Introduction
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.
Aberdeen is ranked 1st in the UK for overall student satisfaction in Earth Sciences in the 2024 National Student Survey.
Study Information
At a Glance
- Learning Mode
- On Campus Learning
- Degree Qualification
- BSc
- Duration
- 48 months
- Study Mode
- Full Time
- Start Month
- September
- Location of Study
- Aberdeen
- UCAS Code
- F601
- Pathway Programme Available
- Undergraduate Foundation Programme
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. The Science Teaching Hub provides students with the most modern microscopy laboratories in the UK. Our advanced microscopes and cameras allow you to study rocks and capture images like never before.
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.
What You'll Study
Subject to confirmation
- Year 1
-
Two core courses: Earth Through Geological Time, which looks at the evolution of the Earth over the past 4,500 million years, and Earth's Materials, looks at the origin, physical and characteristics of the rocks and minerals that make up the Earth.
Compulsory Courses
- The Nature of The Environment Through Geological Time (GL1005)
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15 Credit Points
For 4,500 million years the Earth has been, and still is, a continually evolving Dynamic Planet. The record is held in the rocks and fossils of the present continental landmasses and ocean basins. To deduce the history of the planet geologists must apply a large range of scientific principles and disciplines. These disciplines encompass the biological, chemical and physical sciences. The course provides a basic understanding of how the structure and evolution of the planet are deduced and how this information can be used to discover and extract natural resources such as fossil fuels and ores.
- Earth's Materials (GL1505)
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15 Credit Points
Following on from GL1005 this course is an introduction to the petrogenesis of three major rock groups; igneous, metamorphic and sedimentary. Practical classes will centre around the use of polarizing microscope in the identification of the common rock-forming minerals. The relationship between plate tectonics and the petrogenesis of igneous, sedimentary and metamorphic rocks, including types and styles of volcanic eruptions will be addressed.
- Getting Started at the University of Aberdeen (PD1002)
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This course, which is prescribed for level 1 undergraduate students (and articulating students who are in their first year at the University), is studied entirely online, takes approximately 5-6 hours to complete and can be taken in one sitting, or spread across a number of weeks.
Topics include orientation overview, equality and diversity, health, safety and cyber security and how to make the most of your time at university in relation to careers and employability.
Successful completion of this course will be recorded on your Enhanced Transcript as ‘Achieved’.
Optional Courses
Select a further 90 credit points from courses of choice.
- Year 2
-
Four courses all of which are taken for Single and Joint Honours programmes. These include Stratigraphical Principles, Petrology & Mineralogy, Geophysics and Introduction to Field Geology, which is a six-day residential course on the Isle of Arran.
Compulsory Courses
- Petrology & Mineralogy (GL2015)
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15 Credit Points
Petrology and mineralogy is a compulsory course for geology students. It covers igneous, metamorphic and sedimentary petrology. The course has a strong practical component and involves the preparation of workbooks based on individual study and practical exercises that use hand specimens, microscope work and chemical data.
- Earth’s Life, Environments and Climate Through Time (GL2017)
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15 Credit Points
This course explores how Earth’s life, environments and climate have changed through the history of the planet, from its origins until the Recent past. This exciting story, including for example Earth-covering “snowball” glaciations, mass extinctions, and the origins of life on land, is unravelled by looking at fossils, sedimentary rocks and their chemical signals, learning and applying the fundamental methods and principles required to determine sequences of events in Earth's history (stratigraphy).
- An Introduction to Field Geology (GL2510)
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15 Credit Points
Field-based observation is an essential skill for understanding the origin of rocks, and is a vital reality-check for understanding how Geological Science is practised and developed. This course gives students experience with techniques for investigating rocks in their natural habitat, studying the crucial relationships between different units, and developing good habits for observing and recording data in the field. Students learn how to perceive geology in 3D, and to develop working hypotheses from incomplete evidence. This is achieved through a five-day residential field trip (takes place in the Easter break) which is preceded by wide-ranging practical classes and explanatory lectures.
- Geophysics (GL2511)
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15 Credit Points
This course introduces you to some of the physics that underlies Earth’s processes, and shows you how geophysical methods can be used to uncover Earth’s structure and processes. From how the Earth moves around the solar system, to how rocks bend and break, from earthquake hazards to uncovering mineral resources, this course will allow you to gain skills and knowledge that will be important for the rest of your degree and future careers.
Optional Courses
Plus 60 credit points from courses of choice.
- Year 3
-
Year 3 is the start of the Honours degree and all but one course option in each semester is geology focused. At year 3 there are two main residential field courses as well as day field trips.
Compulsory Courses
- Field and Mapping Techniques 1 (GL3026)
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15 Credit Points
This course is based on a residential field programme that enables students to directly study geological phenomena and relationships in the field. it provides hands-on experience and develops 3-D approaches to thinking and problem solving. The learning environment is remote from the university, and encourages students to learn individually and in small group settings. The course covers a range of techniques typically, geological field mapping, sedimentary logging, and examination of detailed field relationships to enable broader scale conclusions to be drawn. Assessments are undertaken during the actual field course. The field course is paid for directly by participants.
- Structural Geology & Tectonics (GL3027)
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15 Credit Points
This course covers all main aspects of structural geology and tectonics and entails 1 hour lectures and 3 hour practicals each week, together with a field excursion to relatively local geology. The significant practical component allows 'hands on' learning with worked examples being provided by staff. The field excursion allows students to directly apply skills and techniques that have been covered in preceding lectures and practicals. with worked examples then provided in follow-up sessions. The course covers a spectrum of brittle and ductile structures that are developed across a range of scales from microscopic to mountain belt.
- Igneous & Metamorphic Petrology (GL3520)
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15 Credit Points
This course is in 2 parts. In part 1, the students explore the links between tectonic setting and magma genesis, with particular reference to geochemical signatures recorded in the rocks. In part 2, students look at how different bulk protolith compositions control the metamorphic mineral paragenesis, with an emphasis on observing and recording evidence from textures in thin sections. In a world of post-peak oil, exploration for new reserves is now moving to igneous and metamorphic rocks, and a thorough understanding of these rocks is essential for the practising geologist.
- Sedimentology (GL3521)
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15 Credit Points
Sedimentology is fundamental to interpreting past climate and geography from the evidence in the rock record of the environment in which sediment was deposited. This course develops the skills needed to make such interpretations by cultivating proficiency at description and process-based interpretation of sedimentary successions, and showing how study of modern environments is used to decipher sedimentary processes. We review the controls on the preservation of sediments to make the rock record, including an introduction to the concepts of genetic (sequence) stratigraphy, and see how this can improve discovery and recovery of water and hydrocarbon resources in the subsurface.
- Field & Mapping Techniques 2 (GL3525)
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30 Credit Points
This course teaches the advanced field skills necessary for all practising geologists, and serves as preparation for the summer mapping project (GL4023). The material builds on that covered in GL3026 (Field & Mapping Techniques 1). Preliminary laboratory classes in Semester 2 are used to prepare students for the field exercises on the 10-day field trip. The students will learn how to systematically collect, analyse and present their own field data as part of wider scientific studies.
- Project / Dissertation (GL3508)
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15 Credit Points
A dissertation not exceeding 5,000 words based upon an original geological investigation or a literature review.\_x000D_ \_x000D_ Or, where appropriate, the submission of a piece of independently executed fieldwork, in the form of a map and brief accompanying memoir, may be permitted at the discretion of the Course Coordinator.
Optional Courses
Plus 15 credit points from courses of choice.
- Year 4
-
One of the main components of the BSc final year is the 5 week independent field project. You undertake your independent research over the summer between years 3 and 4, and much of the autumn term is focused on working up the report.
Compulsory Courses
- Frontiers in Earth Science (GL4036)
- Geological Mapping Project (GL4023)
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45 Credit Points
35 days of individual geological field mapping. During the exercise the student will devise and carry out a research project based on an aspect of the area mapped and submit a final map and report.
- Integrative Geology Through Fieldwork (GL4532)
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15 Credit Points
Field observations and their interpretations together with other datasets and imagery, allied to focussed laboratory work on geological materials, may be integrated to inform understanding of geological processes that play within and upon the earth’s crust. The course will enhance essential geo- and reasoning skills through integrated field, laboratory and desk-top investigations showing how geological processes interact in time and place – a culmination of the BSc Geology programme.
- Geoscience and the UN Sustainable Development Goals (GL4535)
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15 Credit Points
The United Nations Sustainable Development Goals or Global Goals are a collection of 17 interlinked global goals designed to be a "blueprint to achieve a better and more sustainable future for all". This course introduces the importance of geoscience in achieving these goals by 2030. This includes carbon capture and storage, geothermal energy, critical minerals for the energy transition and more. The course is interactive with guest speakers and extended question and answer sessions.
- Planetary Geology (GL4033)
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15 Credit Points
On this course you will become an interplanetary explorer, learning how to conduct real scientific research and synthesise data, guided by experts. You will apply your skills to learn and discover new things about aspects of lunar and planetary geology that interest you.
We will endeavour to make all course options available. However, these may be subject to change - see our Student Terms and Conditions page.
How You'll Study
Learning Methods
- E-learning
- Field Trips
- Field Work
- Group Projects
- Individual Projects
- Lab Work
- Lectures
- Research
- Seminars
- Tutorials
Assessment Methods
Students are assessed by any combination of three assessment methods:
- coursework such as essays and reports completed throughout the course;
- practical assessments of the skills and competencies they learn on the course; and
- written examinations at the end of each course.
The exact mix of these methods differs between subject areas, years of study and individual courses.
Honours projects are typically assessed on the basis of a written dissertation.
Why Study Geology?
- Earth Sciences at the University of Aberdeen is ranked 1st in the UK for student satisfaction by the 2024 National Student Survey
- Geology at Aberdeen is ranked 8th in the UK by the Times and Sunday Times Good University Guide 2024.
- You will learn the latest professional fieldwork skills and techniques including: recording sedimentary successions (“logging”); recording structural and spatial data; presenting geological data on maps; recognising the character of igneous, metamorphic, and sedimentary rocks at scales larger than hand specimen; and conducting fieldwork safely, effectively, and responsibly
- The School of Geosciences is at the forefront of developing the latest digital technology. V3 Geo, for example, has been developed by Aberdeen geoscientists and is a bespoke public repository and viewer for 3D virtual geoscience models, with a focus on virtual geological outcrops
- The Science Teaching Hub provides students with the most modern microscopy laboratories in the UK.
- As part of their Honours Curriculum students have extended their geological reach to Earth’s Satellites and other planets. Profs Javier Martin-Torres and Maria-Paz Zorzano of the Department of Planetary Sciences have joined forces with Drs Alex Brasier and Malcolm Hole of the Department of Geology & Geophysics to deliver a 15 credits module on Planetary Sciences
- Our planetary sciences team have an instrument on the NASA Curiosity rover, which is exploring Mars’ surface right now – you can track the rover here
- Gain experience using specialist software, including that used for virtual modelling of geological features and processes, and for visualising and understanding the Earth on scales from hundreds of kilometres to smaller than a single grain of sand
- Access the School of Geoscience’s world-class facilities and equipment and laboratories, including 3D Seismic Interpretation Facilities; ACEMAC Nano Scale Electron Microscopy and Analysis Facility; Dirty and Clean Sedimentary Laboratories; Geochemistry Laboratory; GIS Equipment; Hydrology Laboratory; Petrographic and Stereomicroscopes; Petrophysics Laboratory
- You will have the opportunity to join professional societies to expand your knowledge, skills and professional networks beyond the classroom
Aberdeen Global Scholarship
The University of Aberdeen is delighted to offer eligible self-funded international on-campus undergraduate students a £6,000 scholarship for every year of their programme.
View the Aberdeen Global ScholarshipEntry Requirements
Qualifications
The information below is provided as a guide only and does not guarantee entry to the University of Aberdeen.
General Entry Requirements
- 2024 Entry
-
SQA Highers
Standard: AABB*
Applicants who have achieved AABB (or better), are encouraged to apply and will be considered. Good performance in additional Highers/ Advanced Highers may be required.
Minimum: BBB*
Applicants who have achieved BBB (or are on course to achieve this by the end of S5) are encouraged to apply and will be considered. Good performance in additional Highers/Advanced Highers will normally be required.
Adjusted: BB*
Applicants who have achieved BB, and who meet one of the widening access criteria are are guaranteed a conditional offer. Good performance in additional Highers/Advanced Highers will be required.
* Including good performance in at least two Mathematics/ Science subjects by the end of your senior phase of education.
More information on our definition of Standard, Minimum and Adjusted entry qualifications.
A LEVELS
Standard: BBB*
Minimum: BBC*
Adjusted: CCC*
* Including good performance in at least two Mathematics/ Science subjects by the end of your senior phase of education.
More information on our definition of Standard, Minimum and Adjusted entry qualifications.
International Baccalaureate
32 points, including 5, 5, 5 at HL, with two Mathematics/ Science subjects at HL.
Irish Leaving Certificate
5H with 3 at H2 AND 2 at H3 including a minimum of H3 from two Science or Mathematics subjects.
Entry from College
Advanced entry to this degree may be possible from some HNC/HND qualifications, please see www.abdn.ac.uk/study/articulation for more details.
- 2025 Entry
-
SQA Highers
Standard: BBBB*
Applicants who have achieved BBBB (or better), are encouraged to apply and will be considered. Good performance in additional Highers/ Advanced Highers may be required.
Minimum: BBC
Applicants who have achieved BBC at Higher and meet one of the widening participation criteria above are encouraged to apply and are guaranteed an unconditional offer for MA, BSc and BEng degrees.
Adjusted: BB
Applicants who have achieved BB at Higher, and who meet one of the widening participation criteria above are encouraged to apply and are guaranteed an adjusted conditional offer for MA, BSc and BEng degrees.
We would expect to issue a conditional offer asking for one additional C grade at Higher.
Foundation Apprenticeship: One FA is equivalent to a Higher at A. It cannot replace any required subjects.
* Including good performance in at least two Mathematics/ Science subjects by the end of your senior phase of education.
More information on our definition of Standard, Minimum and Adjusted entry qualifications.
A LEVELS
Standard: BBC*
Minimum: BCC*
Adjusted: CCC*
* Including good performance in at least two Mathematics/ Science subjects by the end of your senior phase of education.
More information on our definition of Standard, Minimum and Adjusted entry qualifications.
International Baccalaureate
32 points, including 5, 5, 5 at HL, with two Mathematics/ Science subjects at HL.
Irish Leaving Certificate
5H with 3 at H2 AND 2 at H3 including a minimum of H3 from two Science or Mathematics subjects.
Entry from College
Advanced entry to this degree may be possible from some HNC/HND qualifications, please see www.abdn.ac.uk/study/articulation for more details.
The information displayed in this section shows a shortened summary of our entry requirements. For more information, or for full entry requirements for Sciences degrees, see our detailed entry requirements section.
English Language Requirements
To study for an Undergraduate degree at the University of Aberdeen it is essential that you can speak, understand, read, and write English fluently. The minimum requirements for this degree are as follows:
IELTS Academic:
OVERALL - 6.0 with: Listening - 5.5; Reading - 5.5; Speaking - 5.5; Writing - 6.0
TOEFL iBT:
OVERALL - 78 with: Listening - 17; Reading - 18; Speaking - 20; Writing - 21
PTE Academic:
OVERALL - 59 with: Listening - 59; Reading - 59; Speaking - 59; Writing - 59
Cambridge English B2 First, C1 Advanced or C2 Proficiency:
OVERALL - 169 with: Listening - 162; Reading - 162; Speaking - 162; Writing - 169
Read more about specific English Language requirements here.
International Applicants who do not meet the Entry Requirements
The University of Aberdeen International Study Centre offers preparation programmes for international students who do not meet the direct entry requirements for undergraduate study. Discover your foundation pathway here.
Fees and Funding
You will be classified as one of the fee categories below.
| Fee category | Cost |
|---|---|
| EU / International students | £24,800 |
| Tuition Fees for 2025/26 Academic Year | |
| Home Students | £1,820 |
| Tuition Fees for 2025/26 Academic Year | |
| RUK | £9,535 |
| Tuition Fees for 2025/26 Academic Year |
Additional Fees
- In exceptional circumstances there may be additional fees associated with specialist courses, for example field trips. Any additional fees for a course can be found in our Catalogue of Courses.
- For more information about tuition fees for this programme, including payment plans and our refund policy, please visit our Tuition Fees page.
Scholarships and Funding
UK Scholarship
Students from England, Wales and Northern Ireland, who pay tuition fees may be eligible for specific scholarships allowing them to receive additional funding. These are designed to provide assistance to help students support themselves during their time at Aberdeen.
Aberdeen Global Scholarship
The University of Aberdeen is delighted to offer eligible self-funded international on-campus undergraduate students a £6,000 scholarship for every year of their programme. More about this funding opportunity.Funding Database
View all funding options in our Funding Database.
Careers
The transition to net zero energy has led to increasing demand for geology skills in the development of low-carbon technologies such as carbon capture and storage, offshore wind, geothermal and nuclear waste sequestration.
Aberdeen is the hub of the energy transition in the UK so if you are interested in joining the energy industry, in either oil and gas or renewables, there is no better place to study. We have extensive links with industry and our students benefit from guest lectures, industry-based projects and various networking events.
You will also have the opportunity to join professional societies to expand your knowledge, skills and professional networks beyond the classroom. The American Association of Petroleum Geologists and the Petroleum Exploration Society of Great Britain have a unified student chapter within the department. Other events in the department are organized by the Aberdeen Geological Society.
In addition to the energy sector, geology graduates can enter careers in other areas directly related to the earth sciences, including finding and maintaining water resources (hydrogeology), mining (including for the precious metals needed in all modern technology, and for noble gases needed for medical equipment), and environmental management.
Geologists are also highly sought after in other sectors including finance and business, due to their transferable skills and knowledge, for example, data collection and analysis, interpreting different types of data (textual, numerical and visual), as well as working with and communicating with teams.
Our Experts
Information About Staff Changes
You will be taught by a range of experts including professors, lecturers, teaching fellows and postgraduate tutors. However, these may be subject to change - see our Student Terms and Conditions page.
Features
Geology Field Trips
Scotland can claim to be the birthplace of geology and many fundamental ideas and concepts have been inspired by its wonderful field locations. We make full use of this natural resource, running our field training in world-famous locations.
Find out more
Aberdeen University Geological Society
Student-led social and professional events and networking.
Find out moreScience Teaching Hub Tour
The Science Teaching Hub provides a modern teaching and laboratory space for students across a number of disciplines including chemistry, medical sciences, biological sciences and geosciences.
Find out moreDiscover Uni
Discover Uni draws together comparable information in areas students have identified as important in making decisions about what and where to study. You can compare these and other data for different degree programmes in which you are interested.
Get in Touch
Contact Details
- Address
-
Student Recruitment & Admissions
University of Aberdeen
University Office
Regent Walk
Aberdeen
AB24 3FX