments
- Contaminated land
*This course is also available as a 4-year sandwich (work placement)
Teaching and Assessment
The course provides a balanced structure of lectures, tutorials and laboratory work. You will generally be taught in small classes, providing an informal, friendly and supportive atmosphere for your studies.
How are you assessed?
Assessment is a mix of coursework and exams, roughly 50:50. However, your coursework can take a variety of forms including:
- laboratory reports
- oral and poster presentations
- reports on field-based projects
- computer-based assessment
Tutor's view
Nick Koor
Earth and Environmental Sciences
This is a fantastic degree if you wish to pursue a career in ground engineering within the civil, mining or energy sectors. It combines the fundamentals of geology with applied mechanics and engineering, and our graduates are highly sort after in both the UK and overseas.
Visit us open day
Facilities & Features
Laboratories
You'll have access to our fully equipped geological, geochemical and geotechnics labs
Field Trips
Fieldwork is an important part of our courses
University Library
Our library offers a wealth of information
Laboratories
We offer a fully equipped geological, geochemical and a recently refurbished geotechnics lab. Brimming with ultra-modern equipment, here’s a taste of what you’ll be able to work on:
- soil mechanics
- rock mechanics
- rock preparation
- aerial photographic interpretation
Field Trips
Fieldwork is an important part of our courses and can take between 75-80 days spread across the whole course. From hazard assessment to land mapping exercises, previously trips have been to:
- the Isle of Wight
- Dorset
- the Cotswolds
- Northern Spain
- the Lake District
- French Alps
University Library
Modern, comfortable and a great learning environment, our library offers a wealth of information including 400,000 books, DVDs, maps and thousands of online ejournals and newspapers. Many electronic resources are available anywhere, 24/7 and our friendly staff are always on hand to help.
We spent two weeks in Spain learning how to produce a geological map and we have had many field trips to the Isle of Wight.
Adam Drury, BEng (Hons) Engineering Geology and Geotechnics student 2012
Careers & Opportunities
Career prospects
You are eminently employable and as a leading provider of applied geoscience graduates to industry we have an enviable employment record. Graduating from this course usually commands an above-average starting salary and work opportunities are available both in the UK and overseas, with strong demand currently in the UK, Australia, New Zealand, Dubai, Canada and Hong Kong.
Many of these career opportunities exist in the civil, mining, offshore or energy sectors for engineering consultants and contractors. A significant proportion of graduates also go on to postgraduate study.
Roles our graduates have taken on include:
- graduate geotechnical engineer
- graduate mining geologist
- graduate engineering geologist
- graduate well-side geologist
- geology teacher
Example of what one of our graduates has gone on to do:
- Aurecon, Engineering Geologist – fieldwork and ground investigation
Work experience
Taking a placement year in industry could be one of the best decisions you make, as more often than not, it leads to further opportunities after graduation. Our Placements Office, not only helps you to arrange your placement, but also acts as a source of information and guidance throughout the recruitment process and beyond. We help on anything and everything related to employability skills, as well as assisting you in gaining other types of work experience.
We also feel it’s very important for you to gain first-hand experience of the variety of geological techniques you will be learning throughout your 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.
Current destinations include Isle of Wight, Wales, the Alps and even the complex geological setting of Hong Kong in the final year. The opportunity exists to undertake your final-year project at a location of your choice, either in the UK or overseas. In previous years, students have been to places further afield to complete exciting projects including Western USA, Sicily, Taiwan, New Zealand, Brazil and many areas of France.
Career planning
6.04 minutes
Finding a job is a competitive business, but the statistics show that 89 per cent of our 2011graduates went into employment, further study or training within six months of finishing their degrees.
To make sure you take the right steps on your career path, we’re here to give you help, support and advice throughout your study. Even after you’ve graduated, we continue to give you support for up to five years.
Employers tell us that they want graduates to be able to demonstrate certain skills when they come out of university. Our courses take account of this. We make sure we prepare you for employment through work-related learning, projects, placements and working in simulated environments that are designed to prepare you for the working world.
My course and fieldwork prepared me very well for the industrial placement. When on site on my placement, I was the only one to have used a point load tester before. So, I had to train other engineers and then write a manual about how to use it. My employability has jumped up quite a bit, just through the placement.
Stephan Gehne, BEng (Hons) Engineering Geology and Geotechnics student 2013
Open Day
Our next open day is Wed 10 July
VISIT US! Have a look around and get a feel for what it’s like to live and study here. We’ll be on hand to talk to you about your course interests and show you all of our amazing facilities. You’ll also get to meet tutors and other students…
Application, Fees and Funding — find out more