Course details
Earth Sciences is the holistic study of the planet from the core to the surface, its water and the surrounding atmosphere.
Understanding the processes involved in shaping the Earth’s surface, our natural resources, natural hazards, water supplies and renewable energy can inform us about the impact of past and present changes in environmental conditions. This knowledge will allow us to predict behaviour and develop solutions to protect society and the planet’s future from today’s global challenges.
Our flexible Geoscience degree, puts you in control, giving you both the fundamentals and increased specialisation as you progress, allowing you to choose a pathway of most interest to you.
Why Durham University?
Durham is one of the UK’s leading providers of Earth Sciences education. We offer six undergraduate courses, four of which are accredited by The Geological Society of London.
Our courses explore the full geological spectrum including climate change, oceans, mass extinctions, rocks and minerals, volcanoes, and the structure and chemistry of the Earth. Our multidisciplinary approach applies physics, chemistry, mathematics, biology and physical geography to real world scenarios to make sense of today's major geoscience concerns.
Course structures are flexible with a balance of formal teaching, fieldwork and active learning to put your theoretical knowledge into practice. You can tailor your degree to your interests through the wide range of optional modules and you may also be able to spend a year studying abroad, extending your degree by a year.
Facilities
Our teaching takes place in the modern, purpose-built Arthur Holmes Building equipped with brand-new optical microscopes and a large teaching collection of rocks, fossils, geological maps, and thin sections.
We use industry-standard and research-level software (e.g., ESRI ArcGIS Pro, Python and Matlab). If your dissertation or research project involves laboratory study, you can access our world-class geochemistry and rock mechanics labs.
Rankings
3rd in the UK Times and Sunday Times Good University Guide 2026
5th in the Guardian University Guide 2026
5th in the UK Complete University Guide 2026
Top 100 in the QS World University Rankings 2026
Career Opportunities
Our flexible courses have been developed to meet the needs of industry and provide you with the skills you need to succeed. You will graduate with the scientific foundations and transferable skills to move directly into the workplace or to progress to a more specialised postgraduate qualification.
Career prospects for Durham graduates are excellent. Geology and Earth Sciences graduates are highly valued by employers and go on to a wide range of highly successful careers in the sector and beyond, working in industry and research, including environmental management, water management, energy and engineering geology.
Some of the high-profile employers our graduates have gone on to work for include ATKINS, ARUP, Centrica and the Environment Agency.
For current information please scroll to the bottom of the page for Provider Information and select Visit our Course Page under Course Contact Details.
You will be assessed through a combination of coursework, class tests and end-of-year examinations. A significant proportion of your final assessment will be through your research dissertation in the final year.
The range of assessment methods is designed to assess your knowledge and understanding of geology-specific knowledge, alongside transferable skills in mathematics, scientific writing, informatics, policy, critical analysis and project management.
In addition to the help provided by your subject lecturers, you can also access extensive support for your assessments through ASC, the Academic Skills Centre. See below for details: https://www.durham.ac.uk/departments/centres/academic-skills-centre/
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.
Durham University 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:
Durham has a long and proud history of welcoming students from countries across the globe. For further details please visit: https://www.dur.ac.uk/study/international/
International students who do not meet direct entry requirements for this degree might have the option to complete an International Foundation Year. For further details please visit: https://www.durhamisc.com/programmes/international-foundation-year
Discover what it's like to study Geoscience at Durham University: insights on the course, making friends, personal statement tips, uni prep, and recommended books, podcasts, and videos.
If you’re taking other qualifications not listed above, please check our qualification pages to see if we accept these: www.durham.ac.uk/study/undergraduate/how-to-apply/entry-requirements/
If you have a non-standard academic profile, then ask us about it here:
www.durham.ac.uk/study/ask-us/
Deferred entry is considered on a case-by-case basis where applicants have exceptional circumstances. If you’d like to apply for deferred entry, please ask us about it before applying: www.durham.ac.uk/study/ask-us/
Find out more about qualification requirements for this course.
English Language requirementshttps://www.durham.ac.uk/study/international/entry-requirements/english-language-requirements/
Our contextual offer for this programme is A level BBB/ABC (or equivalent, this must include two sciences from Biology, Chemistry, Computer and Marine Science, Economics, Environmental Sciences, Engineering, Life and Health Sciences, Further Mathematics, Geography, Geology, Mathematics, Physics, Psychology or Statistics at grade B or above
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.
Home Students.
The tuition fees for 2027/28 will increase to £10,050. Please note that these figures remain subject to parliamentary approval.
The tuition fees shown for home students are for one complete academic year of full-time study and are set according to the academic year of entry. Fees for subsequent years of your course may rise in line with an inflationary uplift as determined by the government.
Durham University will charge home rate tuition fees up to the maximum allowed by the UK Government. Should the UK Government choose to increase the maximum tuition fee allowed in the second and subsequent years of your course, Durham University will raise tuition fees in line with UK Government policy and approvals.
International and EU Students.
The tuition fees shown for international and EU students are for one complete academic year of full time study and are set according to the academic year of entry. Fees are subject to an annual inflationary increase. In deciding the annual level of increase the University will take into account inflationary pressures on the costs of delivery. Tuition fees will rise annually by up to the higher of 6% or the latest annual percentage increase in the Consumer Prices Index.
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 International tuition fees, please refer to the UKCISA website.
Durham University offers a range of scholarship opportunities to academically well-qualified and highly motivated students. For further details, including deadlines for application, please visit: https://www.durham.ac.uk/study/scholarships/
Clearing - Register your Interest
Phone:0800 987 4120
Thursday 14 August 8am-6pm
Friday 15 August 9am - 5pm
Monday 18 - Friday 22 August 9am-5pm
Phone:0191 334 1000
The Palatine Centre
Stockton Road
Durham
DH1 3LE
At Durham University
