Environmental Geoscience (Faster Route) Bachelor of Science (with Honours) - BSc (Hons)

Environmental Geoscience is the study of the interaction between natural geological and anthropogenic processes and environments. It focuses on working towards a sustainable future by understanding how humans affect, and are affected by, a range of geological and environmental issues including climate change, water resources, pollution, landscape change, and geological and environmental hazards. You will use your understanding of the Earth system to solve real world socio-environmental problems.

Environmental Geoscience prepares you to pursue a variety of careers including geo-environmental consultancy, engineering & water management, geological hazards, and renewable energy development & implementation.

Our highly flexible Honours programme gives you the opportunity to customise your degree through a combination of core and optional courses, helping you build expertise aligned with your academic interests and future career goals.

The Environmental Geoscience Faster Route offers focused, high achieving candidates joining us straight from school the option to complete the Honours Degree in 3 years.

Faster route students receive an additional week of study during welcome week (the week before academic classes commence) to benefit from a series of learning and technical induction activities to prepare for success.

Programme structure

Year 1

Students on the Environmental Geoscience Faster Route do not undertake Year 1.

Year 2

You will study the major themes of environmental geoscience, underpinned by key geological principles, using a problem-based approach to learning integrated with topical examples.

You will cover fundamental environmental geoscience principles, including the evolution of life, surface processes & environments, the sustainable exploration for resources & energy, climate change, water security and waste & contaminated land management. These principles are supported by the understanding of geological concepts such as plate tectonics, the structure of the Earth, volcanoes, earthquakes, how rocks deform, and the evolution of the oceans & continents. You will develop a range of spatial, analytical and computational skills.

You will participate in local field classes including a residential field class, where you will develop your practical and problem-solving skills.

Year 3 and 4

You will study a number of core courses covering past & future climates, hydrogeology, environmental aqueous geochemistry, landscape change, sedimentary systems, and engineering geology. You will develop spatial, numerical and computational skills, both in the laboratory and in the field.

You will participate in residential field classes in the UK, as well as day field classes. You will also undertake an independent project in your final year where you will develop and answer a research question based on data you have collected.

You will have the opportunity to tailor your degree to align with your interests and career aspirations. You may choose from a wide range of optional courses, many of which are focused on environmental aspects of geology, physical geography, and applied environmental geoscience.

Our international links

You will have the opportunity to study abroad at one of our partner universities as part of your degree. This will not add any extra time to your studies.

Careers and future opportunities

Graduate destinations

The following are examples of roles that graduates are in 15 months after completing their programme:

* Geoenvironmental Engineer

* Engineer

* Environmental Consultant

* Environmental Engineer

* Graduate Researcher

* Student Surveyor

* Technologist

* Teacher

Example job titles are taken from responses received through the HESA Graduate Outcomes survey. Graduates surveyed 15 months after graduation. Includes single and joint honours programmes.