Course details
Course description
Geology - studying the Earth beneath our feet and it’s fascinating 4.5 billion years of history, from volcanoes and earthquakes to dinosaurs and ancient rivers - is central to our transition to a sustainable future.
The BSc Geology programme provides you with the skills you need to explore the processes that have shaped the Earth and its surface and subsurface environments through time, equipping you with powers to address the major modern world challenges, from climate change to sustainable energy, and from water security to natural disasters.
The BSc Geology is aimed at students who are interested in the physical processes that have shaped our planet and its near neighbours over the last 4.5 billion years, and who want to use our understanding to anticipate and protect the earth's future.
This programme teaches and utilises the latest fieldwork, digital and technological skills and techniques to show you how to extract valuable information recorded in Earth’s rocks, minerals and fossils: an archive that holds the keys to many of the issues we face today such as climate change, water management, natural hazards and transition from fossils fuels to geothermal energy and other sources of renewable energy.
During your first two years, you will study the main geological principles that underpin our understanding of the structure and evolution of the Earth. You will examine the origin, structure and composition of the three major rock groups; igneous, metamorphic and sedimentary, learning about the most fascinating and important geological events and how we date them, and developing the professional geological skills needed to gather and interpret data in the field.
In the final two years, you will specialise more in the topics that interest you, for example, climate change through deep time, planetary geology and the effects of life, geology for society, and imaging and interpreting the Earth.
Fieldwork is fundamental to geology, and at Aberdeen, we enjoy easy access to numerous word-class sites, such as Arran, Skye, the North West Highlands of Scotland. The School of Geosciences is also a world-leader in the application of virtual technology, which means our students can learn how to combine the latest digital tools with our unrivalled field study locations.
Subjects
- Geology
- Applied geology
- Geography
- Science
- Earth sciences
- Engineering hydrology
- Exploration geology
- Hydrogeology
- Marine geology
- Mining geology
- Structural geology
- Engineering seismology
- Rock mechanics
- Oceanography
- Soil science
- Soil chemistry
- Soil geology
- Ecology
- Land surveying
- Environment
Entry requirements
Scottish Higher minimum entry requirements: A,A,B,B
Applicants who achieve AABB or better over S4 and S5 are likely to be made an offer of admission. This may be unconditional or it may be conditional, dependent upon academic profile. Good performance in additional Highers / Advanced Highers may be required. Note: we do not double count a Higher and Advanced Higher in the same subject, but we do consider that a B at Adv Higher is equivalent to an A grade at Higher. Higher Maths at BB from 2 Science or Maths subjects Also National 5 at grades C or above in English, Mathematics (but not Applications of Mathematics) and in either Chemistry or Physics
Scottish Advanced Higher minimum entry requirements: A,B,B
For Second Year entry a minimum of 3 AH at ABB, a minimum of two must be Science or Maths subjects (including the subject(s) nominated for Honours). Standard Grades 1, 2 or 3 or Int 2, or National 5 at grades A, B or C in English, Mathematics and in either Chemistry or Physics.
Course options
Course details
Full time
12th Sep 2022 to 12th Sep 2026
Cost: £1,820.00 (ex. VAT)
Venue details
Main Site
University Office
Regent Walk
King's College
Aberdeen
AB24 3FX