2020/21 Undergraduate Programme Catalogue

MGeol, BSc Geological Sciences (International)

Total credits: 480

Entry requirements:

Direct admissions via UCAS to this degree programme are now closed.

School/Unit responsible for the parenting of students and programme:

School of Earth and Environment

Examination board through which the programme will be considered:

School of Earth and Environment

Relevant QAA Subject Benchmark Groups:

https://www.qaa.ac.uk/docs/qaa/subject-benchmark-statements/subject-benchmark-statement-earth-sciences-environmental-sciences-and-environmental-studies.pdf

Professional Body Offering Accreditation:

Accredited by the Geological Society of London

Programme specification:

Students on this four year Integrated Masters programme spend their first two years in Leeds, spend their third year studying abroad at one of our many partner Universities, and complete their final year in Leeds. The programme offers students the opportunity:

- to be educated across the full range of Geological Sciences, encouraging and enabling students to acquire a good background of geological knowledge;
- to be trained in field and relevant laboratory techniques;
- the opportunity to deepen and broaden their geological studies within an International academic culture, and carry out fieldwork at world-class geological sites abroad;
- the opportunity to experience a year abroad in an alternative social and cultural environment;
- to develop investigative and communication skills;
- to gain a strong foundation for those who will embark on postgraduate study and/or careers as professional geologists, with an emphasis upon Masters level independent research plus Masters level taught modules in applied subjects during year 4;
- to access a course of sufficient breadth and intellectual training to suit the needs of those who will eventually work outside the subject area.

The degree programme is accredited by the Geological Society. Graduates from an accredited course gain fast-track progression towards obtaining Chartered Geologist status, which is the key professional qualification for a career in some commercial spheres of employment.

The programme fulfils national subject benchmark criteria in terms of:

- developing a multi-disciplinary and an interdisciplinary approach to Earth systems, an holistic view of the materials, structure, processes and interactions of the Earth's core, mantle, crust, hydrosphere, atmosphere and biosphere;
- developing an understanding of major geoscience paradigms including uniformitarianism, geological time, plate tectonics, and evolution of life on Earth and an appreciation of relevant temporal and spatial scales;
- allowing students to become equipped with Earth science terminology and nomenclature, and the skills to identify and for the classification of Earth materials;
- providing methods of acquiring, interpreting and analysing field and laboratory data with a critical understanding of the appropriate contexts for their use, including the collection and documentation of geological field data, for production and interpretation of geological maps;
- enabling students to develop an awareness of issues concerning the exploration, development, exploitation, sustainability and different value sets relating to Earth resources, to contribute to informed debate on aspects of Earth science including human impacts on the environment and the impacts of geohazards on human societies, and to appreciate the contribution of the subject of Earth science to the development of knowledge and its applicability to the world of work.

The strengths of the degree programme here in Leeds include:

- a learning experience within an environment of active research;
- strong theoretical and applied themes developed and interlinked;
- emphasis on field skills and independent mapping or laboratory projects;
- extensive communication, employment-related and team skills development;
- excellent preparation for postgraduate research or further taught Masters programmes;

Students are allocated to partner universities by the Study Abroad Office during the first semester of their second year. In selecting their modules, students are encouraged to take advantage of fieldwork opportunities, and to take “400” – honours-level – courses where possible, but should consult with tutors regarding pre-requisites and bearing in mind variations in year, level and programme structures across destination universities. The details of what is studied during a year abroad vary depending on the destination and will be agreed prior to departure in discussion with your programme leader and SEE's study abroad coordinator.

Progression criteria: Unless extenuating circumstances determine otherwise, the following conditions shall apply. Students are normally expected to maintain an average mark of at least 65 in their 1st year in order to remain on the programme. In addition students will also be expected to maintain an average mark of at least 60 in their 2nd year in order to remain on the programme. If a student fails to maintain these requirements they will be transferred to the BSc equivalent programme.

Transfer arrangements: Students transferring to the MGeol Geological Sciences programme from the BSc Geological Sciences programme are expected to attain a minimum 60% average in year 1 and year 2, and transfer is conditional upon securing a study abroad place at one of the approved partner Universities. Dropping below 60% in second year with automatically lead to transfer onto a BSc (International) programme.

Students who fail the year abroad will automatically revert to the relevant BSc programme and will take the 3rd (final) year of the BSc programme in Leeds.

Rules for Award: At the end of the year abroad, the School receives a transcript from the exchange university showing the grades received for each module. These grades are then converted to Leeds marks using a formula specific to each partner institution and specified in the learning contract. The mark achieved during the year abroad is represented by the module SOEE9001 (120 credits).

The marks for 2nd, 3rd and 4th years are combined in the ratio 1:1:1 or 1:1:2 to achieve the highest average.

Year1 - View timetable

[Learning Outcomes, Transferable (Key) Skills, Assessment]

This programme is being taught out, so there is no Year 1, or Year 2 of this programme.

If you are interested in the content of this programme, please look at BSc Geology instead.

Year2 - View timetable

[Learning Outcomes, Transferable (Key) Skills, Assessment]

Year3 - View timetable

[Learning Outcomes, Transferable (Key) Skills, Assessment]

Due to the effects of COVID-19 pandemic on the academic session 2020-21, our typical level 3 structure for the MGeol variant of Geological Sciences may not be possible. This catalogue shows the plans that have been put in place, as of June 2020, to cope with the situation.
If the conditions allow, i.e., travel is safe and permissible between the UK and host country, the host institution will accept admissions, and the criteria detailed by the University administration and study abroad office are met, then the year abroad might take place as normal. We would note, however, that given ongoing pandemic restrictions and the possibility of renewed waves of infection, this may not be feasible.

Compulsory modules:

Exchange Universities for Geological Sciences currently include:
- Purdue University, USA
- University of California, USA (Campuses: Davis, Los Angeles, Santa Barbara, San Diego)
- Colorado School of Mines, USA
- University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, USA
- Queens University, Canada
- University of Alberta, Canada
- University of Calgary, Canada
- University of Western Australia, Australia
- University of Queensland, Australia
- ANU, Australia
- University of Adelaide, Australia
- Victoria University of Wellington, New Zealand
- Western University, Canada
- Penn State University, USA
- Dalhousie University, Canada
- University of Toronto, Canada
- University of Victoria, Canada
- University of Auckland, New Zealand
In addition, an MGeol degree can be allowed with a year at the following foreign language partner(s), IF the language
capability of the student is at a comparable level to a native speaker:
ETH Zurich

Optional modules:

Candidates may select to take a partial year in Leeds, with the intention to take a second semester abroad. As circumstances may vary due to changing pandemic restrictions, the boundary between partial and full study in Leeds is designed to be flexible.

We would note that taking a module at level 3 will mean that the equivalent module cannot be taken subsequently at level 5 due to syllabus overlap. Students should bear this in mind when selecting modules

For the academic session 2020-2021, candidates may select one of the following options;

OPTION 1: SOEE9001 (Full year abroad)

OPTION 2: A semester abroad SOEE9001X (a Semester abroad) + 1 semester (60 Credits) based in Leeds

Candidates taking the full year in Leeds will be transferred onto the Non-international variant of this degree.

Or:
2. A partial year in Leeds, with the intention to take a second semester abroad, or, should that not be possible or desirable, a full third year in Leeds. As circumstances may vary due to changing pandemic restrictions, the boundary between partial and full study in Leeds is designed to be flexible.

OPTION 1 (full year abroad)
Candidates may select to study a year abroad (SOEE9001) A mark for this module is calculated according to a translation scheme specific to each destination:

Or:
OPTION 2 (semester 2 abroad)
Candidates intending to take semester 1 in Leeds and semester 2 abroad should select SOEE9001X (semester 2 abroad - 60 credits)
AND 40-60 credits from the following semester 1 modules with the option of selecting up to 20 credits of Level 3 Discovery modules

Discovery modules:

Candidates can select a maximum of 20 credits of discovery modules.

Discovery modules:

We note that some partner universities are offering remote learning opportunities for one or both semesters; others have offered deferral of the year abroad to be a single semester abroad, if conditions allow for the start of the second session. These may be appropriate for some students but provision is variable according to the partner university. As a result of the need for flexibility, we at Leeds have developed the following structure to accommodate as far as possible the academic needs of the students whilst retaining the possibility of a semester abroad. The proposed structure of the degree for third year MGeol students (as of June 2020) is therefore:

Either:
1. A full year abroad running as normal if the criteria are met (SOEE9001)
2. A semester abroad (SOEE9001X) AND one semester (60 credits) in Leeds
3. Both semesters 1 and 2 (120 credits) in Leeds

Year4 - View timetable

[Learning Outcomes, Transferable (Key) Skills, Assessment]

Compulsory modules:

Students will be required to study the following modules:

Optional modules:

Students MUST take at least ONE of the following fieldtrip modules:

Students will be required to study 30 credits from the following optional modules.
Students who select SOEE5232M cannot take SOEE5630M

Last updated: 28/05/2021 09:04:11

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