Earth Sciences (BSc): 4-year, part-time evening/distance learning

Many of the major challenges facing our planet, such as climate change, future energy production or living with natural hazards, require a thorough understanding of how the Earth has behaved in the past and how it works today. Our BSc Earth Sciences provides all the key skills you need to understand the inner workings of our planet. You can choose from a range of subjects, from geophysics and palaeontology through to volcanology and sedimentology.

In structure, this degree is similar to our BSc Geology degree, but without the requirement for compulsory fieldwork and the ability to conduct a laboratory or computational research project rather than a field-based map and thesis. You will develop skills in the manipulation of scientific data, critical assessment of scientific hypotheses, and experience actual scientific research during project work.

Our teaching philosophy is based around flexibility, allowing you to fit the degree around your lifestyle. We embrace new technology and methods to make our degrees accessible to all and have been running remote as well as face-to-face lectures for more than 20 years. This means you can attend classes with our internationally distinguished researchers in our world-class laboratories in London or you can watch live streams/recorded lectures at home using our cutting-edge online teaching platform. You are free to mix both these methods to find the best balance for you. This includes the option to study 100% online from anywhere in the world and receive a University of London degree.

While not compulsory, there are opportunities to participate in residential fieldtrips as part of the degree. Currently, we take students to Pembrokeshire (Year 1), North-West Scotland or Greece (Year 2) and Morocco (Year 3). You may also attend weekend field classes as part of individual modules.