Planetary Science with Astronomy (BSc): 3-year, full-time
Bachelor's degree
In London
Description
-
Type
Bachelor's degree
-
Location
London
-
Duration
3 Years
This is a very exciting time for planetary science, with new data being returned by spacecraft from planets within our own solar system and thousands of planets now being discovered orbiting other stars. There is also growing scientific interest in the likelihood of life elsewhere in the universe.
With our BSc Planetary Science with Astronomy you will learn more about all of this and develop your knowledge of the solar system and its wider astronomical context. You will study subjects ranging from astronomy and astrobiology to geophysics and remote sensing. You will develop skills in the manipulation of scientific data and 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.
A number of our researchers work on current space missions with access to unique datasets. You will have the chance to work on these data as part of a research project in your final year.
We also offer the option to attend a number of UK and overseas field classes, using Earth analogues to understand the geology of other planets. Currently, we take students to Pembrokeshire (Year 1), North-West Scotland or Greece (Year 2) and Morocco (Year 3) and a dedicated Planetary Science field class to the Canary Islands (Years 2 or 3).
This course is also available for part-time evening study over four years.
Facilities
Location
Start date
Start date
About this course
Graduates can pursue careers in the oil, mineral and groundwater industries, education or research. This degree may also be useful in becoming an astronomer, research scientist, higher education lecturer or minerals surveyor.
We offer a comprehensive Careers Service to help you advance your career, while our in-house, professional recruitment consultancy, Birkbeck Talent, works with London’s top employers to help you gain work experience that fits in with your evening studies.
We welcome applicants without traditional entry qualifications as we base decisions on our own assessment of qualifications, knowledge and previous work experience. We may waive formal entry requirements based on judgement of academic potential.
Awarding Body
University of London
Reviews
Subjects
- Global
- Computing
- Geology
- Astronomy
- Geophysics
- Planetary Science
- Sedimentology
- Astrobiology
- Project
- Full Time
- GCSE Physics
Course programme
You undertake a combination of compulsory and option modules, worth 360 credits in total.
In Year 1, you take seven compulsory modules and choose one option module.
In Year 2, you take six compulsory modules and choose two option modules. There may also be an opportunity to undertake an option module in practical astronomy, run by UCL and conducted at an observatory in London.
In Year 3, you take three compulsory modules, choose one option module and undertake a project.
In Years 2 and 3, some compulsory modules run in alternate years:
- Comets, Asteroids and Meteorites/Volcanism in the Solar System
- Exploration and Modelling of Planetary Interiors/Remote Sensing and Planetary Surfaces
YEAR 1 COMPULSORY MODULES
- Earth's Interior Geology
- Foundations of Astronomy
- Foundations of Mineralogy
- Geology of the Solar System I: Introduction to Planetary and Lunar Geology
- Geology of the Solar System II: Beyond the Earth-Moon System
- Introduction to Geochemistry
- Methods in Earth and Planetary Science
- Assessed Field Techniques 1
- Earth History
- Earth's Surface Geology
- Invertebrate Palaeontology
- Comets, Asteroids and Meteorites
- Exploration and Modelling of Planetary Interiors
- Geophysics
- Igneous Petrology
- Introduction to Astrobiology
- Remote Sensing and Planetary Surfaces
- Scientific Computing and Data Modelling
- Volcanism in the Solar System
- Assessed Field Techniques 1
- Earth History
- Earth's Surface Geology
- Field Class for Planetary Science
- Global Tectonics
- Invertebrate Palaeontology
- Metamorphic Petrology
- Principles of Sedimentology
- Structural Geology I
- Comets, Asteroids and Meteorites
- Exploration and Modelling of Planetary Interiors
- Physical Principles of Astronomy
- Remote Sensing and Planetary Surfaces
- Volcanism in the Solar System
- Field Class for Planetary Science
- Global Tectonics
- Metamorphic Petrology
- Principles of Sedimentology
- Structural Geology I
- Project BSc Earth and Planetary Sciences
Additional information
FEES
Full-time international students: £ 14280 pa
Planetary Science with Astronomy (BSc): 3-year, full-time