Geology University of Aberdeen

Overview

At a Glance

The Geology programme of the University of Aberdeen 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.

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.

Geology at Aberdeen extends beyond the Earth to other planets. Using a combination of the vast online resources provided by NASA, and the UK Virtual Microscope’s Apollo collection, students make their own investigations of aspects of the geology of the Moon and Mars and compare results with the geological evolution of Earth.

Careers

Geology graduates can enter careers directly related to the earth sciences, including finding and maintaining water resources (hydrogeology), energy (including for example geothermal, moving us to a sustainable future), mining (including for the precious metals needed in all modern technology, and for noble gases needed for medical equipment), and environmental management.

As scientists equipped to cope with uncertainty and absence of data, Geologists are also sought for their transferable skills and knowledge, for example, in the financial sector.