Geoscience with a Year of International Study

Geoscience is the integrative study of Earth as a planetary system, encompassing the physical and chemical processes that shape its interior, surface, and atmosphere, the evolution of life over deep time, and the dynamic interactions between the solid Earth, the oceans, the atmosphere, and the biosphere. It is a discipline that uses field observation, laboratory analysis, and computational modelling to reconstruct the history of the planet and to understand the processes that continue to operate today. As the challenges of climate change, resource management, and natural hazard risk grow, geoscience knowledge becomes ever more essential.

At Royal Holloway and Bedford New College, this four-year MSci programme includes a year of international study, placing you in a geoscience environment outside the UK for a sustained period during your degree. This international experience is particularly valuable in a discipline where different regions of the world present different geological problems and where global fieldwork is a normal part of professional practice. The programme also includes a sandwich year with placement and work placement opportunities, giving you professional experience in applied geoscience alongside the academic curriculum.

You will study the formation and evolution of Earth from the deepest geological time to the present, developing a holistic understanding that equips you for both research and applied practice.

Graduates work in energy exploration and development, environmental consulting, geotechnical engineering, natural hazard assessment, mineral resources, water management, and academic research. The MSci level of the programme provides a stronger research foundation than the equivalent BSc, and many graduates proceed to PhD research in earth and environmental sciences. The combination of field skills, laboratory methods, and analytical reasoning developed in this programme is highly valued across the range of sectors where understanding the Earth's physical systems is essential.