MSci (Hons) Environmental Geoscience with a Year in Industry Integrated Master's degree at Royal Holloway, University of London

Develop understanding of basic concepts in chemistry and physics and how to apply these to geological processes. Topics include 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.

Develop understanding of skills required to practice geology in the field, carrying out activities in South Devon and Pembrokeshire. Learn to describe and interpret the origin of sedimentary, igneous and metamorphic rocks and prepare geological maps and cross-sections using standard symbols. Examine stereographic projections, sedimentary logging, stratigraphic columns, and analysis of structural features using stereonets.

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

Explores the geological structure and processes that shape our planet and other planets within our solar system, from the planetary heat engine that powers plate motion to the use of maps, minerals and rocks to unlock the story in the rocks beneath our feet.

Explores key themes at the core of human-Earth interaction such as anthropogenic climate change, geohazards, environmental pollution, and sustainable exploitation of energy resources and energy-critical elements.

Describes key principles of academic integrity, focusing on university assignments. Plagiarism, collusion and commissioning as activities that undermine academic integrity and possible consequences.

Develop understanding of key events in the history of life and their environmental impact using the fossil and sedimentary record. Analyse fossil assemblages using stratigraphic principles such as absolute dating, lithostratigraphy, biostratigraphy and sequence stratigraphy. Interpret sedimentary rocks and examine the importance of fossil assemblages in the interpretation of events in earth history.

Develop understanding of the geological evolution of the British Isles, interpreting regional geological history from geological maps. Describe rock specimens and examine how palaeoenvironments can be reconstructed using case studies. Apply stratigraphic techniques and evaluate competing hypotheses for geological evolution using evidence from several different fields of geology.

Develop understanding of the hazards associated with geological activity, their causes, and approaches to risk management. Examine volcanoes, earthquakes, radon, and hazards associated with exploitation of geological resources and anthropogenic activity including asbestos, mining industry, and contaminated land.

Develop understanding of advanced chemical concepts relevant to the Earth Sciences, focusing on isotope geochemistry and techniques directly applicable in most geological contexts. Attend practical classes and conduct a project involving analysis and interpretation of real geochemical datasets.

Provide advanced practical skills in the interpretation and synthesis of laboratory and field data, supported by literature research, and communicate through presentation and report.

Embed GIS and programming skills for the creation, analysis and interpretation of geospatial data and coding skills to facilitate data collection, analysis, modelling and interpretation. Covers origin of GIS, creation of georeferenced data, combination of raster and vector data, introduction to Python including arrays, reading and writing, branching and repeating, and plotting.

Cover hazards associated with geological activity, their causes and risk management including volcanoes and earthquakes, and those associated with anthropogenic activity such as mining and land contamination. Work in small groups to investigate geohazards pertinent to a city of choice. Formative assessments draw together geological, numerical and geochemical data requiring analysis and interpretation.

Teach advanced level key geological and transferable skills including Data Handling (retrieval and handling of geological data, numerical skills), Presentation skills (spoken, visual and other communication aspects in geology), and Advanced Field Skills (data collection, teamwork, site investigations).

Design and execute an independent research project under departmental supervisor guidance. Project may utilise data collected in field, laboratory, and/or scientific literature. Data handling using statistical or GIS techniques must be integrated. For BSc Geology and MSci Geoscience projects, minimum of 21 days of mapping required. Students submit written report in style appropriate to topic and give oral presentation.

Industrial Placement

Design and execute an independent research project under departmental supervisor guidance, submitted for examination as a report of 45 pages. Project will utilise data collected in field or laboratory and may involve industrial placement. Field-based projects normally based on 7-10 days of fieldwork. Data handling using statistical techniques must be integrated.

Integrate sedimentary, palaeontological, oceanographic and atmospheric information from the geological and modern record to understand the evolution of the modern Earth. Investigate the climate record through geologic time and what it can tell us about future challenges of climate change, utilising varied range of paleoclimatic proxies from palaeontology and sedimentology.

Equip MSci students with skills and techniques to undertake research. Includes scientific ethics, intelligent and efficient design of research or experiments, data capture, storage and handling, meta-data, project planning, science publicization, press release, video, outreach, introduction to Unix/Linux and scripting language such as Python.