Earth Sciences MGeol (Hons) 2018 entry

The MGeol in Earth Sciences will equip you with the skills and knowledge to investigate Earth as an interconnected system, integrating the study of the oceans, atmosphere, biosphere, and geosphere throughout its 4.6 billion year history. It will allow you to understand the processes that have formed Earth in deep time and those that generate environmental change today and into the future. Applied training is provided via hands-on experience with analytical techniques and focused field and laboratory-based study.

The MGeol allows you to combine undergraduate and postgraduate (Masters level) study into a single five-year programme, graduating with a Masters degree. The course is designed to enhance your research and workplace experiences, explicitly preparing you for a career in industry or a PhD in a competitive market.

The MGeol in Earth Sciences from St Andrews is accredited by the Geological Society of London, which provides a faster track to gaining Chartered Geologist status.

Students interested in taking a standard four-year degree may wish to explore the Environmental Earth Sciences BSc or Geology BSc instead.

Applications for 2018 entry for this course have now closed, see which courses are available for the upcoming academic year.

UCAS code

F641

Course type

Master in Geology (Integrated Masters degree)

Course duration

Five years full time

  • Start date: 10 September 2018
  • End date: 30 June 2023

If you started this programme in 2017, you can find information about 2017 entry on the 2017 Earth Sciences MGeol page. Information about all programmes from previous years of entry can be found in the archive.

Entry requirements

The following are likely grades considered for an offer. St Andrews considers all aspects of every application, including context, equivalent qualifications and the personal statement, and offers may be higher or lower than the grades stated here.

SQA Highers

AAAB, including at least two of the following subjects:

  • Biology or Human Biology
  • Chemistry
  • Geography
  • Geology
  • Mathematics
  • Physics.
GCE A-Levels

AAB, including at least two of the following subjects:

  • Biology
  • Chemistry
  • Geography
  • Geology
  • Mathematics
  • Physics.
IB points

36, including HL6 in two of the following science subjects:

  • Biology
  • Chemistry
  • Computing Science or equivalent
  • Geography
  • Geology
  • Mathematics
  • Physics
  • Psychology.

Well-qualified school leavers may be able to apply for admission directly into the second year of this course. Find out more about direct entry to second year for Earth Sciences.

International applicants

If English is not your first language you will need an overall IELTS score of 6.5, with a minimum score of 6.0 in each component (Reading, Writing, Listening and Speaking), or an equivalent English Language qualification.

Do I need to have studied this subject before?

Most students who enrol on this course have not studied Earth Sciences at school, and choose Earth Sciences based on a love of the environment, the outdoors, and science. If you are interested in the processes that shape the planet and its environment, a degree in Earth Sciences is likely the right choice. Preference may be given to candidates with strong science qualifications.

Faculty entry requirements

You must also meet the Faculty of Science minimum qualifications. These vary depending on which qualifications you hold.

Other qualifications

Passes in other examinations at equivalent levels and subjects may be accepted by the Dean of the Faculty. More information on how to apply via other entry routes or accreditation of prior learning and experience can be found on the University’s entry requirements webpage.

Find out more about Faculty of Science entry requirements.

Timetables

St Andrews students must meet with their Adviser of Studies at the beginning of Semester 1 in September to complete advising – a compulsory part of the matriculation process. After module choices have been decided, a timetable will be allocated indicating the dates and times of classes.

Reputation

The School of Earth and Environmental Sciences conducts leading-edge research worldwide, and in the UK Research Excellence Framework 2014, the School was ranked first in the UK based on the impact of its research.

The School was ranked top in Scotland by the Complete University Guide 2018.

The University of St Andrews as a whole was voted top in the UK for student satisfaction in The National Student Survey 2017 as 94% of St Andrews final year students gave the University top marks for the quality of the learning and teaching experience.

In 2017, the University received a TEF Gold award for the quality of teaching and the undergraduate experience.

Find out more about studying Earth and Environmental Sciences at St Andrews or visit the School of Earth and Environmental Sciences website.

Course information

The MGeol (Hons) in Earth Sciences is a five-year Integrated Masters course run by the School of Earth and Environmental Sciences. The MGeol degree is designed to give you advanced experience prior to undertaking full-time employment or PhD research.

During your degree, you will be able to take advantage of hands-on field and laboratory-based research projects that investigate how Earth’s surface became oxygenated, planetary formation, and how the composition of the oceans and atmosphere have changed through time and their influence on the regulation of climate.

Alongside Earth Sciences, in the first year of your studies you will be required to study an additional two subjects. In the second year, you will usually carry on at least one of these subjects, sometimes two. Find out more about more about how academic years are organised.

As you advance in your degree, you are given more flexibility to choose your focus of study, whether that be in geological mapping, geochemistry, or global biogeochemical cycles.

MGeol students have the chance to undertake a formal industrial placement with a company that would provide hands-on training as well as the option to take part in a self-organised and planned geological expedition during their degree. In both instances, these would be arranged in consultation with the course and module coordinators.

Fieldwork

All students have the opportunity to obtain fieldwork skills via numerous day and multi-week-long field trips associated with individual modules, as well as up to four weeks of fieldwork associated with their independent research projects.

Examples of the field trips that are part of the MGeol in Earth Sciences include:

  • five-day “Highland Fling” to renowned geological sites in the Scottish Highlands during first-year studies
  • six days of geological mapping in central Spain examining the polyphase Hercynian and Alpine orogenic belts during second-year studies
  • six days in Rio Tinto investigating the geochemistry and geobiology of acid mine drainage in southern Spain
  • twelve days of mapping the iconic Moine Thrust system and Caledonian igneous complexes in the Scottish Highlands during third-year studies
  • a two-week transect of the Alpine orogenic belt through northern Italy and central Switzerland during fourth-year studies
  • a five-day West Coast cruise exploring oceanography, marine biology, and sedimentology on a research vessel on Scotland’s beautiful West Coast.

Well-qualified school leavers may be able to apply for admission directly into the second year of this course. Find out more about direct entry to second year for MGeol Earth Sciences.

Students interested in taking a standard four-year degree may wish to explore the Environmental Earth Sciences BSc or Geology BSc instead.

The University of St Andrews operates on a flexible modular degree system by which degrees are obtained through the accumulation of credits. More information on the structure of the modules system can be found on the flexible degree structure webpage.

Find out more about studying Earth Sciences at St Andrews.

Modules

In the first two years of your degree (known as sub-honours) you will take the required modules in Earth Sciences alongside modules in at least one other subject.

Typically, you will take one to two Earth Sciences modules per semester during your first two years, and three to four during your third, fourth and fifth years (known as Honours). Find out more about the modular Scottish degree system.

Students are required to take the following compulsory modules in their first year:

  • Planet Earth – introduces you to the key geological components that comprise Earth and the geoscientific and environmental sciences used to study the planet.
  • Earth Resources and Environment – builds on the knowledge from Semester 1, including addressing issues related to natural resources.

Students are required to take the following compulsory modules in their second year:

  • Dynamic Earth: The Earth System – focuses on understanding the behaviour of the solid Earth and its interaction with the atmosphere and biosphere and beyond.
  • Dynamic Earth: Magma, Minerals and Metamorphism – focuses on the geology and geochemistry of the solid Earth and processes in Earth's interior.
  • Dynamic Earth: Earth Surface Processes – focuses on the low temperature processes that operate in land-atmosphere interactions, glacial processes, tectonic geomorphology, geomicrobiology and oceanography.

Honours modules involve key skills training and first-hand experience linked to new research discoveries and advances in Earth Sciences, and courses that have been offered in the past include:

  • Advanced Geological and Environmental Field Methods
  • Global Biogeochemical Cycles
  • Global Climate Change
  • Igneous and Metamorphic Petrology
  • GIS and Spatial Analysis for Earth Scientists
  • Global Climate Change.

 

During your final year you will be able to take a number of modules at Masters level, providing advanced training in Earth Sciences. In previous years, Masters-level modules have included:

  • Isotope Geochemistry: Theory, Techniques, and Applications
  • Metallogeny
  • Geodynamics
  • Water in the Environment
  • Advanced Petrogenesis.

New modules starting in 2018 include:

  • Mineral exploration
  • Hydrothermal-related ore deposits
  • 3D Geological modelling.

You will also undertake an individual research project on an area of geological sciences which will allow you to pursue a topic of personal interest in depth. You will present your project both orally and in dissertation form.


The sub-honours modules listed here are the compulsory modules that students must take in order to graduate in this subject. However, most students at St Andrews take additional modules, either in their primary subject or from other subjects they are interested in. For Honours-level, students choose from a range of Honours modules, some of which are listed above. A full list of all modules available for the current academic year can be found in the module catalogue.

Teaching

Teaching format

The School’s teaching philosophy is to provide a thorough understanding of Earth Sciences through experiential learning via field and lab-based study, first-hand experience in collecting data, testing hypotheses, undertaking analyses, and student-led investigative research.

The MGeol in Earth Sciences is taught through a combination of:

  • lectures
  • seminars
  • tutorials
  • practical classes
  • field work
  • research projects.

Each sub-honours module consists of four to five lectures (80 to 110 students) and one laboratory session per week, several single-day field excursions during each semester, and tutorial sessions (typically between four and six students).

At Honours level, students attend lectures (30 to 40 students) and continue to develop core skills in Earth Sciences through optional modules and their own research project.

When not attending lectures, tutorials and workshops, you will be expected to continue learning independently through self-study. Typically, this will involve:

  • working on individual and group projects
  • undertaking research in the library
  • preparing coursework assignments and presentations
  • preparing for examinations

You will be taught by a research-led teaching team with expertise and knowledge of Earth Sciences. Postgraduate research students who have undertaken teacher training may also contribute to the teaching of tutorials under the supervision of the module leader.

Find contact information for all Earth Sciences staff on the School of Earth and Environmental Sciences website.

In addition to your studies in the School, optional academic support is available through practical study skills courses and workshops hosted within the University.

The University’s student services team can help students with additional needs resulting from disabilities, long term medical conditions or learning disabilities. More information can be found on the students with disabilities webpage.

Assessment

During first and second year, all modules are assessed by an equal weighting of coursework and written examinations, including short questions and essays.

At Honours level some modules are assessed through coursework (50%) and a final examination (50%), and other modules are based entirely on coursework.

The final-year dissertation is assessed through a written dissertation, project proposal and presentation. 

The School provides feedback on every assessment, with a view to improving your performance in the future, and aims to provide feedback on assessments and coursework within three weeks.

Undergraduates at the University of St Andrews must achieve at least 7.0 on the St Andrews 20-point grade scale to pass a module. To gain access to Honours-level modules, students must achieve the relevant requisites as specified in the policy on entry to Honours and in the relevant programme requirements. Please note that some Schools offer qualified entry to Honours, and this will be clearly specified in the programme requirements. To find out the classification equivalent of points, please visit the common reporting scale webpage.

Fees

Tuition fees for 2018 entry

Scotland and EU £1,820
Rest of the UK £9,250
Overseas £21,290

For overseas students, tuition fees will be fixed at this level for the duration of your programme.

More information on tuition fees can be found on the undergraduate fees and funding page.

Accommodation fees

Find out about accommodation fees for University accommodation in 2018.

Funding and scholarships

The University of St Andrews offers a number of scholarships and support packages to undergraduate students each year.

Funding for fieldwork

Fieldwork expenses for Geology students are subsidised by the Irvine Bequest and contributions from alumni. There are financial awards at every level of study for students who have earned the highest marks in fieldwork.

Find out more about undergraduate scholarships.

Your future

Careers

The School is proactive in developing career opportunities for all students from first year onwards. There is a wide variety of career options for Earth Sciences graduates, from the energy and natural resource sectors, to environmental and wider science and policy areas, as well as academia.

Several Honours-level courses feature lectures and laboratories run by industry professionals, providing hands-on experience with industrial problem solving. In addition, the MGeol is accredited by the Geological Society of London, which provides a faster track to chartered success.

Recent employers of MGeol Earth Sciences graduates include:

  • British Geological Survey
  • Scottish Environmental Protection Agency
  • Maersk Oil Ltd
  • BHP Billiton
  • Shell
  • Norsk Hydro
  • Neftex
  • Geotechnics Ltd
  • Scottish Natural Heritage
  • Balfour Beatty.

The Careers Centre offers one-to-one advice to all students as well as a programme of events to assist students to build their employability skills.

Study abroad

The University is delighted to offer undergraduates a number of exciting opportunities to apply to spend a semester or year abroad as part of a St Andrews degree programme. St Andrews is partnered with large and small institutions, ancient and young, across the globe. What unites all of our programmes is the quality of the academic provision, ensuring that participation in a St Andrews Study abroad programme opens the door to a new and valuable academic experience at another world-class institution. Study Abroad for credit is permitted on existing University-approved programmes only.

Student life

From the outset, the University of St Andrews offers an array of events and opportunities which result in a truly unique student experience. Students participate in a range of traditions, notably, the red academic gown and the academic family, where older students adopt first year students as ‘children’ and help guide them in a system of mentoring. These traditions and the choice of over 150 sports clubs and student societies to choose from ensures a community feel amongst students from first year onwards.

Students in the School may be interested in joining the Geology Society, which organises activities such as lectures and networking events as well as social events and field trips across Britain.

The School of Earth and Environmental Sciences is housed within the Irvine Building, an attractive building close to the sea in the historical heart of the University between St Salvator's Quadrangle and St Salvator's Hall. Students will attend tutorials, seminars, lectures and individual meetings with tutors in this building and in designated lecture theatres elsewhere on campus.

The town of St Andrews itself has lots to offer. As the campus is located around town, walking around you encounter ancient and modern buildings and areas of greenery and seaside which provide a rich, beautiful backdrop to learning. If you want a change of scenery, St Andrews' position near surrounding towns and cities such as Anstruther, Dundee and Edinburgh make it ideal for getting to know more about Scotland.

Find out more about student life at the University of St Andrews.

“A very close-knit School, a high quality of teaching and amazing fieldwork opportunities make St Andrews a fantastic place to study Earth Sciences. Students get to know staff on a personal level, due to field trips and the general ethos of the School, and this, along with the strong support network it creates, makes this degree different to most. You will quickly become a proud member of an exciting and cutting-edge School.”

Michael (Egremont, Cumbria, England)

Contact

School of Earth and Environmental Sciences

University of St Andrews
Irvine Building
St Andrews
KY16 9AL

Phone: +44 (0)1334 46 3940
Email: earthsci@st-andrews.ac.uk

Earth and Environmental Sciences website