AS/A Level Geology

A Level Geology

Why choose Geology?
You may choose to study Geology because you are interested in earthquakes and volcanoes and want to know why they occur in some places and not others. You may like dinosaurs and fossils and want to know more about past life on Earth. You may be fascinated by crystals, minerals and rocks and would like to learn to identify your specimens. Whatever your reason, you will be choosing a subject that is new and very different to the others you will be studying.


Teaching and Learning Styles
Conventional lessons, often group and whole class practical sessions, using the department's extensive collection of rocks, minerals and fossils
Presentations and field-based classes/coursework
Lab-based coursework in the second year

Fieldwork

A visit to the Natural History Museum in London to see the Dinosaur displays and the Earth Galleries, complete with earthquake simulator
Local field excursions to see the geology of the Malvern Hills and South Wales coast
A week-long field trip to the Isle of Skye in the second year
Possibly an expedition/field visit to see the volcanoes Etna and Stromboli, in association with Geography students


Assessment
Six modules are included, three at AS level (Foundation Geology, Investigative Geology - practical assessment, Geology and the Human Environment) and three at A2 level (Interpreting the Geological Record, Natural Resources and Quaternary Geology, Geological Investigations - two coursework pieces). All exams are taken in May/June.


Progression Opportunities
Traditional careers for geologists are in the oil industry, water companies and the mining industry. More recently, opportunities have broadened to include civil engineering and tunnelling, environmental conservation and climate change, and the prediction of hazards, such as volcanoes and earthquakes.