Exploration geology is concerned with the location of ore and other materials found within the earth. Their work is essential to energy and production industries as it acts as a starting point for extraction.
This MSc will equip students with specialist, essential knowledge and skills that are required when exploring and evaluating new mineral deposits around the world. As major orebodies are exhausted, the search for viable deposits in more complex geological terrains and in remote regions has intensified, creating a need for trained geologists able to carry out mineral exploration in varied environments.
The collection, interpretation and reporting of geoscientific data is the major focus of this course; based around a robust understanding of current theories for orebody genesis, exploration techniques and the application of industry-leading software. You will have the opportunity to gain experience in acquiring, synthesising and critically evaluating data from a range of remote sensing, geophysical, geochemical and drill hole sources. The programme provides pathways to careers in the national and international exploration and mining sectors as well as important transferable skills used in the broader geotechnical, site investigation and environmental industries.
Please note constituent modules and pathways may be updated, deleted or replaced in future years as a consequence of programme development. Details at any time may be obtained from the programme website.
The programme is delivered through a mix of lectures, workshops, tutorials, practical activities, case studies, industry visits, computer simulations, project work and a dissertation.
On this MSc programme you will receive a great deal of practical experience of working within the minerals industry. The programme aims to produce high-quality graduates who can enjoy high employment rates and easy transition into further PhD study. Emphasis remains on applied teaching and research relevant to careers in the earth resources and renewables sectors. Field visits and practical field-based assignments are used, where appropriate, to emphasise key areas within each module.
You will spend a significant proportion of your time in the field during the autumn term. Over the Easter period you are required to participate in an international field trip to visit mines and exploration projects in Scandinavia. This trip will prepare you to undertake typical greenfields and brownfields exploration work, including boulder tracing, stream sediment sampling and glacial till investigations, and link the results back to exploration targeting and existing operating mines.
From May to September you will undertake a major research project, usually in association with a mining/exploration company, and present a dissertation. Recent projects have been carried out in West Africa, Canada and Europe.
Examples of recent mineral exploration research projects
Join us for our Master Open Day to find out more about our courses.
Geophysics is the remote study of the Earth's interior through physical techniques – principally analysing seismic data, but also applying gravity, magnetic, electrical and electromagnetic methods.
It is a key element of oil, gas and mineral exploration, environmental and archaeological assessment, and engineering site investigation.
This course prepares you to embark on a career in resource exploration, environmental and engineering geophysics.
Running continuously for over 50 years it is very firmly established and has strong links to industry. It provides you with a broad range of practical skills, underpinned by a theoretical understanding that equips you to become a professional in your chosen field.
You will also undertake a four-month individual project, mostly in association with an external company or institute and often in their offices.
Demand for geophysicists continues to be high and this well-established course has an exceptionally good record of job placement for both UK/EU and overseas students.
Course highlights:
Application period/deadline: March 14 - 28, 2018
• High level education covering the whole mine value chain
• Shared courses in geosciences and engineering, including both theory and practice
• Excellent, cutting-edge infrastructure for research and education in close cooperation with the mining industry
The international master´s degree programme in Mineral Resources and Sustainable Mining (MRSM) is a two-year programme focusing on education in mining-related subjects. The programme provides master’s degrees in two fields: geosciences and engineering.
The specialisation lines in the field of geosciences are Economic Geology and Quaternary Geology and in the field of engineering sciences, they are Mining Engineering, Mineral Processing, and Applied Geophysics.
The programme will give you excellent skills and understanding on the whole mine value chain and principles of sustainable mining, including:
• Theoretical studies in geosciences and engineering
• Economical and environmental aspects of mining
• Hands-on practice in the well-equipped Oulu Mining School Research Centre and in the field
• The latest modelling and simulation education related to the topics
• Instrumental skills in mineral analytics
The two-year programme has five specialisation options:
Economic Geology focuses on characterisation of mineral deposits and geological processes behind their genesis, forming a basis for mineral exploration. Central topics include ore geology, regional geology, mineralogy, geochemistry, mining industry, and exploration. The obtained proficiency can be used in mineral exploration or exploitation of natural resources in private companies or research institutes.
Quaternary Geology covers a wide range of sub-disciplines including glacial geology, sedimentology, ore prospecting techniques, and hydrogeology. Education is also covering global change issues in the northern hemisphere and the Arctic. The programme will give in depth understanding of the properties of glacial sediments and deposits, their genesis and use for ore prospecting and for geotechnical purposes.
Mining Engineering covers a wide range of topics, including geotechnique, mining technologies, analysis of production capacity, and financing. The expertise can be used in design and management of metal mines as well as in other operations related to exploitation of raw materials.
Mineral Processing deals with the processes to economically separate valuable minerals from the ores. Oulu Mining School has unique, continuous mode in-house concentrating plant that provides an excellent infrastructure for training and education purposes. The environmental aspects of processing, health and safety in the plants, and collaboration with the mining industry are essential parts of education.
Applied geophysics concentrates on the basic phenomena in geophysics and how to apply the knowledge for example in exploration, mapping and management of natural resources, and in environmental and engineering studies. In the life cycle of a mine, geophysics plays an important role in all stages: before opening the mine in mineral exploration and resource assessment, during active mining operations in exploration for additional resources and environmental monitoring, and after the closure of the mine in environmental monitoring and mapping of potentially contaminated areas.
Graduating students understand and govern the technical, geological, financial, regulatory, environmental and social aspects of sustainable mining. Job opportunities exist in all fields related to the mining value chain including exploration, mining, mineral processing, and other kinds of rock engineering both in the industry and in research.
Please visit the school website for detailed information about the course.
Please vist the school website for further information.
The course unit details given below are subject to change, and are the latest example of the curriculum available on this course of study.
Please visit the school website for information on funding opportunities.
Practical support and advice for current students and applicants is available from the Disability Advisory and Support Service. Email: [email protected]
The petroleum industry is the largest employer of earth science graduates, with good employment prospects in the United Kingdom and overseas in oil companies, consultancies, service companies, government bodies, the financial sector, and in teaching and research. During the research project students normally have the opportunity to work within sponsor oil company offices, gaining valuable industrial experience. The MSc course has a very strong track record for employability.
In semester 1, we typically have oil companies visiting the School to provide careers information and seek applications (typically BG, BP, Shell, ConocoPhillips, Exxon, Hess, Talsiman, Neftex, Fugro etc). Some also interview in the University. This is in addition to the University career fairs and other employment events.
Petroleum Geoscience and Engineering at the University of Manchester has well-established links with the petroleum industry. Research is funded by a large number of international oil companies. Guest speakers are invited on a regular basis to the department. There is also an AAPG Student Chapter , PESGB Student Chapter, SPE Chapter and EAGE Chapter, which arrange meetings throughout the year.
Many of the academic staff teaching on the course have considerable petroleum industry experience or consult for the oil industry. In addition the teaching team has a very strong group of external lecturers, who are all active consultants or employees in the petroleum industry, and who bring considerable expertise and industrial links.
BP staff teach on the course, Shell teaches the Malampaya oil game which offers an insight into the industry.
Study petroleum and subsurface geoscience in Ireland and benefit from a modern interdisciplinary training delivered by leading researchers and industry specialists at University College Dublin.
UCD School of Earth Sciences provides a one-year full-time Petroleum Geoscience MSc. The course offers bright and motivated geoscience graduates a vocational training in the range of technical fields associated with hydrocarbon exploration and production, as a prelude to a career in the petroleum industry or to further studies at PhD level.
The UCD training experience:
· Covers all aspects of exploration, appraisal and development geoscience from pore to basin scale.
· Involves substantial field-based instruction (23 days) in classic outcrop locations including the Clare Basin, Ireland; Bristol Channel, UK; Pyrenees, Spain.
· Provides first-hand experience of typical industry workflows, experience with key industry software and a dedicated workstation for each student during the course.
· Involves problem-based learning drawing on a wide range of geophysical, subsurface, outcrop and ‘behind-outcrop’ datasets.
· Includes a three-month applied research project and possible industry placement.
Students accepted on to the course can apply for the Woodside Energy Masters Scholarship in Petroleum Geoscience (€15,000) and MSc Scholarship Opportunities in Petroleum-Related Courses from the Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment (up to €12,000). Please see here for further details.
Graduates from the course will be equipped with all the necessary technical and transferable skills for a career in the petroleum industry or further studies at PhD level. Past students have found employment with exploration and production companies (including Shell, Petronas and Providence). Ireland is an EU country, and has a 24-month stay-back option allowing non-EU MSc graduates to remain in Ireland, working or seeking employment, for two years following graduation.
Semester 1 covers modules in Petroleum Systems, Basin Analysis and Modelling, Seismic Techniques, Petrophysics, Depositional Systems and Structural Geology.
Semester 2 then focusses on Exploration Geology and Production Geoscience with team-based exercises mimicking industry asset-team projects. Geological field excursions are a key component of the course with three trips to see classic outcrops of the Clare Basin (western Ireland), Bristol Channel and Wessex Basins (southern England) and the Ebro Basin (Pyrenees, Spain).
During the final semester students undertake a three-month independent research project on an exploration or development related theme with opportunities for summer internships working on company data.
The course builds on significant in-house research expertise in frontier exploration, rift and hyper-extended basin evolution, reservoir sedimentology, geophysical imaging techniques, fault analysis and reservoir and fluid flow modelling. Teaching is delivered by highly experienced academic staff, many of who have previously worked within industry and are recognised international leaders in a variety of petroleum geoscience disciplines.
The UCD School of Earth Sciences has an internationally recognised reputation for excellence in teaching and research. It is the lead participant and host for the Irish Centre for Research in Applied Geosciences (iCRAG) which conducts research in hydrocarbons, geophysics, 3D modelling and marine geoscience, as well as in geochemistry, geophysics, groundwater and raw materials.
Founded in 1854, University College Dublin is Ireland’s Global University with 235,000 alumni across 165 countries. The university is ranked number 1 in Ireland for Earth & Marine Sciences (QS World University Subject Rankings 2017).
Application can be made via the UCD webpage here. There is a rolling deadline for this course until such time as all places have been filled; therefore early application is advised. Course entry will generally require a minimum 2.1 Honours degree or equivalent in Geology, Geoscience, Earth Science, Geophysics or a cognate discipline but relevant industrial experience will also be taken into account.
Click here to visit the MSc Petroleum Geoscience page on the University College Dublin website to find out more and apply!
This course is ideally situated to take advantage of the oil and gas industry in Aberdeen city and its industry experts who also have a strong input into the programme content and structure. This combination of academic overview and industry expertise ensures that you have a good range of skills and knowledge which is applicable to the global oil and gas and energy market so ideal if you are international or work or want to work internationally. Your skills are ideally placed to scope out maximising oil field recovery from declining field areas on top of upstream geoscience knowledge from initial exploration to mature and declining field recovery.
Aberdeen has been running this programme since 1973 to the current day, learning with the energy industry which is located in Aberdeen itself. This means that the programme is not only robust drawing on historical learning relevant to the current day, but highly regarded internationally. This strength of knowledge feeds down directly to you as a student and afterwards as a highly trained professional within the energy market.
Regarded as the best of its kind in the world the programme gives you vocational training in geoscience skills for minerals exploration and production, including: seismic interpretation, petrophysical analysis, geochemical evaluation, sedimentology, structural analysis, and reservoir modelling.
Semester 1
Semester 2
Semester 3
Find out more detail by visiting the programme web page
Find out about international fees:
Find out more about fees on the programme page
*Please be advised that some programmes also have additional costs.
View all funding options on our funding database via the programme page and the latest postgraduate opportunities
Find out more about:
Find out more about living in Aberdeen and living costs
This full time 12 month intensive programme is designed to provide advanced specialised training for earth science graduates, leading to excellent employment opportunities in the extractive industry. It is suitable for those who already have an honours degree in geology, mining/minerals engineering or a related subject.
You will attain a comprehensive understanding of the role of a geoscientist working in the mining industry. New skills include underground geological and geotechnical mapping, surveying, mineral exploration, ore microscopy, ore deposit modelling and mine planning. In-depth coverage of mineral resource estimation and grade control, mineral extraction and management, mining law and the environmental impact of mining, enable skills in quantifying the economic value of an ore body and assessing its potential for exploitation to be attained. There is emphasis on acquiring knowledge of the geological characteristics and genesis, methods of exploration, extraction and processing techniques of the major types of metalliferous ore deposit, bulk commodities and industrial minerals.
Taught modules are presented over two semesters and individual projects are undertaken throughout the summer vacation, often as industrial placements with a mining/exploration company. Recent projects have been carried out in all major mining countries on six continents, including Australia, Tanzania, Mongolia, Chile as well as in the UK.
You will study 180 credits to obtain an MSc and 120 credits for a PgDip
The compulsory modules can include;
Some examples of the optional modules are;
The modules listed here provide examples of what you can expect to learn on this degree course based on recent academic teaching. The precise modules available to you in future years may vary depending on staff availability and research interests, new topics of study, timetabling and student demand
Formal teaching ends in late April/May with a field excursion to examine the geology and visit mines in an area of the world famous for its mining activity. Extensive use is made of Camborne School of Mines' underground mine facilities, laboratories, mineral processing pilot plant, and the superb field geology and extractive industry operations in South West England.
You will gain much from the strong emphasis on research in this programme. Besides enhancing knowledge and skills in numerous specialised courses, including a field-mapping course, you will conduct your own master’s thesis project within a research team (professor(s), postdoc(s), PhD-student(s)) and at the same time develop important scientific skills, such as reporting and presenting, needed in your future career.
This is an initial Master's programme and can be followed on a full-time or part-time basis.
The master’s programme offers 4 different majors: Geodynamics and Georesources, Surface Processes and Paleoenvironments, Geology of Basins and Soil and Groundwater.
The programme is firmly rooted in the research of the Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences (KU Leuven) and the Department of Geology (Ghent University). Both departments continuously develop and maintain innovative and widely recognised research programmes on fundamental and applied aspects of geoscience. These generally involve collaborative efforts in various international research networks.
As a Master in Geology you may be involved in development tasks, research or management functions. In consultancy, you are likely to find a job in environmental geology, hydrogeology or geotechnology. In industry, you will be involved in exploration, exploitation andtreatment of natural resources. In governmental agencies and research institutions, you may be responsible for the inventory, management, research and use of the subsurface or for environmental issues.
If you dream of an academic career, you can start by embarking on a PhD-project in Leuven, Ghent, or elsewhere.
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