Earth Sciences MSci
Master
In London
Description
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Type
Master
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Location
London
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Duration
4 Years
In each year of your degree you will take a number of individual modules, normally valued at 15 or 30 credits, adding up to a total of 120 credits for the year. Modules are assessed in the academic year in which they are taken. The balance of compulsory and optional modules varies from programme to programme and year to year. A 30-credit module is considered equivalent to 15 credits in the European Credit Transfer System (ECTS). On entry to the programme, you will select a pathway through the subject (General, Palaeobiology, or Environment and Policy). The programme includes many optional modules across UCL Earth Sciences. Students should normally take at least five half-module credits in UCL Earth Sciences each year. Modules based in other departments may be chosen from those listed for the Environmental Geoscience, Geology and Geophysics degree programmes and the Palaeobiology or Environment and Policy pathways. The first and second years provide core skills and knowledge in the subject. The third year provides opportunities for specialisation and diversification, with an emphasis on individual initiative and problem-based learning. Fieldwork provides a unique opportunity to develop independent and team skills and problem-solving abilities. The first three years of the MSci programme are identical to the BSc programme. However, the additional fourth year of the MSci allows for an individual research project and advanced optional modules, providing extra depth and breadth of knowledge.
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Start date
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About this course
The programme includes up to approximately three months of field classes in the UK and continental Europe, with financial support from the department. The holistic nature of the Earth sciences is emphasised. The opportunity to specialise within Earth sciences and, by the appropriate choice of modules, graduate with a degree in Earth Sciences (Palaeobiology) or Earth Sciences (Environment and Policy) is available. World-leading research in mineral, ice and rock physics, geophysical hazards and palaeoenvironmental analysis is undertaken in the department and is used in the development of our modules. World-class facilities include hosting the UK's only NASA Regional Planetary Image Facility, use of the UCL University of London Observatory, and collaboration with the Natural History Museum.
You will develop both discipline-based and highly sought after analytical skills, together with practical skills such as planning, conducting and reporting on investigations, collecting, recording and analysing data and the ability to undertake field and laboratory research. All our students are encouraged and helped towards making informed career choices. We have excellent relationships with many employers in diverse aspects of the Earth and planetary sciences, and students are actively guided towards achieving their potential at UCL in preparation for their future careers. In addition to further study, main employment destinations include: exploration and production for mining, oil and engineering companies; groundwater resources management; investigating ground conditions associated with land use, such as planning, construction and waste disposal; geological surveying, and collecting geological information for maps and databases.
English Language and Mathematics at grade C or 5. For UK-based students, a grade C or 5 or equivalent in a foreign language (other than Ancient Greek, Biblical Hebrew or Latin) is required
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Subjects
- Geology
- Geophysics
- Global
- Team Training
- Dynamic Earth
- Petrology
- Petrogenesis
- Geochemistry
- Palaeobiology
- Geoscience
Course programme
Core or compulsory module(s)
- Dynamic Earth
- Earth Materials
- From Petrology to Petrogenesis (including Cornwall fieldwork)
- Geochemistry
- History of Life
- Surface Processes (including Dorset/Devon fieldwork)
- The Earth
You will select 0.5 credits of optional modules from Geology, Geophysics and Environmental Geoscience programmes, and the Palaeobiology or Environment and Policy pathways.
Year 2
- Maps, Images and Structures (including Italy fieldwork)
- Structural Geology and Tectonics
You will select 2.5 credits of optional modules from the Environmental Geoscience, Geology and Geophysics programmes, and the Palaeobiology or Environment and Policy pathways. Options available within the department may include:
- Global Geophysics
- Igneous Petrology
- Isotope Geology
- Metamorphism
- Vertebrate Palaeontology and Evolution
Core or compulsory module(s)
All third-year modules are optional.
Optional modulesYou will select 4.0 credits of optional modules from the Environmental Geoscience, Geology and Geophysics programmes and Palaeobiology or Environment and Policy pathways. Options available within the department may include:
- Biodiversity and Macroevolutionary Patterns
- Crustal Dynamics, Mountain Building and Basin Evolution (including Betics fieldwork)
- Earth Resources and Sustainability
- Geological/Environmental Mapping Project
- Geosciences Report
- Global Environmental Change
- Groundwater Science
- Marine Geology
- Ocean Physics and Climate Change
- Seismology I
- Seismology II
- Geodynamics and Global Tectonics
Core or compulsory module(s)
- Earth and Planetary System Science (including fieldwork in Germany)
- Independent MSci Project
You will select 2.0 credits of optional modules from the Environmental Geoscience, Geology and Geophysics programmes or the Palaeobiology or Environment and Policy pathways depending on your programme diet. Options available within the department may include:
- Earth and Planetary Materials
- Physical Volcanology and Volcanic Hazards
- Tectonic Geomorphology
- Palaeoceanography
- Earthquake Seismology and Earthquake Hazards
- Melting and Volcanism
- Deep Earth and Planetary Modelling
We use a mixture of lectures, practical classes, field courses, directed reading, problem-orientated learning, private study and tutorials to enable you to gain the theoretical knowledge and practical skills demanded by the programme, as well as to develop key transferable skills such as critical analysis, report writing, team working and organisational skills.
AssessmentYou will be assessed by a combination of written examinations, practical examinations, coursework, independent project reports and sometimes an oral examination.
Additional information
£25,960 (2018/19)
Earth Sciences MSci