Bachelor of Science (Hons) in Geology with Ocean Science (Optional Placement)

at University of Plymouth United Kingdom

Broaden your geological horizons by exploring the connection between the Earth and its marine and nearshore environments on our joint honours degree. Geology with ocean science will arm you with the theoretical and practical aspects of geology, as well as enabling you to develop an understanding of oceanography and coastal processes. Gain an awareness of the interplay between the solid Earth and marine processes, and learn how these factors control the development of coastal regions.

You will take part in the substantial fieldwork offered in a variety of UK and overseas locations such as Morocco, Iceland, Sicily, Spain and Cyprus. You'll become an experienced field-worker, able to apply the knowledge and skills acquired in the classroom to existing Earth science problems. You’ll work towards becoming a Chartered Geologist, our accreditation by the Geological Society helps you to gain the required experience.

Have you Considered

• BSc (Hons) Geology
• BSc (Hons) Physical Geography and Geology
• BSc (Hons) Geography

Key Features

• Gain a breadth of knowledge of the Earth and marine sciences not possible with a single honours degree.

With companies spending more of their budgets than ever before on digital marketing, and brands like Google, Amazon and Facebook continuing to grow their user base, digital and social-media marketing is changing the rules of competition, giving customers ways to directly influence modern businesses. With this MSc you’ll learn how to succeed in this new reality of marketing, actively participating in the planning, development and deployment of real digital and social media marketing campaigns.

Key Features

Study the literature of the sea in the Ocean City and explore the Devon settings that have inspired authors like Agatha Christie and Arthur Conan Doyle. From the graphic novel to transatlantic literature, English at Plymouth will take your love of reading in new directions. Explore texts that have shaped our world as you navigate the challenges of the future. We’ve decolonised our curriculum, giving you free rein to study an eclectic range of literature across cultures and geographies.

Key Features

• Personalise your degree by choosing from a wide variety of optional modules in literary studies and creative writing, or widen your horizons by taking specialist modules in other subjects in the school.
• Learn from internationally recognised research-active staff.
• Receive free set texts for all core modules throughout the three years.
• Benefit from assessment through coursework, with no written exams.
• Make the most of a rich cultural life with The Arts Institute programme and the University’s links with local cultural organisations, like The Box and Theatre Royal.
• We’re very proud of our National Student Survey (NSS) 2020 return – 94% of students agreed staff are good at explaining things, and 94% said that the course is intellectually stimulating.*

Make, use and analyse images, engaging directly with the world around you while exploring the medium’s endless potential. Develop a clear understanding of photography in its wider historical, cultural and professional context and be equipped with the skills to achieve and sustain your career ambitions in the creative industry. Our diverse teaching team, purpose-built environment and advanced facilities enable you to establish your unique style and personal visual language.

Key Features

• Experiment - a key feature of our course is the space to experiment. During the three years there is a great deal of focus on the way you develop your photography, both in practice, and in ideas.
• Document - a growing aspect of the course, in response to contemporary practice, is the importance of the photographic document. This includes opportunities to develop as a contemporary documentary practitioner.
• Collaborate - a valuable skill for any creative practitioner, collaboration is sewn throughout our course including short studio projects, group presentations, a collaborative practice module, and our unique Set Construction Project that allows you to work collaboratively and develop the skills to build, style and photograph your own studio sets.
• Think differently - an important aspect of our course is the development of you as a critically aware contemporary photographer. This means that you can move between ways of working that span the commercial and artistic worlds. The life of a contemporary practitioner is a varied and multi-faceted affair, and the skills taught on this course help you to navigate this exciting world.
• Plymouth - take advantage of our stunning location in the South West. This natural resource will inspire your creative practice with its rural and city landscapes, brooding moors and dramatic coastline.
• Explore - broaden your understanding of photographic practice in other cultures - our international opportunities include a residential field trip to Europe in year 1 and rich opportunities for studying abroad in countries like Germany, Romania, Sweden, Cyprus, Slovenia, France, Slovakia, Norway, New Zealand and the USA in year 2.
• Facilities - achieve your creative goals with our excellent facilities and resources, including a custom-built analogue and digital resource and an extensive Artist Book Collection. Be free to work when the inspiration takes you with our resources open from 8am to midnight, seven days a week and throughout the holidays.
• Visitors - deepen your understanding of the subject with our lively visiting speaker series, featuring well-known practitioners and former students talking about their work and career paths. Past speakers have included: Brett Rogers, Director of the Photographers Gallery; celebrated documentary photographer Ed Clark; image makers Anna Fox, Simon Roberts, Charlotte Dumas, Ori Gersht, Martin Parr, Mark Power, David Goldblatt, Laura Pannack and more.
• We also work with Specialist Professional Practice visitors who create clear links between the creative practice of the course, and professional outlets in the future.
• The future - follow in the footsteps of our impressive, prizewinning photography students, including graduate David Hedges, a press photographer who recently won two major awards for his images and video work; Anna Jay, prize winning art director for The Debrief; or Louis Little assistant to Martin Parr.
• Unistats - 87% of students agreed staff were good at explaining things and 90% of students agreed the course provided opportunities to explore ideas or concepts in depth (National Student Survey 2019).*

Geography explores the relationships between people, places and the environment. Our diverse degree has a strong emphasis on applied skills and career development. You can choose to specialise or maintain a broad range of interests, and an optional placement year offers work experience. You learn from expert, accessible, supportive staff who are skilled researchers in their field. Plymouth is the ideal setting as a vibrant urban environment surrounded by iconic rural and coastal landscapes.

Our geography degrees make the most of geography’s strengths in tackling head on the biggest global challenges we face. Modules have been designed to address many of the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals – developed by the UN as the 'blueprint to achieve a better and more sustainable future for all' – all of our degrees are fully accredited by the Royal Geographical Society (with IBG).

Key Features

• Our newly designed curriculum places sustainability challenges at the centre, with modules designed to help address the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.
• Choose from a range of physical and/or human geography choice modules so that you determine your degree pathway.
• Our supportive staff are expert researchers and many are world leaders in their field.
• Teaching is innovative and student-centred. You will learn through lectures, seminars, practicals, national and international residential fieldwork, tutorials and one-to-one dissertation support.
• Learn to use Geographical Information Systems to analyse and communicate complex spatial data.
• Take the opportunity to spend your second year studying abroad in Europe, Canada, Australia, USA or elsewhere through our bilateral and ISEP exchange programmes.
• Study on a course designed with a focus on employability and applied geography, supporting a range of career opportunities such as environmental consultancy, conservation and biogeography, earth science and hazard management, expedition work, and catchment management.
• Experience a valuable work placement programme, opening up a range of career opportunities.
• LABplus is a unique open access laboratory and resource centre designed for students studying science and engineering courses. The lab provides a flexible workspace, computing facilities, specialist software, access to microscopes, microscope cameras and bespoke resources.
• Benefit from our unique location, in the heart of the historical city of Plymouth, bordered by Dartmoor National Park as well as the Tamar Valley and South Hams Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty. Devon and Cornwall have glorious beaches, coasts, rivers and estuaries.Choose from a range of human, physical and environmental geography modules – our stimulating programme of geographical studies includes theory and practical elements.

Do you want to release your creative impulses and imagination, and nurture your intellectual drives whilst responding to real life design concerns? Studying BA (Hons) Architecture at the University of Plymouth will offer you an opportunity to do so! Our course – accredited by professional bodies (ARB and RIBA) – allows you to engage with current affairs and ever-changing global currents across multiple fields, whilst consciously being oriented towards proposing sensitive responses.

You will learn to think outside the box by engaging in multi-faceted and integrated processes of building design; covering subjects to do with architecture, urbanism and critical theories, to communications, sustainable systems and technologies. Doing this in a stimulating, dynamic and collegial environment will allow you to gain the confidence to ask questions, challenge inherited beliefs and gain skills employers value highly, whilst appreciating the built environment past, present and future.

 Environmental geochemistry is central to the environmental sector which has grown rapidly over the last decade. The global environmental consultancy market, a key destination for suitably skilled graduates, is currently increasing at its strongest rate for five years. Geochemical expertise is vital to many aspects of the day to day work of environmental consultants, civil, structural and mining engineers, environmental regulatory authorities, mining and oil companies.

Environmental geochemistry is the scientific discipline concerned with the sources, distribution and interactions of chemical elements in rocks, soils, waters, air and biological material. It particularly is tasked with studying a wide variety of environmental materials using a broad suite of analytical tools, inclusive of field measurements, chemical instrumentation and digital modelling methods.

You will learn how chemicals of environmental concern move through the environment, how to analyse them and how to interpret the data to support environmental management decisions. This involves using a broad suite of analytical tools, inclusive of field measurements, chemical instrumentation and digital modelling methods. Geochemical research guides oil exploration, can help improve water quality and is also used to develop plans to manage contaminated sites.

Key Features

Hydrography is crucial to the sustainable management of marine environments. Yet there is an international shortage of hydrographic surveyors, data processors and analysts, during a period when technology is rapidly advancing. Seize this opportunity to gain a thorough knowledge of the science and technology of hydrography, experiencing the practical application of modern methods and equipment involved in exploring and managing the seabed whilst preparing for a career in this growth area.

Key Features

Greatly enhance your employability in areas of international logistics and supply chain management with a programme that includes options to study abroad, gain a dual award title and join the Plymouth Nautical Degree Association (PYNDA) upon graduation. With this professionally accredited programme you develop commercial focus through our visiting speakers programme and benefit from a research-informed and technology-enhanced curriculum

Key Features

Experience research-informed education by exploring the scientific basis of human health, disease and therapeutics. You'll benefit from a rich and varied learning environment that highlights recent developments and examines how these inform clinical and diagnostic practice. Receive the input of internationally-recognised researchers and NHS staff and open up a range of employment opportunities in both industrial and public research laboratories.

You will stand out with a degree accredited by the Institute for Biomedical Science (IBMS) and benefit from an option to transfer to BSc (Hons) Applied Biomedical Science at the end of your second year, complete a yearlong NHS placement and work as a professional NHS Biomedical Scientist. You will enjoy our unique open access laboratory and resource centre designed for students studying science and engineering courses and have the opportunity to experience more with an optional placement year.

Key Features

• Stand out with a degree accredited by the Institute of Biomedical Science (IBMS).
• Delivered by the Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry and enhanced by links with healthcare professionals.
• Develop practical skills, critical thinking and professional competence.
• Taught components of the course are enriched by the varied research activities of staff within the school.
• LABplus is a unique open access laboratory and resource centre designed for students studying science and engineering courses. The lab provides a flexible workspace, computing facilities, specialist software, access to microscopes, microscope cameras and bespoke resources. 
• Experience more with an optional placement year.
• Gain a positive learning experience within a work setting that will support your studies and future employability – the school offers 12 work placements between Stage 2 and the final year of your programme.
• Ten research summer placements are available between the first and second year and 20 between the second and final year. These competitive placements are available for students who demonstrate excellent performance in their studies and allow students to gain valuable research experience within the Biomedical Research Group.