MSci (Hons) Engineering Geology and Geotechnics Integrated Master's degree at the University of Exeter
MSci (Hons) Engineering Geology and Geotechnics at University of Exeter. Engineering Geology and Geotechnics at Exeter's Penryn Campus sits at the meeting point of earth science and civil engineering, training you to understand how ground conditions shape the safety and feasibility of construction, mining and…
About this course
Explore what Exeter graduates do | Career Zone | University of Exeter Section links Career Planning Reflect on yourself Explore your options Exploring Postgraduate Study Employment Sectors Explore what Exeter graduates do Anthropology Arab and Islamic Studies Archaeology Art History and Visual Culture Biosciences Class From the provider’s course page.
MSci (Hons) Engineering Geology and Geotechnics is an Integrated Master's degree (MSci (Hons)) at the University of Exeter, based in Penryn Campus. It runs 4 years, studied full-time.
For Earth sciences graduates from this provider, 90% were in work or further study 15 months after graduating, 90% in highly skilled roles, typical earnings around £30,000. (HESA Graduate Outcomes / LEO, via Discover Uni.)
For the typical curriculum, specialisations, career paths and graduate earnings for Engineering, see the sections below.
Course evidence score
The arithmetic mean of the official measures available for this course: NSS satisfaction, graduate activity and continuation.
Published threshold met NSS publication requires sufficient responses; small differences are not a rank. NSS mean of 7 published themes (Discover Uni snapshot 2026-06-21)
Limited evidence Published sample: 10; treat comparisons cautiously. Cohort 2021-23. Graduate Outcomes work or further study 90% (2022-23; Discover Uni snapshot 2026-06-21)
Published threshold met Discover Uni suppresses continuation data below its publication threshold. Cohort 2022-23. Continuation 95% (2022-23; Discover Uni snapshot 2026-06-21)
Curriculum & modules
Real modules published for this course, grouped only where the source gives a year, stage or level.
Year 1 8 modules
- Earth System ScienceCompulsory15 credits
- Earth and Environmental ChemistryCompulsory15 credits
- Field Geology and Geological MapsCompulsory30 credits
- Quantitative Methods for GeoscientistsCompulsory15 credits
- Dynamic PlanetCompulsory15 credits
- Crystallography, Mineralogy and GemstonesCompulsory15 credits
- Earth History and PalaeontologyCompulsory15 credits
- CSM Professionalism Year 1Compulsory
Year 2 7 modules
- Structural Geology and TectonicsCompulsory30 credits
- Sedimentology and StratigraphyCompulsory30 credits
- Geological Mapping TechniquesCompulsory15 credits
- GeotechnicsCompulsory15 credits
- Igneous and Metamorphic GeologyCompulsory15 credits
- Igneous and Metamorphic ProcessesCompulsory15 credits
- CSM Professionalism Year 2Compulsory
Year 3 15 modules
- Surface Excavation DesignCompulsory15 credits
- GIS for GeologistsCompulsory15 credits
- HydrogeologyCompulsory15 credits
- International Field ClassCompulsory15 credits
- Dissertation ProjectCompulsory30 credits
- CSM Professionalism Year 3Compulsory
- Year 4 FieldclassCompulsory15 credits
- Research ProjectCompulsory75 credits
- Research Frontiers in Earth ScienceCompulsory30 credits
- CSM Professionalism Year 4 and MScCompulsory
- Tunnelling and Excavation DesignOptional15 credits
- Contaminated Land Management and RemediationOptional15 credits
- Exploration TechniquesOptional15 credits
- Politics, Mining and Sustainable DevelopmentOptional15 credits
- Surveying and Digital MappingOptional15 credits
Source: provider course page. Modules can change; required/optional status, credits, descriptions and assessment are shown only when explicitly published.
Course in depth
What this course covers, who it suits and where it leads.
What you'll study
Across the four years you'll build from core theory in geology, soil mechanics and rock behaviour towards the applied practice that geotechnical and engineering geology work demands, including site investigation, ground modelling and the assessment of hazards such as slope instability or foundation risk. Research and methods training runs throughout, covering laboratory testing, field data collection and the analysis techniques used to interpret ground conditions before a project can safely proceed. As you progress you'll take on specialist options such as engineering geology, geotechnical design or environmental ground issues, allowing you to steer the later stages of the course towards the areas you find most engaging. The integrated Master's structure culminates in an independent project, where you take a real or realistic geotechnical problem and work through it from data gathering to professional-standard reporting. Professional skills are woven in alongside the technical content, covering the kind of communication, site conduct and reporting practice expected of a working geologist or geotechnical engineer, so that by graduation you have both the technical grounding and the working habits the sector expects.
Who it's for
This course suits someone who is genuinely curious about what lies beneath the surface, literally, and who enjoys working out how rock and soil behave under pressure, water and load. If you liked the practical side of geography or geology at school, the bits involving fieldwork, samples and maps, and you also have a mind for the more mathematical, problem-solving side of engineering, this combination is likely to suit you well. It asks for patience with detail: ground investigation work is often about piecing together an incomplete picture from boreholes, samples and surveys, and being comfortable with that kind of careful, methodical reasoning will serve you throughout the degree. Fieldwork is a substantial part of the experience, so an appetite for being outdoors in varied Cornish terrain, sometimes in difficult weather, matters as much as academic ability. It also suits students who take a long view of their career, since the four-year integrated structure and the Chartered Geologist accreditation groundwork reward those who are already thinking ahead to professional registration rather than just the next exam.
Careers & job market
Engineering geologists and geotechnical specialists are needed wherever ground conditions affect construction, mining, energy or infrastructure work, and the accreditation from the Geological Society is designed to support your route towards Chartered Geologist status once you've gained the further professional experience that status requires. Nationally, across Engineering courses, 90% of graduates are in work or further study 15 months after graduating, and 80% of those in work are in roles classed as highly skilled, giving a broad national picture of how engineering graduates fare rather than a guarantee tied to this specific course. National earnings data (Graduate Outcomes/LEO) show engineering graduates starting on between £29,000 and £35,000 fifteen months after graduating, with the range shifting to £26,775–£37,800 after three years and £33,150–£46,800 after five years, figures that reflect the whole national graduate population in this field, not a promised outcome for any individual. Continuation figures nationally show 88% of students still enrolled or having completed their course past the first year, a useful indicator of how manageable students generally find courses of this kind.
University & format
The MSci (Hons) Engineering Geology and Geotechnics is studied full-time over four years at the University of Exeter's Penryn Campus, taught in English and leading to an integrated Master's award. Exeter is a public, research-intensive Russell Group university founded in 1955, and its degrees carry the recognition of a long-established UK degree-awarding body. The university was and holds a Gold rating for teaching quality in the Office for Students' TEF 2023. Most students accepted onto Exeter's programmes arrive with A-levels or their equivalent, with the typical UCAS tariff for entrants falling between 112 and 127 points, a reflection of what recent entrants held rather than a fixed requirement.
Student satisfaction
How students on this course answered the National Student Survey, by theme.
Share of students responding positively.
Published threshold met NSS publication requires sufficient responses; small differences are not a rank. NSS mean of 7 published themes (Discover Uni snapshot 2026-06-21)
Applicant information
The next application dates for this course, followed by facts the provider publishes.
- 2027 entryCompleted applications can be submitted
Your application needs a reference before you can send it.
- 2026 entryFinal date for 2026 applications
Applications must reach UCAS by 18:00 UK time.
- 2026 entryLast day to add a Clearing choice
Check that this course still has a vacancy before adding it.
- 2027 entryEqual-consideration deadline
18:00 UK time for most undergraduate courses.
Show 5 later dates
- 2027 entryUCAS Extra opens
Applicants who used all five choices and hold no offer may be able to add another choice.
- 2027 entryLast day applications go directly to providers
Applications received after 18:00 UK time are entered into Clearing.
- 2027 entryClearing opens
Eligible applicants can see vacancies and release themselves into Clearing.
- 2027 entryFinal date for 2027 applications
Applications must reach UCAS by 18:00 UK time.
- 2027 entryLast day to add a Clearing choice
Check that this course still has a vacancy before adding it.
The provider publishes contextual-offer information. Eligibility and any reduced offer are applicant-specific.
See and book current events. Dates can fill or change.
Entry & how to get in
Who gets in
What recently admitted students actually held, official admissions data, not a stated requirement.
UCAS tariff of entrants
Grades are the A-level equivalent of each points band. Tap a band to check your own chances below.
Qualifications held on entry
| Qualification | Share |
|---|---|
| A-levels or equivalent | 95% |
| an Access course | 5% |
Entry & your chances
An honest read from the official entry data, plus your personal match.
Entry is set by the university and based on your offer. Use your predicted grades to see how you compare, then check the university's stated requirements.
Will you get in? Plot your grades
Pick your predicted A-levels and watch your UCAS points land on the real spread of students admitted to this course.
Each bar is the share of admitted students in that UCAS-points band (lower → higher). Grades show the A-level equivalent.
Based on the official admitted-student tariff distribution. Many universities make contextual (reduced-grade) offers, so a result below the range doesn’t rule you out.
How to apply
Undergraduate applications go through UCAS. Here’s what matters for this course, the right deadline, the grades to aim for, and the steps in order.
- 1Register on UCAS Hub
Create your UCAS application and add this course. One application covers up to five choices.
- 2Write your personal statement
A single statement covers all your choices, so keep it broad enough for similar courses while showing genuine interest in this subject.
- 3Submit by 13 January 2027, 18:00 UK time
UCAS equal-consideration deadline for most undergraduate courses. Source: UCAS 2027 dates.
- 4Reply to your offers
When decisions are in, pick a firm (first) choice and an insurance (back-up) choice with slightly lower grades.
- 5Results day & confirmation
On results day (mid-August) your place is confirmed if you meet the offer. Just missed? Talk to the university, or find a place through Clearing.
Fees & funding
What this course costs and how UK student finance covers it.
Tuition per year
Standard capped home fee at English providers (2026/27); Scotland, Wales & NI differ.
Check fees at University of Exeter →For students who normally live in England
2026/27 Student Finance England figures. Maintenance support is means-tested and this two-point view is not an entitlement calculator. The course total uses its published length and home fee where both are available; a missing full-time fee uses the clearly labelled England-cap scenario, while part-time fees and unknown lengths are never guessed. Use the official calculator. Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland use separate systems: SAAS, Student Finance Wales, and Student Finance NI.
Starting on or after 1 January 2027?
The Lifelong Learning Entitlement is a separate system. A new learner’s tuition entitlement is currently stated as £39,160 (about 480 credits at 2026/27 fee levels), subject to prior study and eligibility. Check the official LLE guide.
Paying for it
- Tuition Fee Loan: can cover eligible tuition up to the applicable limit and is paid straight to the provider.
- Maintenance Loan: up to £10,830/yr away from home outside London (England, 2026/27), means-tested on household income.
- Repayment: 9% of income above £25,000, nothing below it; written off after 40 years.
- Earn alongside: most students work part-time in term, part-time roles on the StudySmarter job board.
England figures shown; Scotland, Wales & NI run their own schemes, check gov.uk.
Scholarships & bursaries you could qualify for
That does not mean no funding exists. Check the university directory for current amounts, eligibility and application dates.
We only display a named award when its provider source identifies the award and who it is for.
Still deciding what to study?
StudyKit brings course choice, applications and funding together in one place, with a personal AI assistant. Find what really fits you and start your UCAS application step by step.
Careers & earnings
What Engineering graduates actually earn, from real outcome data, 15 months, 3 years and 5 years after graduating.
Graduate earnings: this course
| When | Median | Typical range | Graduates |
|---|---|---|---|
| 15 months after | £30,000 | £27,000 – £32,500 | 10 |
| 3 years after | £26,500 | £22,000 – £33,000 | 70 |
| 5 years after | £33,000 | £26,500 – £43,000 | 70 |
Nominal earnings for graduates of this course/subject at this provider. Limited evidence. Published sample: 10; treat comparisons cautiously. Cohort 2021-23.
Graduate outcomes, 15 months on: this course
- 1Graduate roleFirst role after the degree · 0–2 yrs
- 2Specialist / PractitionerWorking in engineering · 2–5 yrs
- 3Senior / LeadLeading work and people · 5–10 yrs
- 4Head of / ExpertSenior leadership or deep expertise · 10+ yrs
How pay grows: this course vs Engineering nationally
National figures for Engineering graduates, HESA Graduate Outcomes (15 months) and the Longitudinal Education Outcomes (LEO) dataset (3 & 5 years). These are national, not university-specific; actual pay varies by employer, region, role and experience. Different cohorts, so the bars are not one group over time.
Work out your pay
Headline figures hide a lot. Calculate realistic take-home pay for this field by role, region and experience, then check your CV before you apply.
What happened to 100 students?
Choose an outcome to translate the published percentage into a simple 100-person view. Each dot represents one percentage point, not an individual tracked student.
were in work or further study
15 months after graduation
Source: Discover Uni, using Graduate Outcomes and continuation data. Cohorts: 2022-23. Limited evidence. Published sample: 10; treat comparisons cautiously. Cohort 2021-23. Each tab is a separate published measure; categories can overlap and should not be added together.
Value compared with similar courses
How this course’s 5-year median earnings compare with Engineering courses at the same study level.
Compared with 2,256 courses with compatible official earnings data. This is a course-value comparison, not a quality ranking.
UK occupations graduates enter
Published graduate destinations, joined conservatively to UK SOC 2020, ONS pay and Skills England demand.
- Natural and social science professionalsSOC 2020 211 · 30% of published destinations · ASHE median £44,243
- Engineering professionalsSOC 2020 212 · 20% of published destinations · ASHE median £50,325
- Conservation and environment professionalsSOC 2020 215 · 20% of published destinations · ASHE median £40,520
- Skilled trades occupationsSOC 2020 5 · 10% of published destinations · ASHE median £34,241
- Architects, Chartered Architectural Technologists, Planning Officers, Surveyors and Construction ProfessionalsSOC 2020 245 · 10% of published destinations · ASHE median £45,972
- Science, engineering and technology associate professionalsSOC 2020 31 · 10% of published destinations · ASHE median £34,828
Discover Uni JOBLIST/JOBTYPE; ONS ASHE 2025 provisional, all employee jobs; Skills England Occupations in Demand 2025. SOC is shown only for an exact normalised label match; demand is shown only at exact four-digit SOC. Published sample: 20; response rate: 55%. Pay describes the occupation across workers, not a guaranteed graduate salary.
Job market & outlook
How Engineering graduates fare in the labour market, and how AI is reshaping the work.
How AI is changing the work
AI doesn't replace the profession, it shifts it: routine tasks get automated, while judgement, working with people and using AI well become more valuable.
What AI takes off your plate
- Routine information gathering
- First-draft writing and summaries
- Standard analysis and admin
- Repetitive processing tasks
More human than ever
- Judgement and original thinking
- Working with and leading people
- Owning and sense-checking AI output
- Ethics and accountability
The strongest graduates pair subject depth with the ability to use AI tools critically.
Roles & employers
Where Engineering graduates typically go, indicative destinations from graduate career data. Each role links to live openings on the StudySmarter job board.
Roles graduates go into
Where they work
- Engineering & manufacturing firms
- Automotive & aerospace
- Energy & utilities
- Defence & consultancies
Jobs after this course
Current roles from the StudySmarter job board that suit Engineering graduates.
Engineering Surveyor (Machine Control)BAM UK & IrelandEngineering Operations Project ManagerFdo Consulting LimitedEngineering ManagerVerto PeopleEngineering ManagerRobert WaltersEngineering ManagerPremier Technical RecruitmentEngineering ManagerRedline Group LtdIs this course right for you?
The essentials UK applicants ask about: finance, outcomes, entry and quality.
Student finance
For comparison, the standard full-time England tuition cap is up to £9,790 per year in 2026/27; the actual fee varies by course and provider. If you normally live in England, eligible students can apply for a Tuition Fee Loan, plus a Maintenance Loan for living costs. Under Plan 5 you repay 9% of income above £25,000, nothing below that, and the balance is written off after 40 years.
Where graduates go
90% were in work or further study 15 months after graduating, with a median salary of £30,000. See the full breakdown in Careers & earnings above.
Your entry chances
Use the UCAS points calculator above to see how your predicted grades compare with admitted students, and whether a contextual offer could apply.
Official-data snapshot
Averaging the official measures published for it, this course scores 9.1 out of 10: NSS 88.9% · in work or study 90% · continued 95%.
Who studies here and in this subject?
Provider- and UK subject-level context.
The University of Exeter
Engineering and technology across the UK
HESA student record 2024/25. Counts are rounded.
Local crime-data context
A neutral snapshot around the published teaching location.
Around Penryn Campus
142 street-level reports returned within roughly one mile across 2026-04 to 2026-06.
Police.uk street-level API. Approximate locations, not confined to campus. England, Wales and Northern Ireland; not Scotland.
Is Engineering right for you?
Tick what applies to you and see how good a fit it is.
International students
What applying to University of Exeter from outside the UK involves: fees, English, visa, funding and living costs.
Tuition fees
International tuition is set per course by University of Exeter; international fees are typically £12,000–£30,000/year for classroom subjects and higher for lab/clinical ones. You’re not eligible for UK Tuition Fee or Maintenance Loans, so plan for fees plus living costs upfront.
English language
Most UK undergraduate courses ask for around IELTS 6.0–6.5 (no band below 5.5–6.0), or an accepted equivalent. If you’re just short, most universities run a pre-sessional English course that counts towards the requirement.
Student visa
You’ll usually need a Student visa (Student Route). After you accept an offer the university issues a CAS; you then show funds for fees plus about £1,023–£1,334/month living costs and pay the Immigration Health Surcharge for NHS access.
Scholarships & funding
Many universities offer international/global scholarships (often £2,000–£6,000/yr), check University of Exeter’s funding pages.
Living costs
Budget roughly £1,100–£1,400/month outside London and £1,400–£1,800/month in London for rent, food and travel; the figure also matters for your visa.
Working while you study
A Student visa usually allows up to 20 hours/week in term time and full-time in holidays, useful alongside study, though not something to rely on for fees.
Visa rules and fees change. Always confirm the current requirements with University of Exeter and gov.uk before you apply.
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Common questions
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