Course summary

This degree leads to a Master's level qualification and is professionally accredited by the Geological Society of London. As well as your main Imperial degree, you will also receive the award of the Associateship of the Royal School of Mines on completion of this course. The principal challenge facing the world’s growing population is how to maintain sustainable access to the natural resources – water, energy and food – that are necessary for us to enjoy a good quality of life, while protecting the environment. The science and engineering behind understanding and solving this challenge lie at the heart of earth science, an interdisciplinary subject which encompasses physics, chemistry, mathematics and other sciences. It can be applied to the study of Earth to give us an understanding of how our planet works, from its internal core, crust and oceans, to the atmosphere and our solar system. All our courses combine a strong traditional emphasis on observational and field skills with the numerical and analytical fundamental science required to understand Earth processes and systems quantitatively. We also emphasise the development of transferable professional skills such as group working, problem-solving, drawing inferences from incomplete data, IT, and oral and written communication. You can expect a balance between theory and practice, including a variety of field trips in the UK and abroad. Our Geophysics courses are aimed at students with a particular interest in physics and maths. Geophysicists use maths, physics and computer modelling to understand how the world works. The modular nature of the course enables you to gain a solid understanding of geosciences while tailoring your study programme to suit your interests. As the course progresses, you will be able to choose modules from specialist areas such as: surface processes, marine geophysics, volcanism, tectonics and geophysical techniques. You will complete a range of computing modules to prepare you for using specialist electronic mapping packages. You can also diversify your studies with opportunities to study business, language and humanities modules, if you wish, through the Imperial Horizons programme. You spend your third year studying abroad in a year which counts directly towards your final degree. Your study reaches Master's level in the fourth year with a choice of advanced modules, a specialist field trip and a substantial research project. This means that you will require fewer years of work experience than graduates of our BSc degrees to apply for Chartership of the Geological Society. All of our courses follow a similar syllabus for the first two years. This high level of shared content means you may be able to transfer between all our Geology and Geophysics courses up to the start of spring term in the first year if you meet the original entry requirements for the course you want to transfer to. As a result, you are encouraged to only apply for one course within the department. If you are an international student, transferring to a different course could have an impact on your Tier 4 visa, but our International Student Support Team are here to help advise and support you.