The University of Birmingham is a public research university located in Edgbaston, Birmingham, United Kingdom. It received its royal charter in 1900 as a successor to Queen's College, Birmingham, and Mason Science College, making it the first English civic or 'red brick' university to receive its own royal charter. The University have a long and proud history of firsts, at the University of Birmingham; they were the first – and are now one of the largest - civic universities in the UK.

At Birmingham, the institution teach and research across the full breadth of academic disciplines, creating a vibrant community with multi-disciplinary opportunities for research and education. The University is a truly international community consisting of more than thousands of staff, students, and alumni. The student community is not only one of the largest of any UK university, it is highly diverse, with 82 per cent of home undergraduate students from state schools, 32 per cent from a BAME background, and 35 per cent in the first generation of their family to attend university.

Year 1
The first year provides you with broad training across a wide range of Earth Science topics. All modules are compulsory. We don’t assume any prior knowledge; any chemistry, physics and maths that you require is taught in the context of individual modules, and applied to the problems that you’re investigating. Residential field trips to Northern Ireland and South West Wales will train you in key skills in geological observation, data recording and interpretation.

Compulsory modules

The Earth System
Earth Materials
Earth History and Life
Structural Geology
Introductory Field and Research Skills
SW Wales Field Course
Geoscience Project
Year 2
In Year Two we build on the knowledge and understanding gained in the first year across a wide range of Earth Science topics via multiple compulsory modules to ensure that your degree meets the accreditation requirements. There are also two UK-based residential field courses to SW England where you will cover a wide range of exercises, from palaeontology, sedimentology, petrology to structural geology, and the Lake District to focus on developing your independent geological mapping skills. You will also select one optional module.

Compulsory modules

Igneous and Metamorphic Geology
Sedimentology
Field Skills and Project Planning for Geological Field Research
Resource Geology
Project Planning for Independent Projects
Rock Mechanics, Geophysics and Hydrogeology
Optional modules (Select one of)

Geological Natural Hazards
Palaeoecology
Year 3
In Year Three, you will complete a research project (dissertation) that is usually based on a short period of field and/or laboratory work undertaken in the summer between Yrs 2 and 3–this focuses on addressing a scientific research question and can be undertaken in Earth Sciences or Physical Geography. You will also undertake an additional international residential field-based module introducing a variety of new geological environments, processes and rock types. The remainder of your program is based on three optional modules drawn from either Earth or Environmental Sciences and/or Physical Geography allowing you to further specialise and follow your own interests.

Compulsory modules

Earth Science Research Project
Sedimentary Basin Analysis OR Palaeontology Field and Museum Skills*
*This module is only available to students following a palaeontology pathway that also select both of the modules Evolution of Vertebrates and Evolutionary Palaeobiology in the same year.

Optional modules

You can specialise by choosing three modules from a wide variety of options, ranging from more applied and resource-based topics through to environmental and palaeontological modules. Example optional modules may include:

Tectonic and Volcanic Processes
Palaeoclimates
Evolution of Vertebrates
Evolutionary Palaeobiology
Engineering Geology and Pollution Hydrogeology
Climate Change in the Earth System
Exploring the Energy Transition
Environmental Research in High Latitudes

You will need to book the accommodation after you have been accepted.

You can choose to live on campus or off campus in private accommodation.

• Make a booking online after you have been accepted (in this case please let us know your choice when you apply).
• Register when you arrive - its not possible to reserve a room before arriving. You can arrive a few days before and book it