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Fees and Funding

UK & EU Fee

£9,000 (2013/14)

Overseas Fee

£19,500 (2013/14)

General Funding Notes

Details about financial support are available at: www.ucl.ac.uk/study/ug-finance

Contacts

Admissions Tutor

Dr Ian Wood

Email: earthsci@ucl.ac.uk

Tel: +44 (0)20 7679 2405

Key Facts

Research Assessment Exercise

80% rated 4* (‘world-leading’) or 3* (‘internationally excellent’)
(What is the RAE?)

Departmental website

Earth Sciences

More Information

Prospectus subject entry

Earth Sciences

Prospectus faculty entry

Mathematical and Physical Sciences

Environmental Geoscience MSci

UCAS Code: F645

This four-year programme provides an additional year on top of the Environmental Geoscience BSc, in which students extend their knowledge and understanding by taking advanced courses and undertaking an independent research project. The programme is fully accredited by the Geological Society of London.

Entry Requirements

A Levels

Grades AAA-ABB
Subjects Two sciences preferred.
AS Levels A pass in a further subject at AS level or equivalent is required.
GCSEs English Language and Mathematics at grade C. For UK-based students, a grade C or equivalent in a foreign language (other than Ancient Greek, Biblical Hebrew or Latin) is required. UCL provides opportunities to meet the foreign language requirement following enrolment, further details at: www.ucl.ac.uk/ug-reqs

IB Diploma

Points 34-38
Subjects A score of 16-18 points in three higher level subjects, preferably to include two sciences, with no score lower than 5.

Other Qualifications

For entry requirements with other UK qualifications accepted by UCL, choose your qualification from the list below:

Selected entry requirements will appear here

International Qualifications

International Qualifications

In addition to A level and International Baccalaureate, UCL considers a wide range of international qualifications for entry to its undergraduate degree programmes.

Selected country's equivalent grades will appear here

University Preparatory Certificates

UCL offers intensive one-year foundation courses to prepare international students for a variety of degree programmes at UCL.

The University Preparatory Certificates (UPCs) are for international students of high academic potential who are aiming to gain access to undergraduate degree programmes at UCL and other top UK universities.

For more information see our website: www.ucl.ac.uk/upc

English Language Requirements

If English is not your first language you will also need to satisfy UCL's English Language Requirements. A variety of English language programmes are offered at the UCL Centre for Languages & International Education.

Degree Summary

Degree Benefits

  • Benefit from up to three months of field classes in the UK and continental Europe, and an independent field mapping project, with a component of financial support from the department.
  • The programme is fully accredited by the Geological Society of London
  • World-leading research in geophysical hazards, mineral, ice and rock physics and palaeoenvironmental analysis is undertaken in the department and is used in the development of our courses.
  • 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.

The programme offers an integrated study of the Earth, encompassing the evolution of the planet and its internal workings, the development of its biosphere and atmosphere, and its surface processes, emphasising natural and man-induced development of the terrestrial environment.

You will gain a scientific training which allows an examination of environmental issues related to the Earth sciences, such as those concerned with natural resources, their use to society, the disposal of wastes and the undertsnading and minimisation of geohazards.

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. The strong emphasis on 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 options, providing extra depth and breadth of knowledge.

Your Learning

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.

Assessment

You will be assessed by a combination of written examinations, practical examinations, coursework, independent project reports and an oral examination.

Degree Structure

In each year of your degree you will take a number of individual courses, normally valued at 0.5 or 1.0 credits, adding up to a total of 4.0 credits for the year. Courses are assessed in the academic year in which they are taken. The balance of compulsory and optional courses varies from programme to programme and year to year. A 1.0 credit is considered equivalent to 15 credits in the European Credit Transfer System (ECTS).

Year One

Compulsory courses

Dynamic Earth
Earth Materials
Environmental Systems and Processes
From Petrology to Petrogenesis
History of Life
Surface Processes
The Earth

Optional courses

You will select one of the following:

Foundations of Physical Geoscience (option for students without A level Mathematics)
Geochemistry (compulsory for students without A level Chemistry)
Mathematics (option for students with A level Mathematics)

Year Two

Compulsory courses

Atmosphere, Weather and Climate
Chemistry of Earth Environments
Maps, Images and Structures
Structural Geology and Tectonics
Surface Processes and Structures

Optional courses

You will select 1.0 credits of optional courses including:

Either:
Environmental Remote Sensing
Or:
Geographic Information Systems and Science

And one of the following:
Foundations of Physical Geoscience
Global Geophysics
Mathematics for Engineers 1
Vertebrate Paleontology and Evolution

Year Three

Compulsory courses

Experimental Methods in Water-Rock Interaction
Geological and Environmental Mapping

Optional courses

You will select 2.0 credits from the following options:

Crustal Dynamics, Mountain Building and Basin Evolution
Biodiversity and Macroevolutionary Patterns
Earth Resources and Sustainability
Field Methods in Active Tectonics
Past Global Environmental Change
Physics of Oceans, Ice Sheets and Climate

Final Year

Compulsory courses

Earth and Planetary System Science
Independent MSci Project

Optional courses

You will select 2.0 credits from the following options:

Earth and Planetary Materials
Earthquake Seismology and Earthquake Hazards
Hydrogeology and Groundwater Resources
Palaeoceanography
Palaeoclimatology
Physical Volcanology and Volcanic Hazard
Tectonic Geomorphology

You may take up to 1.0 credit outside the department.

Further details available on degree page of subject website:

Your Career

You will develop a number of skills, including the ability to gather and evaluate data, assess geo-environmental issues from a scientific standpoint, prepare written reports, lead discussion groups and use computational methods. Fieldwork provides a natural laboratory where you can develop skills such as rock identification, fabric recognition and map-making.

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 groundwater conditions associated with land use, such as planning, construction and waste disposal; and geological surveying, collecting geological information for maps and databases.

Destinations

First destinations of recent graduates (2009-2011) from Environmental Geoscience programmes at UCL include:

  • Consultant, Venture Information Management (2011)
  • Full-time, MSc in Hydrology at Imperial College London (2009)
  • Underwriting Assistant, Renaissance RE (2009)

Find out more about London graduates' careers by visiting the Careers Group (University of London) website:

Application

Your Application

We will assess your application on the basis of your performance, or predicted performance academically, but we will also be looking for an indication of how your interest in natural and Earth sciences has developed, what aspects particularly appeal to you, and whether you have undertaken any research or reading to find out about the subject matter you wish to study.

How to Apply

Application for admission should be made through UCAS (the Universities and Colleges Admissions Service). Applicants currently at school or college will be provided with advice on the process; however, applicants who have left school or who are based outside the United Kingdom may obtain information directly from UCAS.

Selection

If you are resident in the UK and your application demonstrates potential you will be invited to an applicant open day. This visit will include introductory talks on Earth sciences and our degree programmes, a tour of the department and UCL, and a question and answer session.

You may also have a one-to-one discussion with a member of academic staff in which we aim to find out more about your personal interests and motivation.

Applicants from regions distant from London and from outside the UK are not normally required to attend for an interview, and we reach a decision on making an offer on the basis of the application alone.