Geoscience

This programme provides a detailed understanding of the significant environmental challenges we face today including global warming, the transition to sustainable energy sources and the loss of biodiversity.

You will combine your passion for the world around you with different geoscientific skills, concepts and viewpoints to explore and understand the Earth's landscapes and environments over time and help develop informed solutions to real-world problems.

Solving the challenges of climate change, sustainable development, energy, food and water security requires a detailed understanding of the Earth’s systems and resources.

Through lectures, coursework, field study and training in the latest earth monitoring technology, you will explore the fundamentals of earth science, from the origin and formation of the planet to the processes that continue to shape the landscape and the climate today.

Two of your first-year courses - Creating the Anthropocene and The UN Sustainable Development Goals - introduce you to sustainability and explain how natural processes and human activities both impact our environment. Throughout the programme, you will continue to build your scientific knowledge of how Earth’s life, environments and climate have changed through time, and learn how our understanding of the structure and evolution of the planet can unlock solutions to the challenges of climate change, rising sea levels, the loss of natural habitats and ice sheets and the protection of food and water security.

At Aberdeen, we place a strong emphasis on developing your observational, computational and data analysis skills to ensure you are well-prepared for a career working in areas such as climate change, sustainability, energy, water management or environmental monitoring and protection. The data collection, analysis and interpretation skills you develop on this programme are also highly transferable should you wish to follow other pathways in your career.

The ability to address climate change and preserve and protect our environment relies heavily on geoscience. Choosing the BSc Geoscience equips you with the necessary expertise to combine your in-depth knowledge of the Earth's surface and subsurface with practical data and field skills to help create a sustainable future for our planet.

Course Modules

View all modules on the programme page to find out more about what you will be studying and when. University of Aberdeen modules are designed to give you breadth and depth to your degree. The range of modules you study will allow you to become proficient in all subjects which are directly relevant to your degree giving you greater career options.

The use of various forms of assessment and learning environments facilitates the development of generic transferable skills enhancing student employability.

Students are assessed by any combination of three assessment methods: coursework such as essays and reports completed throughout the course; practical assessments of the skills and competencies they learn on the course; and written examinations at the end of each course. The exact mix of these methods differs between subject areas, years of study and individual courses.

Honours projects are typically assessed on the basis of a written dissertation.