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 a broad training in topics spanning the breadth of Earth Sciences, through compulsory modules. We don’t assume any prior knowledge; the 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 trips to Northern Ireland and South West Wales will train you in key skills in geological observation, data recording and interpretation

Compulsory modules:

Earth History and Life
Introduction to Evolution and Animal Biology
The Earth System
Atoms to Volcanoes
Earth Structures & Tectonics
Geoscience Project
Introductory Field and Research Skills
SW Wales Field Course
Year 2
The Year 2 content builds on the first year, covering a range of specialised topics. Compulsory modules cover sedimentology, past environments and resources, and you can also choose two additional options from Earth Sciences, Biology or Physical Geography. The Year 2 field courses take you to North West Scotland and to SW England, where you will cover a wide range of exercises with an emphasis on Palaeontology.

Compulsory modules:

Sedimentology
Field Skills
Resource Geology
Project Planning for Independent Projects
Palaeoecology
Optional modules (select two of the following):

Animal Biology: Principles and Mechanisms
Ecological Systems
Evolution of Humans and Other Animals
Genetics 1
Geological Natural Hazards
Hydroclimatology: Climate and Water
Year 3
Your third year is spent at a partner institution overseas.

There you will have the opportunity to study a number of modules which will count towards your final degree. You will also complete an Independent Earth Sciences Research Project - you may take advantage of the different geological environments to do this in your host country. The year abroad will deepen your learning by exposing you to a new environment with different opportunities.

Year 4
A major component of Year Four is your compulsory research project – in a topic that you devise with an academic to suit your interests and aspirations – and a skills-based field module that involves an international residential field trip either to Tenerife with Advanced Field Skills for those looking to develop broad skills in volcanic processes and hazards or Utah or South Africa for those more interested in developing palaeontological field skills. The remainder of your program is based on two optional modules drawn from Earth Sciences, Biology and/or Geography allowing you to further specialise and follow your own interests.

Compulsory modules:

Advanced Project
Advanced Skills in Geoscience OR Palaeontology Field & Museum Skills
Optional modules:

Palaeoclimates
Climate change in the earth system
Evolution of Vertebrates
Evolutionary Palaeobiology
Exploring the energy transition
Conservation Practice: Genes to Ecosystems
Human Evolution
Professional Placements for Earth Scientists
Genetics 2
River Habitats and their Biogeochemistry
Responses to Global Environmental Change
Hydrogeomorphology and catchment management
Please note: The modules listed on the website for this programme are regularly reviewed to ensure they are up-to-date and informed by the latest research and teaching methods. Unless indicated otherwise, the modules listed for this programme are for students starting in 2021. On rare occasions, we may need to make unexpected changes to compulsory modules after that date; in this event we will contact offer holders as soon as possible to inform or consult them as appropriate.

Please note: The modules listed on the website for this programme are regularly reviewed to ensure they are up-to-date and informed by the latest research and teaching methods. Unless indicated otherwise, the modules listed for this programme are for students starting in 2023. On rare occasions, we may need to make unexpected changes to compulsory modules after that date; in this event we will contact offer holders as soon as possible to inform or consult them as appropriate.

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