Venues

Old Aberdeen Campus

Content

First Year: Two core courses: The Natural Environment through Geological Time and The Materials Forming our Dynamic Earth. The first course considers the key themes relating to the evolution of the Earth over the past 4,500 million years, including: the Earth in the solar system; Internal structure and chemical composition of the Earth; Continents, oceans and plate tectonics; Formation and fill of sedimentary basins; Absolute and relative geological time (the fossil record and absolute dating); Geological maps and structures; Volcanism. The second examines the origin, physical and chemical characteristics of the rocks and minerals that make up the Earth.

Second Year: Four courses all of which are taken for Single and Joint Honours programmes. These are Chemistry of the Earth, Palaeontology, Introduction to Geophysics and Introduction to Field Geology which is a six-day residential course on the Isle of Arran.

Third and Fourth Year (Honours): Core courses relating to Plate Tectonics, Earth Structure and Stratigraphy, Igneous and Metamorphic Petrology are included along with Petroleum Geology which are core courses for the Geology and Petroleum Geology and Geoscience Single Honours degree programmes. Over the two Honours years, a total of three residential field courses (28 days), a number of day-long field exercises and an independent field-based project (28 days) emphasise the hands-on nature of the subject.

Entry Requirements

2025 entry requirements

4 Highers at BBBB (by end of S5) including Maths and Physics by end S6 plus English, Maths and Chemistry or Physics at National 5. Those with Highers at BBB by end of S5 are encouraged to apply.

For second year entry you would require the above plus 3 Advanced Highers at ABB including Geography and Physics at AB or BA.

Widening access entry:
2 Highers at BB (by end of S5). Additional Highers/Advanced Highers in S6.

1 Foundation Apprenticeship is accepted in place of a non-essential Higher.