Geology (MSci)

We are a friendly and informal school and you will be supported and taught by world-leading experts involved in cutting-edge international research.

Our teaching approach is a mix of theory and practical and includes: lectures, laboratory work, fieldwork, tutorials, workshops and seminars. You will also be encouraged to learn independently throughout the course. We encourage you to think creatively and to reach conclusions from incomplete data which is a skill valued highly in sectors such as insurance, civil engineering and consulting.

How will I be supported?

Supervision

At the start of the course you will be allocated a personal tutor who you will meet with regularly for tutorials. Tutorials are fortnightly in the first year and then monthly in year two and three. Your personal tutor will be a specialist in geology and can offer advice on academic and personal matters. In year three and four you will also be allocated a supervisor for your dissertation project.

Facilities

We have a Learning Central website where you can access videos, images, presentations, lecture handouts, bibliographies, links to further reading, electronic exercises and discussion circles. Where possible, lectures will be recorded so you can watch and study in your own time.

The Learning Central website also has a ‘Personal Development Planning’ module that supports you in regularly assessing your progress and meeting your development needs.

Support services

The University offers a range of services including the Careers Service, the Counselling Service, the Disability and Dyslexia Service, the Student Support Service, alongside excellent libraries and resource centres.

Diversity

We aim to create an inclusive, supportive and welcoming environment that respects the dignity of staff and students of all ages, ethnicities, disabilities, family structures, genders, nationalities, sexual orientations, races, religious or other beliefs, and socio-economic backgrounds. Read about our commitment to the Athena SWAN principles and our Bronze status (https://www.cardiff.ac.uk/earth-ocean-sciences/about-us/equality-diversity-and-inclusivity).

How will I be assessed?

We will be assessing your level of knowledge and understanding in each module through a combination of assignments, presentations, fieldwork, examinations and a dissertation. You will receive written and oral feedback on your coursework and there are opportunities for informal feedback throughout the course.

NOTE: The University welcomes applications from students with disabilities and we endeavour to offer reasonable alternative assessment methods wherever possible.   We have an Alternative Fieldwork Policy which is adopted in cases where a student cannot attend a scheduled, taught field course, or part(s) thereof, because of extenuating circumstances.

What skills will I practise and develop?

The Learning Outcomes for this Programme describe what you will be able to do as a result of your study at Cardiff University. They will help you to understand what is expected of you. 

The Learning Outcomes for this Programme can be found below:

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.
• A critical 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 and critically evaluate the role and impact of earth science in solving 21^st 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.
• Rigorous appreciation and application of the scientific process, including the design and testing of hypotheses, and the formulation of new concepts.
• Formulation, design and use of appropriate laboratory, field, and/or computational methodologies relevant to a high level research project.

Intellectual Skills:

On successful completion of the entire 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 on a variety of scales (from microscopic to planetary) and generate and interpret datasets in 2D, 3D and 4D.
• The capability to evaluate and critically assess current research in the earth sciences, with commensurate appreciation of uncertainty and debate and limits to understanding.
• Ability to model and interpret earth science data to generate hypotheses that can be tested with additional data or observation
• The ability to solve complex scientific problems both creatively and independently.

Professional Practical Skills:

On successful completion of the entire 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.
• Advanced application of the methods used to acquire geospatial data and represent such data in 2D and 3D using maps and digital platforms such as GIS.
• 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 in a dissertation.
• Ability to model complex numerical earth science data and draw realistic conclusions from such modelling.
• An ability to independently plan a complex geology project at the frontier of a research topic.

Transferable/Key Skills:

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

• Ability to design, implement and manage a project through to completion.
• 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.
• A critical understanding of the benefits of employment networking and continuing professional development.
• Commitment to lifelong learning through engaging in the process of personal development planning and ownership of own learning.
• Problem solving, reliability, loyalty, social conduct, tact, attitude to learning and research, leadership, resilience, decision-making and reasoning.
• ffective time management and organisation commensurate with successful delivery of an extended research project.