Geosciences

Full entry requirements

Geosciences at Leicester

The Department of Geology provides a dynamic environment in which to learn more about the evolution of our planet from geoscientists at the forefront of their field. Our students cite the supportive and friendly staff as one of the key reasons for choosing to study here and for six years running the Department has achieved excellent satisfaction ratings in the National Student Survey (2007-2012; Geology Departments, UK Universities).

The Earth is the geoscientist’s laboratory and our degree courses currently include opportunities for geological fieldwork in the Alps, Tenerife, Spain, Scotland and Wales. Our courses provide a thorough training in the geosciences, preparing graduates for a wide range of careers in industry or further scientific research. Career opportunities span a variety of disciplines, including natural resource exploration and the environmental sector.

We offer a broad range of three-year Bachelors and four-year Masters level undergraduate degree courses, including options to study abroad. Our teaching is led by our research and students are taught by staff recognised internationally for their research expertise. Current frontline research includes exploring the fundamental concepts of evolution using exceptionally preserved fossils, examining the processes of catastrophic sedimentation from explosive volcanic eruptions, and using geophysical techniques to look deep into the Earth’s crust and mantle.

We offer exciting specialist options such as Physical Volcanology, Diversity and Evolution of Vertebrates, Petroleum Reservoir Petrophysics, Global Tectonics, Seismology, Earth Science in Education, Ore Genesis, Environmental Geoscience, Engineering Geology, Remote Sensing and GIS for Geologists, and Planetary Science, to name just a few.

A unique characteristic of our course structure is the flexibility in degree options. All degree courses include common modules in the First Year and therefore you are able to transfer between all degree programmes at the end of the First Year, subject to meeting A-level requirements for your new course. Transfer between BSc and MGeol courses is also possible, although conditional on good academic performance for transfer to MGeol. Continuation on the MGeol degree or participation in the Year Abroad degrees is conditional on achieving a satisfactory level of performance in the Second Year assessment.

This flexibility and the choice of degree programmes gives you the chance to discover those aspects of the geosciences which most inspire you, and enables you to build a structured degree programme to match your particular intellectual interests and career aspirations.

Why Choose Geosciences at Leicester?

National Student Survey Ranking: National Student Survey Ranking: 92% of students studying Geosciences satisfied overall with their course.
Position in 2013 Subject League Tables: Times 5th, Independent 8th, Guardian 9th
Places: 92
Applications: 515
Example Jobs: Environmental Consultant; Exploration Geologist; Exploration Geophysicist; Field Specialist; Geology and Marketing Intern; Micropalaeontologist; Biostratigrapher; PhD Research Assistant; Project Geologist; Support Analyst/Geologist.
Example Employers: Anglo American Exploration Brazil; Baker Hughes; BP; Cuadrilla; Gemcom Software; Ghazal Minerals; Glasmin Resources Limited; Gnomic Geological Services; Health Protection Agency; Hugh Stuart Exploration Consultants; Ichron Ltd; National Trust; Network Stratigraphic Consultancy Ltd; Queensland Mining and Exploration Consultants; RSC Mining and Mineral Exploration.
Example Postgraduate Courses: MSc Hydrogeology; MSc Geographical Information Systems; MSc Taxonomy and Biodiversity; PhD Earth Sciences; PhD Metamorphic Petrology Ar-Ar dating; PhD Palaeobiology; PhD Geophysics.
Example jobs and employers information comes from the University’s ‘Where Did They Go?’ survey, and shows destinations of 2010/11 graduates 6 months after graduation.

All our degrees are accredited by the Geological Society of London, the professional society for geoscientists in the UK. An accredited geological degree provides an approved pathway towards Chartered Geologist status.

Within our Department we have large, newly refurbished practical teaching areas, lecture theatres and a geological map library. Our award-winning collections of more than 120,000 rocks, minerals and fossils provide a key resource for our degrees. We have excellent ICT facilities in open access computer rooms in the Geology and Geography Departments. High quality facilities are available for undergraduate project work, including a state-of-the-art scanning electron microscope, optical laboratories, a microprobe, palaeontological laboratories and seismic processing and interpretation workstations.

The Department manages the UK Environmental Geophysics Test Site and is home to SEIS-UK, the UK’s national seismology research facility. We are also a leading participant in the Integrated Ocean Drilling Program, the world’s largest Earth science research project, providing professional advice and support worldwide.

Teaching, Learning and Assessment

Our courses have a practical emphasis and are based on sound theoretical understanding. Personal tutors provide individually tailored academic and pastoral support to each student throughout their degree course. Our extensive, high quality fieldwork programme is heavily subsidised so that costs to you are minimal. Transferable skills training is incorporated across the curriculum and through formalised tutorials. Teamwork, problem-solving, numerical analysis and computer literacy are reinforced throughout the course. Safety training, time management, and student initiative are strongly emphasised. Formative (non-assessed) feedback is given on every module, helping you improve your performance. You will learn, and be assessed, through a combination of coursework, fieldwork, independent reports and projects, seminars, oral and poster presentations, computer-based tests and webpage construction, as well as formal examinations..

Study Abroad

Many organisations have an international scope so knowledge of a foreign language and/or a global outlook can give you a vital edge in the graduate jobs market.

Europe

The Department participates in the Erasmus scheme that provides an invaluable opportunity for students on all our BSc and MGeol degrees to spend one or two semesters studying at a European university, improving their foreign language skills and experiencing a different academic and social environment.

USA and New Zealand

MGeol students have the opportunity to take a degree with a year abroad, spending their Third Year at an overseas university studying a similar curriculum to the Third Year of their degree at Leicester, but in a different academic and cultural environment. Current partner institutions are the University of Arizona at Tucson, USA and the University of Canterbury at Christchurch, New Zealand.

The Department of Geosciences at the University of Arizona is a top-ranked American department and the Tucson campus provides excellent social and sports facilities. Arizona boasts world-class geological localities, including the Grand Canyon, Monument Valley, the Petrified Forest and Meteor Crater. New Zealand is a beautiful and geologically diverse country and the University of Canterbury provides excellent educational facilities for geology students.

To apply for the Year Abroad Degree in Arizona you should apply for the MGeol degree that best suits your interests; for the Year Abroad in New Zealand apply for MGeol Geology. You register your interest in the Year Abroad programme in your First Year. To be considered for the Year Abroad requires a 60% average by the middle of the Second Year. Places are limited and selection in the Second Year is then based on academic thresholds determined by the Department.

Graduate Opportunities

Geoscientists are amongst the top twenty highest-earning professionals and are essential in the search for energy, mineral and water resources. Our graduates are also increasingly employed in the environmental sector, addressing issues of pollution, climate change, waste management and environmental monitoring. All our courses can, and regularly do, incorporate time spent in industry, including vacation work experience and placements resulting from our strong links with employers.

We have an excellent employment record. For example, over 80% of all our 2009-2010 graduates who were available for work were in employment or in further training six months after graduation. In addition, of those gaining employment, over 80% were employed in ‘traditional graduate jobs’. Other recent graduates have progressed on to undertake postgraduate studies, for example, gaining places for PhD research at leading universities in the UK and abroad (US and New Zealand) Some graduates opt to move directly into other professions (e.g. teaching, banking, accountancy, the media, management and the police) having enjoyed a challenging and exciting degree course that has given them a wide range of highly transferable skills, providing them with a competitive edge in the wider job market.

Full entry requirements

Scholarships

Alongside the range of scholarships offered by the university, the department also offers a number of financial incentives:
Aggregate Industries Bursary Scheme:
1st year bursaries of £300.
2nd year bursaries of £500 and work experience opportunities.
3rd year bursaries for MGeol students of £1,000, with work experience, a 4th year MGeol project with the company, and a place on their graduate scheme following completion of your degree.
Micromine Bursary Scheme: 4th year bursary for MGeol student of £1,000, with work experience, and a 4th year MGeol project.
Departmental Academic Prizes: The Department offers competitive prizes and awards in each year for academic achievement and overall performance. The total value of the awards is variable up to £5,000 in any one year.

Opportunities to Visit and Further Information

Choosing where and what to study at university is an important decision for you. We believe it is important to give you the opportunity to talk to us, so you can find out whether our programmes are the right choice for you. We encourage you to visit the Department, either on a Summer Open Day, or a UCAS Visit Day once you have applied. You are guaranteed a warm welcome and will have the opportunity to meet staff who will teach you, as well as our students who are currently experiencing the courses that we offer.

For further information, please contact the Admissions Tutor: Dr Stewart Fishwick.

For a course brochure or enquiries:
0116 252 3912
Fax: 0116 252 3918
geology@le.ac.uk
www.le.ac.uk/geology

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