Earth Sciences (Geology)

During Years 1–3, your work is divided between lectures, tutorials, and practical classes. In Year 4 you have the opportunity for independent work on special topics or in a research laboratory. Students will find that their scheduled teaching time breaks down approximately as follows for each year:

• Year 1: Lectures 55%, Practicals 45%
• Year 2: Lectures 55%, Practicals 45%
• Year 3: Lectures 60%, Practicals 40%
• Year 4: Project 50%, Seminars 50%

Students are expected to spend at least 40 hours a week studying, including the scheduled teaching, so a good portion of students' time should be spent on private study. Tutorials are usually 2-4 students and a tutor. Class sizes may vary depending on the options you choose. There would usually be no more than around 20 students though classes for some of the more popular papers may be up to 40 students.

Other than the field courses, all teaching takes place in the department and most tutorials, classes, and lectures are delivered by members of the Earth Sciences Department. All are world-leading experts with years of experience in teaching and research. Some teaching may also be delivered by postdoctoral researchers from the department who are experts in their area of research. Postdoctoral researchers and postgraduate students from the Department will also assist in practical sessions and on field courses. To find out more about how our teaching year is structured, visit our Academic Year page.

COURSES

• Students take all courses in five parallel streams:
  • Planet Earth
  • Fundamentals of geology I
  • Fundamentals of geology II
  • Physics, chemistry and biology for Earth Sciences
  • Mathematics for materials and Earth Sciences
• Field courses
  • Pembroke field course (pre-session)
  • Arran field course (introduction)
  • Local field courses

ASSESSMENT

First University Examinations: Theory and Practical

COURSES

• Students take all courses in five parallel streams:
  • Earth deformation and materials
  • Palaeobiology
  • Petrology
  • Geochemistry and ocean chemistry
  • Mathematical and geophysical tools
• Field courses:
  • Dorset field course
  • Assynt field course (mapping)

ASSESSMENT

Part A1 Examinations: Theory and Practical

COURSES

• Students take a combination of core and optional papers from the following:
  • Natural resources
  • Sedimentary basins
  • The oceans
  • Climate
  • Seismology and earth structure/Vector calculus
  • Geodynamics and continental deformation
  • Volcanology, igneous processes and petrogenesis
  • Evolutionary turning points/Quantitative palaeobiology
  • Earth materials, rock deformation and metamorphism
• Field courses:
  • South-east Spain field course
• Independent field mapping project (conducted over summer break between Years 2 and 3)
• Extended essay

ASSESSMENT

Part A2 Examinations: Theory

RESEARCH

• Students choose four options (currently out of eight to ten), generally two in each term:
  • Anatomy of a mountain belt
  • Planetary chemistry
  • Structure and dynamics of the Earth’s mantle
  • Records of major environmental change in Earth’s history
  • Palaeobiology
  • Environmental, rock and palaeomagnetism
  • Topics in oceanography
  • Topics in volcanology
• Field courses: optional field courses as announced each year
• Independent work: research project over 2.5 terms.

ASSESSMENT

Part B Examination: Theory, MEarthSci (Earth Sciences)

The options listed above are illustrative and may change. A full list of current options is available on the Earth Sciences website

COURSES

• Students take all courses in five parallel streams:
  • Planet Earth
  • Fundamentals of geology I
  • Fundamentals of geology II
  • Physics, chemistry and biology for Earth Sciences
  • Mathematics for materials and Earth Sciences
• Field courses
  • Pembroke field course (pre-session)
  • Arran field course (introduction)
  • Local field courses

ASSESSMENT

First University Examinations: Theory and Practical

COURSES

• Students take all courses in five parallel streams:
  • Earth deformation and materials
  • Palaeobiology
  • Petrology
  • Geochemistry and ocean chemistry
  • Mathematical and geophysical tools
• Field courses:
  • Dorset field course
  • Assynt field course (mapping)

ASSESSMENT

Part A1 Examinations: Theory and Practical

COURSES

• Students take a combination of core and optional papers from the following:
  • Natural resources
  • Sedimentary basins
  • The oceans
  • Climate
  • Seismology and earth structure/Vector calculus
  • Geodynamics and continental deformation
  • Volcanology, igneous processes and petrogenesis
  • Evolutionary turning points/Quantitative palaeobiology
  • Earth materials, rock deformation and metamorphism
• Field courses:
  • South-east Spain field course
• Independent field mapping project (conducted over summer break between Years 2 and 3)
• Extended essay

ASSESSMENT

Part A2 Examinations: Theory

RESEARCH

• Students choose four options (currently out of eight to ten), generally two in each term:
  • Anatomy of a mountain belt
  • Planetary chemistry
  • Structure and dynamics of the Earth’s mantle
  • Records of major environmental change in Earth’s history
  • Palaeobiology
  • Environmental, rock and palaeomagnetism
  • Topics in oceanography
  • Topics in volcanology
• Field courses: optional field courses as announced each year
• Independent work: research project over 2.5 terms.

ASSESSMENT

Part B Examination: Theory, MEarthSci (Earth Sciences)

The options listed above are illustrative and may change. A full list of current options is available on the Earth Sciences website

COURSES

• Students take all courses in five parallel streams:
  • Planet Earth
  • Fundamentals of geology I
  • Fundamentals of geology II
  • Physics, chemistry and biology for Earth Sciences
  • Mathematics for materials and Earth Sciences
• Field courses
  • Pembroke field course (pre-session)
  • Arran field course (introduction)
  • Local field courses

ASSESSMENT

First University Examinations: Theory and Practical

COURSES

• Students take all courses in five parallel streams:
  • Planet Earth
  • Fundamentals of geology I
  • Fundamentals of geology II
  • Physics, chemistry and biology for Earth Sciences
  • Mathematics for materials and Earth Sciences
• Field courses
  • Pembroke field course (pre-session)
  • Arran field course (introduction)
  • Local field courses

COURSES

• Students take all courses in five parallel streams:
  • Planet Earth
  • Fundamentals of geology I
  • Fundamentals of geology II
  • Physics, chemistry and biology for Earth Sciences
  • Mathematics for materials and Earth Sciences
• Field courses
  • Pembroke field course (pre-session)
  • Arran field course (introduction)
  • Local field courses

• Planet Earth
• Fundamentals of geology I
• Fundamentals of geology II
• Physics, chemistry and biology for Earth Sciences
• Mathematics for materials and Earth Sciences

• Pembroke field course (pre-session)
• Arran field course (introduction)
• Local field courses

ASSESSMENT

First University Examinations: Theory and Practical

ASSESSMENT

First University Examinations: Theory and Practical

COURSES

• Students take all courses in five parallel streams:
  • Earth deformation and materials
  • Palaeobiology
  • Petrology
  • Geochemistry and ocean chemistry
  • Mathematical and geophysical tools
• Field courses:
  • Dorset field course
  • Assynt field course (mapping)

ASSESSMENT

Part A1 Examinations: Theory and Practical

COURSES

• Students take all courses in five parallel streams:
  • Earth deformation and materials
  • Palaeobiology
  • Petrology
  • Geochemistry and ocean chemistry
  • Mathematical and geophysical tools
• Field courses:
  • Dorset field course
  • Assynt field course (mapping)

COURSES

• Students take all courses in five parallel streams:
  • Earth deformation and materials
  • Palaeobiology
  • Petrology
  • Geochemistry and ocean chemistry
  • Mathematical and geophysical tools
• Field courses:
  • Dorset field course
  • Assynt field course (mapping)

• Earth deformation and materials
• Palaeobiology
• Petrology
• Geochemistry and ocean chemistry
• Mathematical and geophysical tools

• Dorset field course
• Assynt field course (mapping)

ASSESSMENT

Part A1 Examinations: Theory and Practical

ASSESSMENT

Part A1 Examinations: Theory and Practical

COURSES

• Students take a combination of core and optional papers from the following:
  • Natural resources
  • Sedimentary basins
  • The oceans
  • Climate
  • Seismology and earth structure/Vector calculus
  • Geodynamics and continental deformation
  • Volcanology, igneous processes and petrogenesis
  • Evolutionary turning points/Quantitative palaeobiology
  • Earth materials, rock deformation and metamorphism
• Field courses:
  • South-east Spain field course
• Independent field mapping project (conducted over summer break between Years 2 and 3)
• Extended essay

ASSESSMENT

Part A2 Examinations: Theory

COURSES

• Students take a combination of core and optional papers from the following:
  • Natural resources
  • Sedimentary basins
  • The oceans
  • Climate
  • Seismology and earth structure/Vector calculus
  • Geodynamics and continental deformation
  • Volcanology, igneous processes and petrogenesis
  • Evolutionary turning points/Quantitative palaeobiology
  • Earth materials, rock deformation and metamorphism
• Field courses:
  • South-east Spain field course
• Independent field mapping project (conducted over summer break between Years 2 and 3)
• Extended essay

COURSES

• Students take a combination of core and optional papers from the following:
  • Natural resources
  • Sedimentary basins
  • The oceans
  • Climate
  • Seismology and earth structure/Vector calculus
  • Geodynamics and continental deformation
  • Volcanology, igneous processes and petrogenesis
  • Evolutionary turning points/Quantitative palaeobiology
  • Earth materials, rock deformation and metamorphism
• Field courses:
  • South-east Spain field course
• Independent field mapping project (conducted over summer break between Years 2 and 3)
• Extended essay

• Natural resources
• Sedimentary basins
• The oceans
• Climate
• Seismology and earth structure/Vector calculus
• Geodynamics and continental deformation
• Volcanology, igneous processes and petrogenesis
• Evolutionary turning points/Quantitative palaeobiology
• Earth materials, rock deformation and metamorphism

• South-east Spain field course

ASSESSMENT

Part A2 Examinations: Theory

ASSESSMENT

Part A2 Examinations: Theory

RESEARCH

• Students choose four options (currently out of eight to ten), generally two in each term:
  • Anatomy of a mountain belt
  • Planetary chemistry
  • Structure and dynamics of the Earth’s mantle
  • Records of major environmental change in Earth’s history
  • Palaeobiology
  • Environmental, rock and palaeomagnetism
  • Topics in oceanography
  • Topics in volcanology
• Field courses: optional field courses as announced each year
• Independent work: research project over 2.5 terms.

ASSESSMENT

Part B Examination: Theory, MEarthSci (Earth Sciences)

RESEARCH

• Students choose four options (currently out of eight to ten), generally two in each term:
  • Anatomy of a mountain belt
  • Planetary chemistry
  • Structure and dynamics of the Earth’s mantle
  • Records of major environmental change in Earth’s history
  • Palaeobiology
  • Environmental, rock and palaeomagnetism
  • Topics in oceanography
  • Topics in volcanology
• Field courses: optional field courses as announced each year
• Independent work: research project over 2.5 terms.

RESEARCH

• Students choose four options (currently out of eight to ten), generally two in each term:
  • Anatomy of a mountain belt
  • Planetary chemistry
  • Structure and dynamics of the Earth’s mantle
  • Records of major environmental change in Earth’s history
  • Palaeobiology
  • Environmental, rock and palaeomagnetism
  • Topics in oceanography
  • Topics in volcanology
• Field courses: optional field courses as announced each year
• Independent work: research project over 2.5 terms.

• Anatomy of a mountain belt
• Planetary chemistry
• Structure and dynamics of the Earth’s mantle
• Records of major environmental change in Earth’s history
• Palaeobiology
• Environmental, rock and palaeomagnetism
• Topics in oceanography
• Topics in volcanology

ASSESSMENT

Part B Examination: Theory, MEarthSci (Earth Sciences)

ASSESSMENT

Part B Examination: Theory, MEarthSci (Earth Sciences)

The options listed above are illustrative and may change. A full list of current options is available on the Earth Sciences website

The options listed above are illustrative and may change. A full list of current options is available on the Earth Sciences website

The options listed above are illustrative and may change . A full list of current options is available on the Earth Sciences website