UCAS code F600
Discover planet Earth: from natural hazards to natural resources, from the history of life to the history of the planet itself. You don’t need to have studied geology before and this programme can open the door to a career as a professional geologist in industries such as petroleum, mineral resources, engineering geology and environmental assessment. You will gain thorough and highly practical training in modern geology, with a strong emphasis on fieldwork.
By studying Geology at Liverpool, you’ll explore the processes shaping our planet and its future. Taught by leading researchers, you’ll gain insights into cutting-edge discoveries and develop the skills to address global challenges like climate change, resource management, and sustainability. Hands-on project work and field classes in diverse locations, including the UK, Ireland and Spain, will prepare you for real-world problem-solving.
In your first two years, you’ll receive core training in key areas of geology. In your third year, you’ll complete an independent field-based project and dissertation, honing critical skills in research, data integration, and analysis. You’ll also develop transferable skills, including teamwork, leadership, communication, and time management, through reports, presentations, and specialist software and equipment.
Our degree programs combine laboratory and fieldwork across urban, coastal, and mountainous environments. We welcome applications from all students, including those with disabilities, and provide reasonable adjustments to ensure accessibility.
This degree is accredited by the Geological Society of London, satisfying the requirements of Fellowship and Chartered Geologist status.
Discover what you'll learn, what you'll study, and how you'll be taught and assessed.
Year one aims to provide a comprehensive introduction to core disciplines in geoscience assuming no prior knowledge of the subject. A strong feature of year one is the development of transferable skills (eg Geographical Information Systems [GIS], IT, essay writing, oral communication), integrated within a tutorial system. Tutorials are run by academic staff.
Fieldwork involves:
Students should take the following compulsory modules.
ENVS117 is a compulsory module for those without A level Maths or Physics at grade C or above. You should discuss this with your programme director at the start of the academic session.
Programme details and modules listed are illustrative only and subject to change.
Year two takes subjects to greater depth and builds student skills in synthesising and evaluating geological data. A key part of the year is training students in preparation for their year three independent field projects, particularly in tutorial sessions run by academic staff.
Fieldwork involves:
To fulfil the aims of the year and gain accreditation, all modules are compulsory.
Programme details and modules listed are illustrative only and subject to change.
Year three modules are research-based. The aim is to train students in the analysis of large-scale, multidisciplinary geological problems and to provide an awareness of the key applications and employment areas of geoscience. A major feature of this year of study is the independent field project and dissertation in which students have the opportunity to conduct a major piece of original field-based research and to present it in both a conference talk and a substantial report.
Fieldwork:
Students take three compulsory modules and choose four optional modules as outlined below.
ENVS300 is a research project that can take place in the field, laboratory or a combination. If students choose a geological
field mapping project, data in the field will take place in Summer between Years 2 and 3. If students choose a laboratory
project, data can be collected in the summer between Years 2 and 3 and during Semester 1 of year 3. Report write up will
take place in Semester 1 and 2.
| Compulsory modules | Credits |
|---|---|
| EARTH SCIENCE PROJECT (ENVS300) | 30 |
| ADVANCED GEOLOGY FIELD TECHNIQUES (ENVS351) | 15 |
| APPLIED GEOLOGY AND GEOHAZARDS OF THE CANARY ISLANDS (ENVS375) | 15 |
Programme details and modules listed are illustrative only and subject to change.
Teaching takes place through lectures, practicals, workshops, seminars, tutorials and fieldwork, with an emphasis on learning through doing. The award-winning Central Teaching Laboratories, provide a state-of-the-art facility for undergraduate practical work. Students value the learning opportunities provided by field classes, including the rapid and detailed feedback on performance.
You will typically receive 15-20 hours of formal teaching each week, and complete between 50 and 100 days of residential fieldwork over the course of their programme. In years three and four you will carry out independent research projects on a topic and location of your choice. All projects are supervised by a member of staff who will meet with you on a weekly, or more frequent, basis.
A number of the School’s degree programmes involve laboratory and field work. The field work is carried out in various locations, ranging from inner city to coastal and mountainous environments. We consider applications from prospective students with disabilities on the same basis as all other students, and reasonable adjustments will be considered to address barriers to access.
Assessment matches the learning objectives for each module and may take the form of written exams, practical laboratory and computer examinations, coursework submissions in the form of essays, scientific papers, briefing notes or lab/field notebooks, reports and portfolios, oral and poster presentations and contributions to group projects, and problem-solving exercises. Assessment is via tasks that mirror those graduate students are likely to undertake working as professional geoscientists. For example, generating and interpreting quantitative spatial data, with appropriate consideration of inherent uncertainty, is a key task and necessary skill for professional environmental geoscientists, and this skill is developed and assessed on several programme modules, especially field and lab-based modules. As well as being authentic in terms of the underlying purpose of the assessed task, assessment tasks are also authentic in terms of format, intended audience, resources used, and collaborative team elements. For example, team-based environmental assessment work with professional format delivery appropriate for presentation to management-level colleagues using state-of-the-art field, lab or IT resources is central to assessments in field classes.
We have a distinctive approach to education, the Liverpool Curriculum Framework, which focuses on research-connected teaching, active learning, and authentic assessment to ensure our students graduate as digitally fluent and confident global citizens.
The Liverpool Curriculum framework sets out our distinctive approach to education. Our teaching staff support our students to develop academic knowledge, skills, and understanding alongside our graduate attributes:
Our curriculum is characterised by the three Liverpool Hallmarks:
All this is underpinned by our core value of inclusivity and commitment to providing a curriculum that is accessible to all students.
Studying with us means you can tailor your degree to suit you. Here's what is available on this course.
University of Liverpool students can choose from an exciting range of study placements at partner universities worldwide.
Immerse yourself in Chinese culture on an optional additional year at Xi'an Jiaotong Liverpool University in stunning Suzhou.
Broaden your world by spending an additional year of study at a partner university abroad following your second year of study.
Spend a summer abroad on a study placement or research project at one of our worldwide partner institutions.
Year in industry placements give you an in-depth workplace experience where you can develop your skills and apply your learning.
You don't need to decide now - you can choose to add a year in industry after you've begun your degree.
To spend a year in industry, you'll need to secure a placement with an organisation. If you're unable to find a placement, you'll continue with the standard version of the course without a year in industry.
Every student at The University of Liverpool can study a language as part of, or alongside their degree. You can choose:
At Liverpool, we place a great deal of emphasis on learning through experience. You will be taught in Europe’s most advanced teaching laboratories and will participate in a strong fieldwork programme that will help to prepare you for solving real work problems. You will have access to excellent resources, including research-level analytical equipment and computing facilities, and will be trained in industry-standard methods using materials donated by companies. All our degree programmes will provide you with specific scientific training, as well as equipping you with a wide range of transferable skills valued by employers. You will graduate as a practical, confident and employable earth scientist.
We have a very active Earth Sciences student society – The Herdman society. The society runs academic and social events from guest lectures and field trips to gala dinners, symposiums and sports events.
Discover what you’ll study, the facilities and resources you’ll have access to, and how we’ll prepare you for your future career.
From arrival to alumni, we’re with you all the way:
Want to find out more about student life?
Chat with our student ambassadors and ask any questions you have.
There has never been a better time to study Earth sciences. Many of the fundamental questions of our times will be answered by geoscientists, as we seek to provide sustainable resources for the world’s population, as well as predict and mitigate climate change and natural hazards by building a better understanding of the planet on which we live.
Our recent graduates have gained employment within a degree-related field or continued within further education after graduation. We have close links with geoscience and environmental industries ensuring that our degrees properly equip you for future employment.