Earth Sciences (Geology)
Course overview
UCAS code: F642 (Geology); F644 (Earth Sciences)
Entrance requirements: A*AA/AAAA
Course duration: 3 years (BA Geology); 4 years (MEarthSci)
Subject requirements
Required subjects: Maths, plus Chemistry or Physics
Recommended subjects: Chemistry or Physics
Helpful subjects: Biology, Geology, Further Maths
Other course requirements
Admissions tests: None
Written Work: None
Admissions statistics*
Interviewed: 90%
Successful: 25%
Intake: 34
*3-year average 2021-23
Contact
Tel: +44 (0) 1865 272040
Email: [email protected]
Unistats information for this course can be found at the bottom of the page
Please note that there may be no data available if the number of course participants is very small.
About the course
Earth Sciences is the study of the planet we live upon. The broad scope and rapidly-advancing nature of the subject is reflected in the course at Oxford, which provides sound and broadly-based scientific training.
We combine physics, chemistry and biology with geology, geography and palaeontology to answer fundamental questions about the origin, development, and future of the Earth.
You will be trained in the skills required for the interpretation of rock materials and geological phenomena as well as applying theory and techniques from other disciplines to the study of the Earth and the environment.
You will learn about how our planet works, and address some of the major issues of our times: from the origin of the solar system, the Earth and life, to the climate system and the fate of glaciers and ice sheets.
The diverse range of courses cover processes from the Earth’s interior, as mapped by seismic waves, to the evolution of the Earth’s crust documented in the rocks at its surface.
The department has an international reputation, and houses state-of-the-art laboratories and computing facilities.
Students and academic staff mix and work together. Offices and teaching labs are close together, creating an atmosphere in which students not only focus on their course, but also get a feel for the discoveries emerging from current research.
Fieldwork/international opportunities
The Earth Sciences course includes several field courses. These link closely to material covered in lectures, and convey the practice of geology, geophysics, geochemistry, and palaeontology in the field environment. This work culminates in an independent project to study and map an area chosen by the student. Many of the field courses take place out of term time.
The Department covers the costs of field classes (i.e. travel, accommodation), so that there are no additional charges for students, and provides safety and geological equipment.
Previous field courses have taken students to Scotland, Spain, Cornwall, Greece, and Bermuda, and the independent mapping projects have occurred globally.
Unistats information
Discover Uni course data provides applicants with Unistats statistics about undergraduate life at Oxford for a particular undergraduate course.
Please select 'see course data' to view the full Unistats data for Earth Sciences.
Please note that there may be no data available if the number of course participants is very small.
Visit the Studying at Oxford section of this page for a more general insight into what studying here is likely to be like.
Earth Sciences (Geology)
A typical week
During Years 1–3, your work is divided between lectures, tutorials, and practical classes.
In Year 4 you have the opportunity for independent work on special topics or in a research laboratory.
Students will find that their scheduled teaching time breaks down approximately as follows for each year:
- Year 1: Lectures 55%, Practicals 45%
- Year 2: Lectures 55%, Practicals 45%
- Year 3: Lectures 60%, Practicals 40%
- Year 4: Project 50%, Seminars 50%
Students are expected to spend at least 40 hours a week studying, including the scheduled teaching, so a good portion of students' time should be spent on private study.
Tutorials are usually 2-4 students and a tutor. Class sizes may vary depending on the options you choose. There would usually be no more than around 20 students though classes for some of the more popular papers may be up to 40 students.
Other than the field courses, all teaching takes place in the department and most tutorials, classes, and lectures are delivered by members of the Earth Sciences Department. All are world-leading experts with years of experience in teaching and research. Some teaching may also be delivered by postdoctoral researchers from the department who are experts in their area of research. Postdoctoral researchers and postgraduate students from the Department will also assist in practical sessions and on field courses.
To find out more about how our teaching year is structured, visit our Academic Year page.
Course structure
Year 1
Courses | Assessment |
|---|---|
|
First University Examinations: Theory and Practical |
Year 2
Courses | Assessment |
|---|---|
|
Part A1 Examinations: Theory and Practical |
Year 3
Courses | Assessment |
|---|---|
|
Part A2 Examinations: Theory |
Year 4
Research | Assessment |
|---|---|
Students choose four options (out of eight to ten), generally two in each term.
|
Part B Examination: Theory, MEarthSci (Earth Sciences) |
The options listed above are illustrative and may change. A full list of current options is available on the Earth Sciences website.
The content and format of this course may change in some circumstances. Read further information about potential course changes.
Academic requirements
Qualification | Requirement |
|---|---|
A-levels: | A*AA to include Mathematics plus Chemistry or Physics or AAAA to include Mathematics plus Chemistry or Physics. |
Advanced Highers: | AA/AAB to include Mathematics plus Physics or Chemistry. |
International Baccalaureate (IB): | 39 (including core points) with 766 at HL to include HL Maths plus HL Chemistry or HL Physics. |
Any other equivalent qualifications: | View information on other UK qualifications, and international qualifications. |
Wherever possible, your grades are considered in the context in which they have been achieved.
Read further information on how we use contextual data.
Subject requirements
Essential: | Candidates must be studying Maths plus Physics or Chemistry to A-level or equivalent. |
|---|---|
Recommended: | Chemistry or Physics are also highly recommended as a third subject. |
Helpful: | Biology, Geology or Further Mathematics can also be helpful to candidates in completing this course. |
If a practical component forms part of any of your science A‐levels used to meet your offer, we expect you to pass it.
If English is not your first language you may also need to meet our English language requirements.
Applying
All candidates must follow the application procedure as shown on our Applying to Oxford pages.
Students can apply for a three-year BA in Geology or a four-year MEarthSci. These are the same for the first three years.
If students are unsure which course they would prefer, it is best to apply for the MEarthSci, as it is easier then to transfer to the BA later on.
Continuation to Year 4 and the MEarthSci is dependent on satisfactory performance in the Year 3. Students who do not meet the MEarthSci requirements will be awarded the BA Geology.
Written test and written work
You do not need to take a written test or submit any written work as part of an application for this course.
What are tutors looking for?
Tutors are looking for highly-motivated individuals with the intellectual potential necessary to do well on the course.
As part of the interview process, candidates may be asked to comment on geological specimens, or carry out simple calculations, but always with due consideration of their previous knowledge of the subject being discussed.
Visit the Earth Sciences website for more detail on the selection criteria for this course.
Careers
Typical destinations for Earth Sciences graduates include the energy industry, the environmental sector and engineering/ technical consultancies. Some enter unrelated professions, in which the analytical and problem-solving skills they have developed are highly sought after. Around 40% continue to study, through a PhD or further master’s course.
Natalie Roberts is a Policy Advisor at Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, based in the Bristol Hub. She says: ‘My job is to ensure climate adaptation is built into Defra policies, so that targets such as improving biodiversity and water quality are reached, despite the additional pressures of a changing climate. My degree has helped me to use the evidence available and make decisions with sometimes limited information as well as to understand uncertainty.’
Jo Burton is a sustainability professional. She says: ‘Many people I've worked with would consider themselves either a "words person" or a "numbers person" - well an Earth Sciences degree teaches you to be both at the same time. As well as being great for problem solving, this really helps communicating complex concepts to all sorts of people. As well as skills, my degree gave me a huge respect for our planet, which sits behind my drive and principles as a sustainability professional.’
Martin works in the mining industry for De Beers Canada as a Field Geologist. He says: ‘My Oxford degree helped me to develop the knowledge, understanding and confidence to approach geological problems in a critical and informed manner. I appreciated the course’s focus on both the theoretical and practical side of geology.’
Rachael works for BP as a geoscientist. She says: ‘I am currently working as an Operations Geologist in London for a project based in North Africa. My degree gave me the technical basis for my career, but more importantly it taught me how to think out complex issues from basic principles and to motivate myself to produce the best results I can.’
We don't want anyone who has the academic ability to get a place to study here to be held back by their financial circumstances. To meet that aim, Oxford offers one of the most generous financial support packages available for UK students and this may be supplemented by support from your college.
Fees
Please note that for full-time Home undergraduate students, current university policy is to charge fees at the level of the cap set by the government. The cap is currently set at £9,250 in 2024/25 and this has been included below as the guide annual course fee for courses starting in 2025. However, this page will be updated once the government has confirmed course fee information for full-time Home undergraduates starting courses in 2025. For details of annual increases, please see our guidance on likely increases to fees and charges.
Fee status | Annual Course fees |
| Home | £9,250 |
| Overseas | £59,260 |
Further details about fee status eligibility can be found on the fee status webpage.
For more information please refer to our course fees page. Fees will usually increase annually. For details, please see our guidance on likely increases to fees and charges.
Living costs
Living costs at Oxford might be less than you’d expect, as our world-class resources and college provision can help keep costs down.
Living costs for the academic year starting in 2025 are estimated to be between £1,425 and £2,035 for each month you are in Oxford. Our academic year is made up of three eight-week terms, so you would not usually need to be in Oxford for much more than six months of the year but may wish to budget over a nine-month period to ensure you also have sufficient funds during the holidays to meet essential costs. For further details please visit our living costs webpage.
Financial support
Home | A tuition fee loan is available from the UK government to cover course fees in full for Home (UK, Irish nationals and other eligible students with UK citizens' rights - see below*) students undertaking their first undergraduate degree**, so you don’t need to pay your course fees up front. In 2025 Oxford is offering one of the most generous bursary packages of any UK university to Home students with a family income of around £50,000 or less, with additional opportunities available to UK students from households with incomes of £32,500 or less. The UK government also provides living costs support to Home students from the UK and those with settled status who meet the residence requirements. *For courses starting on or after 1 August 2021, the UK government has confirmed that EU, other EEA, and Swiss Nationals will be eligible for student finance from the UK government if they have UK citizens’ rights (i.e. if they have pre-settled or settled status, or if they are an Irish citizen covered by the Common Travel Area arrangement). The support you can access from the government will depend on your residency status. |
Islands | Islands students are entitled to different support to that of students from the rest of the UK. Please refer the links below for information on the support to you available from your funding agency: |
Overseas | Please refer to the "Other Scholarships" section of our Oxford Bursaries and Scholarships page. |
**If you have studied at undergraduate level before and completed your course, you will be classed as an Equivalent or Lower Qualification student (ELQ) and won’t be eligible to receive government or Oxford funding
Additional Fees and Charges Information for Earth Sciences (Geology)
Students are required to undertake field work in every year of this course: two trips in the first year and another two in the second year, then one trip in the third year and one more in the fourth year. Costs for these trips will covered by the department.
You will also need to undertake a mapping project in the vacation between the 2nd and 3rd year, which for most students will involve fieldwork. The department will contribute £500 to each student, which is considered to be the minimum amount needed to do the project, probably based here in the UK. Additional funding may be available through your college. You are very welcome to go further afield if you prefer but you would need to find or raise any additional funding that you need.
Thanks to external donations, the department provides all field and safety equipment free of charge. The department will also provide first aid kits and additional safety equipment for the mapping project, for a small deposit which is returned to you when you return the equipment.
Contextual information
Unistats course data from Discover Uni provides applicants with statistics about a particular undergraduate course at Oxford. For a more holistic insight into what studying your chosen course here is likely to be like, we would encourage you to view the information below as well as to explore our website more widely.
The Oxford tutorial
College tutorials are central to teaching at Oxford. Typically, they take place in your college and are led by your academic tutor(s) who teach as well as do their own research. Students will also receive teaching in a variety of other ways, depending on the course. This will include lectures and classes, and may include laboratory work and fieldwork. However, tutorials offer a level of personalised attention from academic experts unavailable at most universities.
During tutorials (normally lasting an hour), college subject tutors will give you and one or two tutorial partners feedback on prepared work and cover a topic in depth. The other student(s) in your tutorials will be doing the same course as you. Such regular and rigorous academic discussion develops and facilitates learning in a way that isn’t possible through lectures alone. Tutorials also allow for close progress monitoring so tutors can quickly provide additional support if necessary.
Read more about tutorials and an Oxford education
College life
Our colleges are at the heart of Oxford’s reputation as one of the best universities in the world.
- At Oxford, everyone is a member of a college as well as their subject department(s) and the University. Students therefore have both the benefits of belonging to a large, renowned institution and to a small and friendly academic community. Each college or hall is made up of academic and support staff, and students. Colleges provide a safe, supportive environment leaving you free to focus on your studies, enjoy time with friends and make the most of the huge variety of opportunities.
- Each college has a unique character, but generally their facilities are similar. Each one, large or small, will have the following essential facilities:
- Porters’ lodge (a staffed entrance and reception)
- Dining hall
- Lending library (often open 24/7 in term time)
- Student accommodation
- Tutors’ teaching rooms
- Chapel and/or music rooms
- Laundry
- Green spaces
- Common room (known as the JCR).
- All first-year students are offered college accommodation either on the main site of their college or in a nearby college annexe. This means that your neighbours will also be ‘freshers’ and new to life at Oxford. This accommodation is guaranteed, so you don’t need to worry about finding somewhere to live after accepting a place here, all of this is organised for you before you arrive.
- All colleges offer at least one further year of accommodation and some offer it for the entire duration of your degree. You may choose to take up the option to live in your college for the whole of your time at Oxford, or you might decide to arrange your own accommodation after your first year – perhaps because you want to live with friends from other colleges.
- While college academic tutors primarily support your academic development, you can also ask their advice on other things. Lots of other college staff including welfare officers help students settle in and are available to offer guidance on practical or health matters. Current students also actively support students in earlier years, sometimes as part of a college ‘family’ or as peer supporters trained by the University’s Counselling Service.
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