BSc (Hons) Geology with Integrated Foundation Year Bachelor's degree at Royal Holloway, University of London

Module built around global issues of importance based on authentic and topical world events, covering topics including Virtual reality, Health apps, Internet of medical things, Mental Health, Climate catastrophe, Global biodiversity crisis, Technology for monitoring the environment and The 'One Health' approach. Develops study skills, critical thinking, reading, writing, academic English, and planning.

Key topics in pre-HE-level biological and earth sciences through interdisciplinary, chronological curriculum divided into three sections: origins (biological chemistry, metabolism, physiology, planetary science, palaeontology), present (communicable and non-communicable disease, climate change, biodiversity, environmental pollutants), and future (ecosystem services management, nucleic acid-based technologies, renewable energy sources).

Mathematical skills development for Life Sciences degrees including applications in healthcare, chemistry, microbiology and marine biology. Covers unit conversions, balancing equations, functions, logs, exponentials and trigonometry with real-world applications.

Key topics in pre-HE level Environmental Science through interdisciplinary, chronological curriculum covering origins of the planet, nutrient cycling and succession, and human impact on environment and species with mitigation strategies.

Key systems (circulatory, ventilatory, reproductive) in humans, plants and vertebrate and invertebrate species. Explores chemical concepts, anatomical and physiological adaptations, and impact of disease on these systems.

Statistics skills development for Life Sciences degrees including applications in geology, ecology, biomedical sciences and health studies. Covers interpreting p-values and errors, linear regression, Chi-squared tests, Wilcoxon test, and principal component analysis with real-world datasets.

4.6 billion-year history of Earth through two complementary streams: palaeontology (story of life from origin to rise and fall of dinosaurs and human evolution, including systematic palaeontology, palaeoecology, palaeobiology, evolution, taphonomy) and sedimentology (earth surface processes, palaeoenvironments, rock classification, textural analysis, facies analysis, graphic logging, palaeoflow analysis, stratigraphy).

Geological structure and processes that shape Earth and planets in solar system. Covers planetary heat engine powering plate motion, surface expression in volcanoes and earthquakes, and use of maps, minerals and rocks to interpret geological history.

Complex interrelations between human activities and Earth system. Explores key themes including anthropogenic climate change, geohazards, environmental pollution, and sustainable exploitation of energy resources and energy-critical elements.

Basic concepts in chemistry and physics applied to geological processes. Covers atoms and atomic structure, periodic table, reactions, equations, geochemical analysis, Earth composition, phase diagrams, mineral solubility, weathering, hydrological cycle, Newton's Laws, kinematics, circular motion, planetary orbits, gravity, magnetism, electricity, resistivity, stress, strain, seismicity, isostasy, radioactivity, and geochronology.

Skills required to practice geology in the field with activities in South Devon and Pembrokeshire. Covers description and interpretation of sedimentary, igneous and metamorphic rocks, geological mapping and cross-section preparation, stereographic projections, sedimentary logging, stratigraphic columns, and structural feature analysis using stereonets.

Key events in life history and environmental impact using fossil and sedimentary record. Covers fossil assemblage analysis using stratigraphic principles (absolute dating, lithostratigraphy, biostratigraphy, sequence stratigraphy), sedimentary rock interpretation, and fossil assemblages in earth history events.

Geological evolution of the British Isles through interpretation of geological maps and regional geological history. Covers rock specimen description, palaeoenvironment reconstruction using case studies, stratigraphic techniques, and evaluation of competing hypotheses for geological evolution.

Advanced understanding of igneous and metamorphic geology including characteristics and origins of alkaline igneous rocks, metamorphic reactions and controls, links between metamorphism and tectonic processes. Covers hand specimen and thin section techniques, analytical approaches to metamorphic rock interpretation, and quantification of metamorphic rates and processes.

Advanced chemical concepts relevant to Earth Sciences with focus on isotope geochemistry and techniques applicable in geological contexts. Includes practical classes and small project involving analysis and interpretation of real geochemical dataset.

Advanced geological field skills with activities in areas of igneous and metamorphic rocks and sedimentary rocks. Covers description and interpretation of rock origins in field, geological mapping and cross-section preparation, structural feature analysis using stereonets, and geological history inference through scaled cross-sections in structurally complex terrains.

Advanced level key geological and transferable skills. Includes Data Handling (lecture and practical course on geological data retrieval and handling), Presentation skills (spoken, visual and other communication aspects in geology), and Advanced Field Skills (data collection, teamwork, site investigations).

Students rank preferred field mapping areas and are allocated one based on choices. Live in small groups for minimum four weeks in second year creating geological map of 15-25 sq km area. Familiarise with base maps, remote sensing data, and area risks. Field supervision initially provided by academics, followed by independent work to produce field map and record. In third year, discuss and analyse field data, notebooks, maps, and interpretations with supervisors and staff, study rocks and data f