What determines the nature of the surface of the Earth, both physically and biologically, temporally and spatially, and what impact have humans had upon it? This is the sort of question that our Environmental Geoscientists are trained to answer.

Set in an outstanding natural landscape which has been subject to a long and heavily polluting industrial history, South Wales offers study sites that include not only upland geomorphology and coastal environments but also landfills, heavy metal contamination, acid mine drainage, derelict land and mining subsidence, making Cardiff an excellent place to study Environmental Geoscience.

This is an applied degree that will challenge you to think holistically about subjects ranging from water quality to landscape evolution, from the evolution of the biosphere to climate change and from contaminated land to sustainability.

Fieldwork is an integral part of degrees in the School of Earth and Ocean Sciences, giving our students hands-on experience in real field situations. The fieldwork programme has been designed to give students the widest range of field experiences linked to classroom-based teaching.

As well as fieldwork in South Wales, this scheme also has residential trips to Portugal for geological mapping training and geoecology and to the volcano of Tenerife to study ‘the whole island concept’ linking geomorphology, hazards, soils, vegetation, water and sustainability.

NOTE: As well as the conventional BSc  programme, an optional one-year industrial placement is available for Environmental Geoscience. Such a placement provides an opportunity for you to gain in-depth experience in a range of relevant industries. Students are supervised and visited by University staff while enjoying the experience and career enhancement that results from a ‘year out’.

There are also four-year MESci and MESci (International) programmes. These focus on research training and critical analysis, making students who take these programmes very employable in a range of professions. Both feature a master’s research dissertation in year four and the international MESci includes a year studying at a university overseas.

Distinctive features

This programme involves a common first term allowing you to experience aspects of Earth Sciences and Geography before finally deciding which honours degree course you wish to pursue.

Residential field courses abroad take place in year two and the final year, which are led by research active staff.

You will undertake a major summer project between years two and three that builds on training throughout the year – as an Environmental Geoscientist you will either do an independent project or an independent placement project with a company.