Course summary

Studying this Palaeontology and Geology with an International Year MSci degree course will give you a rigorous training in palaeontology, enabling you to use the fossil record to understand the evolution and diversity of ancient life, from dinosaurs to microfossils. You will be taught by lecturers from one of the largest and strongest palaeontology research groups in the UK, and our focus on research-led teaching will provide you with exciting opportunities to carry out your own cutting-edge research projects. The rich fossil collections of our Lapworth Museum of Geology provide a unique resource that supports our teaching and research. This course will provide you with the skills necessary to develop a career as a professional palaeontologist engaged in research and teaching or in museum curation, or as an applied palaeontologist/biostratigrapher within the oil industry. Your core training in geology will also provide opportunities for a potential career as a geoscientist, if this is the career path you would like to take. Our four-year Palaeontology and Geology with an International Year MSci programme provides an opportunity for you to spend a year studying overseas whilst following your interests in Palaeontology and Geology more fully, and developing key skills for career development. All first year modules are compulsory and span the breadth of Earth Sciences and include contributions from the Biology group. From year two onwards, there is more focus on palaeontology and an increasing amount of choice that allows you to select modules following your interests. In year three (and four) you will also complete independent Earth Science research projects based on primary data collected in the field/laboratory or museum developing your practical, analytical and communication skills. In addition to lectures and practical classes, you can look forward to fieldwork training in palaeobiological and geological techniques. This work is undertaken both in the UK and abroad, and is assessed by means of field-driven reports, presentations and field notebook. The third year of your degree is spent at a partner institution overseas and you may also be involved in project work whilst there. Placements are available at a large number of prestigious international institutions, including several partners in the Universitas 21 global association of leading research-based universities. In recent years, Earth Sciences students have studied at universities in Canada, Australia, New Zealand and elsewhere. The fourth year of an MSci includes a major research project (worth half the year) undertaken as part of active research in the school (for more information about research visit the School of Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences research pages). Your research project, along with associated researched-focused modules including a field trip to Tenerife, will train you in academic research skills for either postgraduate study, a research degree (PhD), or employment.