Earth Sciences MGeol (Hons)

In the first two years of your degree (known as sub-honours) you will take the required modules in Earth Sciences alongside modules in at least one other subject.

Typically, you will take one to two Earth Sciences modules per semester during your first two years, and three to four during your third, fourth and fifth years

1st Year

Students are required to take the following compulsory modules in their first year:

• Planet Earth: introduces you to the key geological components that comprise Earth and the geoscientific and environmental sciences used to study the planet.
• Earth Resources and Environment: builds on the knowledge from Semester 1, including addressing issues related to natural resources.

Students are required to take the following compulsory modules in their second year:

• Dynamic Earth: Earth Surface Processes: focuses on the low temperature processes that operate in land-atmosphere interactions, glacial processes, tectonic geomorphology, geomicrobiology and oceanography.
• Dynamic Earth: The Earth System: focuses on understanding the behaviour of the solid Earth and its interaction with the atmosphere and biosphere and beyond.
• Dynamic Earth: Magma, Minerals and Metamorphism: focuses on the geology and geochemistry of the solid Earth and processes in Earth's interior.

Honours modules involve key skills training and first-hand experience linked to new research discoveries and advances in Earth Sciences, and courses that have been offered in the past include:

• Advanced Geological Mapping
• Structural Geology and Tectonics
• Geochemistry
• Global Biogeochemical Cycles
• Global Climate Change
• Igneous and Metamorphic Petrology
• GIS and Spatial Analysis for Earth Scientists
• Advanced Petrogenesis
• Magmatic Ore Deposits
• Petroleum Engineering and Geophysics.

During your final year you will be able to take a number of modules at Masters level, providing advanced training in Earth Sciences. In previous years, Masters-level modules have included:

• Isotope Geochemistry
• Advanced Geochemistry
• Geodynamics
• Water in the Environment
• Mineral Exploration
• Hydrothermal-related Ore Deposits
• 3D Geological Modelling.

You will also undertake an individual research project on an area of geological sciences which will allow you to pursue a topic of personal interest in depth. You will present your project both orally and in dissertation form.

The sub-honours modules listed here are the compulsory modules that students must take in order to graduate in this subject. However, most students at St Andrews take additional modules, either in their primary subject or from other subjects they are interested in. For Honours-level, students choose from a range of Honours modules, some of which are listed above.