Environmental Geoscience

What skills will I practise and develop?

Knowledge & Understanding:

• On successful completion of the entire Programme students will be able to demonstrate the following:
• The ability to acquire, integrate and synthesise information to address complex problems in earth sciences
• Knowledge and understanding of the structure of the Earth, its materials, lifeforms and resources and the processes that shape it at present and through geological time.
• Ability to explain the role and impact of earth science in solving 21st century environmental challenges such as climate change, geohazards and the sustainability of energy, water and other natural resources to meet the needs of the world’s population.
• Ability to explain the importance of applying geoscience to urban planning and infrastructure development and regeneration.

Intellectual Skills:

On successful completion of the Programme students will be able to demonstrate the following:

• Comprehension and critical evaluation of science-based evidence to assess and formulate solutions to complex multi-component problems in earth sciences.
• The ability to assemble and critically evaluate information in order to generate and interpret datasets in 2D, 3D and 4D to formulate realistic conceptual earth models as a tool for resource exploration, extraction and sustainable management
• The capability to evaluate current research in the earth sciences, with commensurate appreciation of uncertainty and debate and limits to understanding.

Professional Practical Skills:

On successful completion of the Programme students will be able to demonstrate the following:

• Ability to recognise and interpret rocks, minerals and fossils to determine the geological relationships and reconstruct the history of any particular sample/outcrop/region under study.
• Understanding of the methods used to acquire geospatial data and represent such data in 2D and 3D using maps and digital platforms such as GIS, and the construction of conceptual ground models.
• Analysis and portrayal of numerical data in earth sciences, including using appropriate software.
• Problem solving involving integration and analysis of diverse and often incomplete earth science data and using appropriate qualitative and quantitative methodologies.
• The ability to design, implement and safely carry out a programme of field- or laboratory-based research and report the findings effectively in writing.

Transferable/Key Skills:

On successful completion of the Programme students will be able to demonstrate the following:

• Ability to design, implement and manage a project through an independent dissertation.
• The ability to work independently and as part of a team.
• Application of the scientific method, numerical and spatial skills including visualization to the understanding of 3D (and 4D) data sets and their interpolation in space (and time).
• Ability to communicate information and concepts effectively through oral, written and visual means to specialist and non-specialist audiences.
• An understanding of the benefits of employment networking and continuing professional development.
• Problem solving, reliability, loyalty, social conduct, tact, attitude to learning and research, leadership, resilience, decision-making and reasoning.