Gwyddor Daear Amgylcheddol

What can I do with a degree in Environmental Earth Sciences?

Our graduates have, for example, found employment as environmental consultants, planners, civil servants, surveyors, and in education amongst man other things.

Employability is embedded within all courses provided by us. Our degrees provide a solid foundation for a vast array of careers across a range of sectors. In a rapidly shifting global economy, our graduates are adaptable and able to draw on a range of transferable skills, ensuring that they are always in demand.

The skill sets include:

• Enhanced mathematical and computational skills
• Effective problem solving and creative thinking skills
• Information technology skills
• Ability to work independently and as part of a team
• Time-management, organisational skills
• Communication skills both written and oral
• Self-motivation and self-reliance

What work experience opportunities exist whilst studying? 

Click here to find out about the various opportunities that our Aberystwyth University Careers team offer. 

Enhance your employability prospects with GO Wales and YES (Year in Employment Scheme) managed by our Careers department. 

Bursaries are also available to support shorter student placements during the holiday period. Each year we host a competition which invites students to share their work experiences via a report and oral presentation, with the winners receiving a prize and feedback from members of the business community who sit on a judging panel.

International Opportunities:

Alongside employment experience, independent travel is also acknowledged as a key ingredient in student development. To support this, we offer bursaries to support undergraduate travel. Recent destinations have included Uganda, Madagascar, Peru, Mount Etna and the United States.

DGES has also established Erasmus Exchange Programmes with the University of Bergen, the University of Oulu, Finland, and the University Centre in Svalbard, giving students the unique experience of studying in one of the world’s most extreme environments. We also have strong links with a number of universities in North America, where students can complete their second year of study. In recent years, our Exchange Co-ordinator has overseen placements at Purdue University (Indiana), the University of Alabama, the University of Georgia, the University of Montana and the University of Ottawa in Canada.

What will I learn?

The breakdown below will provide you with an illustration of what you may study during the three year degree scheme.

In your first year you will be introduced to:

• Primary (solid earth) and secondary (surface processes) environments
• Past and present Environmental changes
• Potential for predicting future changes in our climate and environment
• Field and laboratory skills spanning geology and physical geography

In your second year you will discover;

• Geochemistry
• The methods of chemical analysis of natural materials
• How to apply geophysical and geographical techniques used in site investigations
• Quantitative and qualitative datasets

In your third year you will undertake;

• Independent research project or dissertation
• Optional modules including: engineering geology, process glaciology, volcanic activity among many others.

How will I be taught?

Our courses are taught through lectures, seminars, laboratory and computer practical classes, small group tutorials, field courses and individual supervision of project work.

How will I be assessed?

We assess our students through a different range of methods. Some modules are assessed in part through traditional exams, but some have elements of coursework. We also have some modules that may require the student to produce practical reports, oral presentations, the design of web pages, production of short films, or contribution to online discussion forums. Some modules, notably the tutorials and field courses are assessed entirely through coursework. 

Environmental Earth Science offers a unique look at the environmental geology of the universe, with topics ranging from planetary formation to hydrochemistry to lab techniques. You can be sure of never being bored! Pendle Hill

Environmental Earth Science is a course that gives you all that you need to have a great time at university. The lectures are amazing, the lecturers are awesome and the work is engaging. From the first day you are made to feel that you are valued as a student and as an Earth Scientist. The work, while hard, is always interesting and you get the chance to meet some amazing people along the way. The course fully stands up to the expectations I had when I applied. Sebastian Charles Taylor

Great facilities, great lecturers, great course all round! Ben Auton