Join a University ranked second in the UK for 'Earth systems and environmental sciences' research (THE analysis of REF 2021).
Develop an understanding of the evolution of life on this planet through the study of geology and biology.
Learn from experts with interests ranging from dinosaurs to plants to the origin of life, and become fully immersed in hands-on palaeontology from the start.
One-third of the first year is dedicated to biology and two-thirds to earth science. After the first year, you will take core units from both disciplines.
In the third year, you will carry out a research project and take a range of specialist palaeontology units. Examples of current units include:
Dynamics of Macroevolution, where you will learn cutting-edge techniques for analysing the large-scale patterns in the evolution of life, including the use of microfossils to reconstruct past climates and ecosystems;
Fossils and Phylogenies, where you will learn how to construct evolutionary genealogies from the comparative anatomy of fossil organisms and the genomes of their living relatives, focussing especially on the origin and diversification of animals;
Vertebrate Palaeobiology and Biomechanics, where you will study the evolution of vertebrates from fish-like creatures to humans, discovering methods for investigating how their bodies work.
You will also select from a range of optional units to pursue your own interests.
The course involves fieldwork, including dedicated palaeontology field courses, the cost of which is included in your tuition fee.
Our emphasis on quantitative research allows you to develop valuable mathematical and statistical skills. There are opportunities for volunteer work and internships in our state-of-the-art palaeobiology laboratories.
This course is available in Clearing. If you have submitted an application, you can add this course. If you haven’t sent us an application yet, you can do this until 24th September 2026.
This is the equal consideration deadline. You can still apply after this date, but your application may not receive guaranteed consideration.
University of Bristol has participated in the Teaching Excellence Framework. These ratings were awarded in 2023, for four years.
See why these ratings were awarded
What does this TEF outcome mean?
The following entry points are available for this course:
The University of Bristol welcomes applications from international students and accepts a wide range of qualifications for undergraduate study. If you studied at a school, college or university outside the UK, please select the relevant page for further information on qualification equivalences, scholarships and details of our education representatives in your country/region: bristol.ac.uk/international/countries/
Find out more about qualification requirements for this course.
We accept a wide variety of qualifications and welcome applications from students of all backgrounds. We consider a large range of contextual factors when making application decisions.
If you receive and accept an offer from the University of Bristol, and you meet the terms of your offer in full, you will be accepted.
This section shows the range of grades that students who received offers were previously accepted on to this course with (learn more).
It is designed to support your research but does not guarantee whether you will or won't get a place.
Admissions teams consider various factors, including interviews, subject requirements, and entrance tests. Check all course entry requirements for eligibility.
We are unable to show previous accepted grades for this course. This could be because the course is new, it's a postgraduate course, there isn't enough historical data, or the provider has opted out of sharing their entry grades data for this course - learn more.
This report uses your grades to show how students with similar results have done when applying to this course in the past. Sometimes, there isn’t data for every possible set of grades. When that happens, universities and colleges occasionally fill in the gaps for sets of grades that are typically accepted.
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Tuition fee status depends on a number of criteria and varies according to where in the UK you will study. For further guidance on the criteria for home or overseas tuition fees, please refer to the UKCISA website.
Fees are subject to annual review and are liable to rise each year. Home fees will be set in line with UK government policy and updated as per their guidance, while international fees increase annually in line with expected inflation rises. Visit bristol.ac.uk/ug-fees-funding for further information, including estimated fees for subsequent years and typical total costs.
Email:choosebristol-ug@bristol.ac.uk
Phone:+44 (0)117 370 2618
Email:choosebristol-ug@bristol.ac.uk
Phone:0117 394 1649
Beacon House
Queen’s Road
Bristol
BS8 1QU
At University of Bristol
