University College London (UCL)
Geoscience MSc
London, United Kingdom
MSc
DURATION
2 years
LANGUAGES
English
PACE
Full time, Part time
APPLICATION DEADLINE
EARLIEST START DATE
Sep 2026
TUITION FEES
STUDY FORMAT
On-Campus
The Geoscience MSc program offers a well-rounded curriculum designed to give students in-depth knowledge of Earth systems, processes, and materials. The course combines core subjects like geology, geophysics, and geochemistry with practical skills in data collection, analysis, and interpretation. Students have opportunities to develop their understanding through lectures, laboratory work, and field trips, helping them gain hands-on experience in real-world environments. The program aims to prepare students for careers in industries such as environmental consulting, resource exploration, and academic research by building a strong foundation in both theoretical concepts and applied techniques.
The program encourages students to explore current challenges facing the Earth, including climate change, natural resource management, and geological hazards. It emphasizes critical thinking and problem-solving skills, preparing students to analyze complex issues and develop sustainable solutions. Throughout the course, students are supported to work independently and collaboratively, fostering skills that are highly valued across various sectors. The MSc also offers pathways for further research or professional development, making it a flexible choice for those interested in advancing their careers in geoscience. The focus remains on providing accessible, practical knowledge that helps students translate scientific understanding into real-world applications.
UCL Scholarships
There are a number of scholarships available to postgraduate students, including our UCL Masters Bursary for UK students and our UCL Global Masters Scholarship for international students. You can click the link below to search via the scholarships finder for awards that you might be eligible for. Your academic department will also be able to provide you with more information about funding.
External Scholarships
Online aggregators like Postgraduate Studentships, Scholarship Search, Postgraduate Funding and International Financial Aid and College Scholarship Search contain information on a variety of external schemes.
If you have specific circumstances or ethnic or religious background it is worth searching for scholarships/bursaries/grants that relate to those things. Some schemes are very specific.
Funding for disabled students
Master's students who have a disability may be able to get extra funding for additional costs they incur to study.
Teaching and learning
The programme is delivered through lectures, practical laboratory exercises, weekly departmental seminars, field trips, as well as through student-led literature search on their chosen research topic and scientific research into their chosen geoscience area of interest.
The programme is delivered through a combination of lectures, seminars, tutorials, and laboratory and fieldwork exercises. Student performance is assessed through coursework, written assignments, unseen written examination and the dissertation.
On average it is expected that a student spends 150 hours studying for each 15-credit module. This includes teaching time, private study and coursework. Modules are usually taught in weekly two-hour sessions over 10 weeks each term.
For full-time students, typical contact hours are around 12 hours per week. Outside of lectures, seminars, workshops and tutorials, full-time students typically study the equivalent of a full-time job, using their remaining time for self-directed study and completing coursework assignments.
In terms one and two full-time students can typically expect between 10 and 12 contact hours per teaching week through a mixture of lectures, seminars, workshops, crits and tutorials. In term three and the summer period students will be completing their own dissertation research, keeping regular contact with their dissertation supervisors.
Modules
Full-time
The MSc can be taken full-time over one year or part-time over two years. During the course of the programme the student must achieve 180 credits;120 of these credits come from the taught component and are usually achieved by taking eight 15 credit modules. Three of these modules are normally compulsory and include a course on research methods that provide analytical, statistical and computing skills; a research proposal, which involves a literature review and feasibility study in preparation for the research dissertation: and the Earth and Planetary Systems Science module, which involves seminars, journal club-style presentations etc., which enable students to practice their presentation skills while at the same time providing them with information on the latest developments in a series of ‘hot topics’ within the geosciences.
The other five modules are selected from a range of options offered by the Department of Earth Sciences. Such options include courses on geochemistry, geophysics, palaeoceanography, palaeobiology, seismology, volcanology, and several others. Moreover, up to two 15 credit modules may be selected from other departments at UCL, such as Geography, Anthropology, Astronomy, Physics, Maths, Chemistry, Biology, and so on. The remaining 60 credits required for the MSc come from the research dissertation. This is a substantial piece of research that is supervised by one or more members of staff in this department. Students can find a project either by selecting one from a publicised list, or they may also develop their own project ideas in collaboration with a potential supervisor. The research project starts at the beginning of Term 2 (January), and the bulk of the research itself takes place after the exams in May.
For the full-time version of the MSc, a typical course of study would involve: arriving at UCL in late September for induction and commencement of courses; taking approximately four modules during Term 1; taking another four modules during Term 2, including the research proposal; taking the exams relating to the taught components in May; after receiving feedback on the research proposal from supervisors and other markers, students then carry out and write up there research project from June to August; research dissertations are submitted in early September.
Part-time
Students need to achieve 180 credits by the end of the Masters, which for part-time students will take place over two years. Therefore, we normally suggest that part-time students achieve 75 credits in their first year and 105 in their second year. The first year 75 credits would normally be composed of five modules, each worth 15 credits. These first year modules will normally be the two compulsory courses relating to Research Methods and the Earth and Planetary System Science courses. You would then be free to choose another three optional modules. In year two, you would take the third compulsory module, Research Proposal, which is preparation for the dissertation. You will also take another two optional modules each worth 15 credits. Finally, you would carry out your dissertation research (60 credits) in the spring and summer of the second year.
Compulsory modules
- Research Proposal
- Earth and Planetary System Science
- MSc Geoscience: Dissertation
- Research Methods and Skills
Optional modules
- Ocean Physics and Climate Change
- Crustal Dynamics, Mountain Building and Basin Evolution
- Earth Resources and Sustainability
- Earth and Planetary Materials
- Environmental Geochemistry
- Geology for Sustainable Resource Management and Energy Transition
- Advanced Biodiversity and Macroevolutionary Studies
- Physical Volcanology and Volcanic Hazard
- Tectonic Geomorphology
- Palaeoceanography
- Paleoclimate and Paleoenvironmental Change
- Deep Earth and Planetary Modelling
- Origin of Life and Exobiology
- Statistics for Geoscientists
- Geological, Geotechnical & Hydro-meteorological Hazards
- Meteorological and Hydrogeological Hazards
- The Science Policy and Ethics of Climate Intervention
- Artificial Intelligence for Earth Observations (AI4EO)
Please note that the list of modules given here is indicative. This information is published a long time in advance of enrolment and module content and availability are subject to change.
Students undertake modules to the value of 180 credits. Upon successful completion of 180 credits, you will be awarded an MSc in Geoscience.
Fieldwork
Crustal Dynamics, Mountain Building and Basin Analysis is a fieldwork only module (to Spain) without a classroom element. The field trip to Germany is mandatory. Students are expected to pay for travel to and from the field area and any additional subsistence. Accommodation and subsistence is provided.
What this course will give you
- UCL Earth Sciences is world-leading in our field, ranking 3rd in the UK in the QS World University Rankings 2024 for both Earth and Marine Sciences and Geophysics.
- The Department is engaged in world-class research in the processes on and within the Earth, atmosphere and planets with over 90% of submissions rated at 4 or 3* in the REF2021 into the processes at work on and within the Earth and planets.
- Graduate students benefit from our lively and welcoming environment and world-class facilities, which include the UK's only NASA Regional Planetary Image Facility and access to the University of London Observatory in north London.
- The department also hosts the UCL Hazard Research Centre, Europe's leading multidisciplinary hazard research centre, and engages in extensive collaborative work with the Royal Institution and the Natural History Museum.
The foundation of your career
We have excellent relations with many employers in diverse aspects of the Earth sciences and students are actively guided towards preparation for their future careers. You will develop transferable skills in critical analysis of quantitative and qualitative information, problem-solving and lateral thinking, research and data collection analysis and interpretation, and in presenting your results to non-specialists.
A large number of our graduates go on to PhD research or professional careers that often incorporate geological expertise (hydrocarbons, water and mineral extraction and management; museums and curation, higher education, environmental assessment and management; civil engineering, etc.). However, our graduates find employment across a wide range of professions including management, the financial sector, scientific journalism, and teaching.
Employability
The MSc in geosciences has a very successful track record in terms of postgraduate employment at professional level. In recent years approximately one third of our graduates achieve employment in Geoscience-related industries, such as environment consultancies, one third obtain PhD positions within the Earth sciences or related fields, and approximately one third go into non-Earth sciences professions such as journalism and teaching.
Networking
Visits and talks by external experts occur throughout Terms 1 and 2 as part of the weekly department seminars, hence offering many networking opportunities. Our integrated curriculum approach to teaching also offers networking opportunities with members of staff in other departments and institutes across UCL. Lastly, our central London location and proximity to the Natural History Museum and many other scientific organisations also enable various networking opportunities.
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