Masters Degrees (Geoscience)

The Applied Petroleum Geoscience programme is a unique programme in subsurface geoscience and exploration at Heriot-Watt University.

This year-long MSc mainly focuses on petroleum geoscience, but it is closely linked with other MSc programmes and research groups in petroleum engineering and reservoir geology at Heriot-Watt's Institute of Petroleum Engineering. The programme is also applicable to non-petroleum subsurface geoscience subjects, such as CO2 storage and groundwater flow.

More information about the MSc is available in Heriot-Watt's online prospectus: http://www.postgraduate.hw.ac.uk/prog/msc-petroleum-geoscience-petgeo-/

About the programme

The MSc in Applied Petroleum Geoscience provides students with a thorough training in aspects of subsurface geology, geophysics and geo-engineering, relating to the exploration, appraisal and development of subsurface resources.

Although the programme mainly focuses on exploration for hydrocarbon resources, and delineation of hydrocarbon reservoirs in the subsurface, the skills and knowledge learned in this subject are applicable to all subsurface geoscience areas, including groundwater exploration, waste disposal or CO2 sequestration.

Project work, both as groups and individually is part of the programme. Two fieldtrips are also a permanent part of the course.

Topics covered:
=============
• Reservoir Concepts
• Petroleum Basins
• Formation Evaluation
• Reservoir Sedimentology
• Geomechanics and Flow Mechanics
• Petroleum Systems Analysis
• Petroleum Geophysics
• Stratigraphy and Reservoir Quality

For more information on the programme content, including course descriptions, please visit: https://www.hw.ac.uk/study/uk/postgraduate/petroleum-geoscience-petgeo.htm

Professional recognition

The Applied Petroleum Geoscience MSc is accredited by the Institute of Materials, Minerals and Mining (IOM3) and Energy Institute (EI).

Career opportunities

Recent graduates of the Applied Petroleum Geoscience MSc have gone into further research or to work in geoscience departments of major oil and gas companies as well as industry service organisations, contractors and small local companies. Companies who have employed some of the past students include Shell and Petroceltic here in the UK, and a number of other companies worldwide including Tullow, GNPC, and Total.

English language requirements

If your first language is not English, or your first degree was not taught in English, we’ll need to see evidence of your English language ability. The minimum requirement for English language is IELTS 6.5 or equivalent.

We offer a range of English language courses: http://www.hw.ac.uk/study/english.htm

Read less

The hydrocarbon industry is crucial to provide us with domestic energy, transportation, plastics and other everyday needs. Petroleum Geoscience by Distance Learning with the University of London lets you earn a Masters degree in this booming sector which fits around your work or family commitments.

Choose from a range of course modules to tailor your learning, studying online over a period of years to earn your MSc. This flexible programme lets you choose between the standard course structure, a postgraduate diploma or a series of individual taught courses, letting you fit your studies around your daily life.

You’ll graduate with a Masters degree from the University of London by studying with the University of London International Programmes featuring academic direction from the renowned Royal Holloway Department of Earth Sciences, which is consistently ranked among the UK’s top 10. The programme finishes with a one-week field trip and research project, letting you contribute to our leading research culture while you develop your skills and knowledge.

Royal Holloway is recognised as one of the world’s premier training centres for the hydrocarbon industry, and has run a Petroleum Geoscience MSc programme since 1985. We’ve established invaluable links within the industry while helping over 600 graduates from 32 countries progress into rewarding careers in the Earth Sciences. Study Petroleum Geoscience (by Distance Learning) to enhance your career development without the need for full-time study. 

• Benefit from a pioneering research culture, with 94% of Department of Earth Sciences research ranked world-leading or internationally excellent – no.2 in the UK (REF 2014).
• Graduate with a Masters degree developed and taught by a department consistently ranked among the UK’s top 10 (The Complete University Guide and The Guardian 2016).
• Study a programme recognised internationally as one of the industry’s best.
• Benefit from adaptable part-time learning fitted around your daily life.

Course structure

• Tectonics and Lithosphere Dynamics
• Geophysical Analysis
• Structural Analysis
• Petroleum Systems
• Sedimentology
• Reservoir Geoscience
• Independent Project

Teaching & assessment

Full details of the assessment process can be found on the University of London International Programmes website.

This course may be studied up to 5 years part-time.

Your future career

Petroleum Geoscience (by Distance Learning) lets you earn a desirable Masters degree while studying part-time alongside employment. You’ll graduate with excellent employment prospects in a sector with many well-paid career opportunities in the UK and abroad, as well as the option to progress into further postgraduate study. 

Royal Holloway, University of London has taught a Petroleum Geoscience programme since 1985, and it’s now recognised as one of the premier training facilities in the hydrocarbon industry. You’ll benefit from strong industry links, and a track record of helping 600 graduates from 32 countries progress to rewarding careers in the Earth Sciences.

• The MSc is ideal for hydrocarbon industry professionals who wish to develop their knowledge and skills alongside their work;
• Graduates will be trained in the skills needed to address a range of exploration and production challenges;
• You'll join a worldwide network of alumni who are successful industry professionals in oil companies, geoscience IT, consultancy, and academia.

PLEASE NOTE: All applications must be made through the University of London International Programmes website University of London application.

Read less

The hydrocarbon industry is one of our most important sectors, helping to cater for needs as diverse as domestic energy, transportation and plastics manufacturing. Our flexible MSc in Petroleum Geoscience provides you with the ideal training for a career in the hydrocarbon industry and related sectors. 

Our teaching on Petroleum Geoscience at Royal Holloway, University of London is informed by leading research and links to the international oil industry, meaning that you’ll benefit from the most relevant, up-to-date learning. The programme lets you select from a range of course modules to tailor your learning to your own preferences and ambitions.  

You’ll study in the renowned Department of Earth Sciences, which is consistently ranked among the UK’s top 10 (The Complete University Guide and The Guardian 2016) – contributing towards our leading research culture with your own Independent Research Project. You’ll become a part of a vibrant international graduate community, and make use of our extensive range of modern facilities as you work towards a rewarding future career. 

Our Petroleum Geoscience MSc has run since 1985, and has become recognised as one of the world’s premier training centres for the hydrocarbon industry. We’ve established excellent industry links, and have helped over 600 graduates from 32 countries progress into rewarding careers. Study Petroleum Geoscience at Royal Holloway and you’ll graduate with excellent employment prospects in a well-paid sector with job opportunities across the globe.

• Benefit from a pioneering research culture, with 94% of Department of Earth Sciences research ranked world-leading or internationally excellent – no.2 in the UK. (REF 2014)
• Graduate with a Masters degree from a department consistently ranked among the UK’s top 10 (The Complete University Guide and The Guardian 2016).
• Study a programme internationally recognised as one of the industry’s best.
• Graduate with excellent employability prospects in the UK and overseas.

Course structure

Core modules

• Tectonics and Lithosphere Dynamics
• Geophysical Analysis
• Structural Analysis
• Petroleum Systems
• Independent Project

Optional modules

In addition to these mandatory course units there are a number of optional course units available during your degree studies. The following is a selection of optional course units that are likely to be available. Please note that although the College will keep changes to a minimum, new units may be offered or existing units may be withdrawn, for example, in response to a change in staff. Applicants will be informed if any significant changes need to be made.

You will take either Sedimentology and Regional Tectonic Analysis or Reservoir Geoscienceand Advanced Structural Analysis.

• Sedimentology
• Regional Tectonic Analysis
• Reservoir Geoscience
• Advanced Structural Analysis

Teaching & assessment

The taught course units are assessed by a combination of written exams and coursework. Each of the six units comprises 10% of the total assessment for the MSc course. The remaining 40% of the assessment comes from the Independent Research Project.

Your future career

Petroleum Geoscience at Royal Holloway, University of London was first established in 1985, giving us ample time to build valuable links with the international oil industry. We’re now recognised worldwide as one of the hydrocarbon industry’s premier training facilities, having helped more than 600 graduates from 32 countries progress into rewarding careers in the Earth Sciences. 

This flexible Masters programme will equip you with a range of skills and knowledge necessary to achieve a fulfilling career in a sector with many well-paid career opportunities in the UK and abroad. There is huge demand for well qualified petroleum geoscientists, and as we’re considered world leaders in the field, you’ll graduate as a highly desirable candidate for employers in a variety of sectors. 

• Jobs fairs, skills workshops and visits from industry representatives provide students with excellent career opportunities.
• 90% of graduates in work or further education within six months of graduating.
• Graduate with a desirable Masters degree from a recognised world-leader in the hydrocarbon industry.

Read less

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.

 Scholarships Available

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.

Career opportunities

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.

Course Content

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. 

 

Staff

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.

 

UCD School of Earth Sciences

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). 

 

How to Apply?

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!

Read less

Petroleum geology (oil and gas geology) is a large sector which employs 1000s of graduates every year. Globally there is an increasing demand for skilled petroleum geoscientists who can provide the quantitative, reservoir-focused geoscience skills needed by the hydrocarbon industry to maximize the rate of production and optimize recovery (total oil/gas) from a field. This MSc reflects the slow change of emphasis from exploration to production geoscience in mature basins such as the North Sea and Europe's Atlantic Margin.

The MSc in Petroleum Reservoir Geoscience at Liverpool is unique in the UK and links in closely with oil and gas industry professionals to develop graduates with specific knowledge and focus on the reservoir side of Petroleum Geoscience. This new MSc develops Geology, Geophysics and general Geoscience knowledge and skills, giving you the opportunity to gain expertise and experience to prepare you for your future career.

This MSc will explore the basinal context of petroleum reservoirs and introduce you to petroleum economics and risk & uncertainty analysis. You will gain in depth knowledge of how to define the shape, structure, stratigraphy and volume of reservoirs using remote sensing and geological models, as well as how to define rock properties with advanced seismic techniques. You will work with petrophysical data acquired from wells, to develop your understanding of structure and stratigraphy of the reservoir and incorporate data from drill-core.

In addition, you will develop your knowledge of reservoir sedimentology, fluid geochemistry and dynamic data analysis and simulation to refine the geological model. You will also use learn about using appropriate outcrop analogues and correlation techniques.

Outcrop studies and field work will include visits to rural and coastal locations around the UK (from northern Scotland to southern England) at sites where many of the reservoirs in the North Sea and other UK basins outcrop at the surface.

Guest lectures from world leading experts in academia and industry will be held throughout the course and give you the opportunity to incorporate the latest techniques, challenges and requirements for petroleum reservoir geoscience into your studies.

The 12-month course runs from September and consists of a taught component and a dissertation, totaling 180 credits.

The taught component represents 120 credits and is organised into two 12-week semesters with assessment or examinations at the end of each semester in January and May. The remaining 60 credits are allocated to the research project.

Assessment is by a combination of: examinations, coursework, teamwork, assessed field work and presentations and an individual dissertation.

Why Earth and Ocean Sciences?

Leaders in our field

Our staff are leaders in their fields and we're well-funded for both research and teaching.

We'll encourage and train you to publish academic papers

It's not unusual for our students to leave with two to three papers published in international peer-reviewed journals.

Career prospects

The MSc in Petroleum Reservoir Geoscience at Liverpool has been designed following detailed discussions with senior industry professionals in major oil and gas companies and with senior figures in some of the UK's largest consultancy companies who provide services to the oil and gas industry. Together, they have helped shape the MSc in order to provide successful graduates from this course with the maximum chance of obtaining well-paid, fulfilling careers.

Taken together, the course leader (programme director) and course teachers have wide experience of applied studies and research work joint with the oil and gas industry and are acknowledged leaders in their fields. They have worked with companies including: BP, Shell, ExxonMobil, Chevron, ConocoPhillips, Eni, Statoil, Saudi Aramco, Petrobras, BG, Woodside, Nexen, Total, BHP, EnQuest, Taqa, Fairfield, CNR, Dana, as well as a range of companies that provide services to the oil industry. They have undertaken joint oil and gas industry projects in many parts of the world including: UK, Norway, Ireland, France, the Netherlands, Belgium, Germany, USA, Canada, Brazil, Equador, Turkey, Greece, Egypt, Morocco, the Sudan, Yemen, Saudi Arabia, Abu Dhabi, Azerbaijan, Russia, Indonesia, India, Columbia and the Philippines. This breadth of experience and contacts demonstrate the international relevance of this MSc.

It is expected that graduates from this MSc will be in high demand from the petroleum industry but its graduates may seek to continue their studies towards a PhD in this area.

Read less

Geoscience provides essential guidance on how we can manage many of society’s most pressing future challenges. Whether it is reducing the impact of natural threats, exploiting resources more responsibly or developing new economic livelihoods, geoscientific knowledge has a critical role to play in effective geo-environmental decision making. With a holistic scientific approach and interdisciplinary problem-solving skills, our geoscience graduates will be at the forefront of sustainable thinking.

Key features

-Plymouth’s Sustainable Earth Institute provides the ideal research platform to explore how interdisciplinary thinking can build a more resilient world.
-With a hinterland that includes UNESCO-designated 'Cornwall and West Devon Mining Landscape', 'Jurassic Coast' and 'English Riviera Geopark', we live in a region where geology underpins local communities.
-South-west England’s long heritage of metal and clay mining provides a cultural and environmental legacy of both the benefits and costs of geological exploitation.
-Active engagement with local and international mining, quarrying and energy companies - including the newest UK metals mine on our doorstep – this provides industrial links and career opportunities.
-International fieldwork in areas celebrated for their geodiversity and geo-resources provide excellent natural laboratories for exploring sustainable geoscience.
-A research-based project allows you to apply your broad geoscience skill set to real-world problems, working with industry, a non-governmental organisation (NGO), or leading research academics.
-Modules are assessed 100 per cent by coursework, designed to reflect the outputs of the industry, readying you for what you are likely to be asked to do in your job.

Course details

The programme will outline the broad context of sustainable geoscience, showcasing a range of geological issues that challenge the modern world. Mineral, energy and water resources are the engine of economic development and national security, yet also a critical threat to the health and well being of ourselves and our environment, so we examine the societal issues around resource management. The programme also explores how the natural diversity of rocks and landscapes maintain cultural heritage and sustain tourism, providing communities with alternative economic livelihoods. More broadly, the programme sets geoscientific concerns in the wider national and global sustainable development framework and the interdisciplinary thinking that underpins it to give a holistic geo-perspective on sustainability science.

Core modules
-GEES515 Professional Practice in the Environmental Sector
-GEES516 Science, Society and Environmental Governance
-GEES517 Environmental Assessment
-GEES520 MSc Dissertation
-GEOL5006 Sustainable Geoscience: Research and Communication
-GEOL5007 Sustainable Minerals and Mining

Optional modules
-GEES518 Professional Experience in Environmental Management
-GEOL5008 Geodiversity and Geoheritage

The modules shown for this course or programme are those being studied by current students, or expected new modules. Modules are subject to change depending on year of entry.

Read less

Overview

Our MSc in Geoscience Research is a research-focused postgraduate taught master's course with industry and international placement opportunities designed for a career in research, academia or a discipline related work setting.

The course consists of six modules spread over three semesters, including an extensive research project in geoscience, environmental science or physical geography.

Project areas range from applied and environmental geophysics to igneous petrology, volcanology, Quaternary environments, palaeoclimates, palaeoceanography, biogeochemistry, landscape ecology, sedimentology, palaeontology, renewable and alternative energy, and petroleum geoscience.

A distinct feature of this master’s programme is the opportunity for UK students to complete a placement at one of several European, North American and Asian partner institutions, all of which have established research links with Keele staff. However, as a UK student, you can also choose to carry out your research project here at Keele or in collaboration with local or UK-based industry. As an international student, you will undertake your research and placement at Keele University under the supervision of international experts in their chosen research area.

The emphasis on the substantial ‘hands on’ research training with the provision of an international placement option makes this programme unique within the Higher Education Sector in the UK and will thus increase your employability. We believe that this will help to develop future employees with an international outlook.

The MSc Geoscience Research programme at Keele offers the added value of the Distinctive Keele Curriculum (DKC), which develops students' intellectual, personal and professional capabilities (Keele Graduate Attributes) through both subject-specific and generic workshops and activities.

See the website https://www.keele.ac.uk/pgtcourses/geoscienceresearch/

Course Aims

The principal aim of this Masters course is to develop your generic and specific research skills in an area of the Geosciences or related scientific disciplines, which will enhance your employment prospects. On completion of the programme you will:

- Have a systematic understanding of knowledge, and a critical awareness of current problems and/or new insights, much of which is at, or informed by, the forefront of the chosen research area in Geosciences;

- Gain a conceptual understanding to evaluate critically current research and advanced scholarship in the discipline area;

- Be able to evaluate methodologies and develop critiques of them and, where appropriate, to propose new hypotheses;

- Possess developed scientific skills and knowledge, and transferable skills, in a UK-based or international workplace setting;

- Have a comprehensive understanding of techniques applicable to your own research;

- Attain organisational and commercial awareness.

For those students undertaking a placement/research project in Europe the work and achievement on the programme will be documented in the EU Europass, a record of achievement signed by all parties. All students are required to pursue the University’s ‘Realise’ scheme which enables them to identify their personal and professional skills and development needs.

Course Content

The MSc programme is full-time for 12 months, starting in September.

The programme comprises six modules including a research project/placement which is undertaken either at Keele University or on placement with a host institution overseas:

- Research Skills (30 credits)

- Literature Review (15 credits)

- Modern Language Module* or Academic English for Postgraduate Students** or Geoscience Option Module*** (15 credits)

- Research Project Design and Management (30 credits)

- Dissertation (90 credits)

*Students undertaking their research project at a host institution overseas will choose a modern language module or a language and culture module for their international placement.

**International students for whom English is not their first language will take Academic English for Postgraduate Students to further improve their English language skills.

*** UK/Native English speaking international students undertaking their research project at Keele University or a host institution in the UK can take a selected Geoscience option module relevant to their research area. These may include: Natural Hazards; Glaciers & Glacial Geomorphology; Global Environmental Change; Water Resources; Hydrological & Engineering Geology; Structure and Geodynamics; Economic Geology; Advanced Topics in Sedimentology; Exploration Geophysics for the Hydrocarbon Industry; Petroleum Geology; Volcanic and Magmatic Processes.

Teaching & Assessment

You will be taught by experienced, well qualified and enthusiastic staff. All of the staff are research active within the discipline, accomplished at working on research funded work both nationally and internationally. The programme team are enthusiastic to share their teaching, research and professional experience to help you achieve success in your studies.

You will complete formal assessment on all modules. Assessments will include presentations, reflective diary, reports, reviews, portfolio and a dissertation. During your placement this will include keeping an extensive record of the training attended and skills obtained, with a reflective report (for the research training portfolio), as well as a dissertation on the project undertaken during the placement.

The research project/dissertation is based on the submission of a 20,000-25,000 word report that is undertaken in conjunction with an academic supervisor and, where appropriate, an industrial collaborator.

Additional Costs

There will be additional costs in terms of living expenses, travel and insurance related with the placement if you choose to undertake your research project with an overseas host institution. The amount required will be dependent on the cost of living associated with certain countries.

UK Students choosing a placement research project in an EU member state will be eligible to apply for an ERASMUS scholarship.

Employment Case Studies

Our research-focused course with industry and international placement opportunities leads our graduates into a diverse range of careers.

Our students have chosen careers in research, academia or a discipline related work setting, including geotechnical and environmental consultancies, and local, regional, national or multi-national corporations.

For examples of what graduates are doing now, see here - https://www.keele.ac.uk/gge/applicants/postgraduatetaughtcourses/mscgeoscienceresearch/employmentcasestudies/

Find information on Scholarships here - http://www.keele.ac.uk/studentfunding/bursariesscholarships/

Read less

Your programme of study

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.

Courses listed for the programme

Semester 1

• Geophysics and Petrophysics
• Applied Sedimentology

Semester 2

• Production Geology
• Regional Exploration
• Professional Skills Incorporating Field Trip

Semester 3

• Project in Integrated Petroleum Geosciences

Find out more detail by visiting the programme web page

Why study at Aberdeen?

• One of the best in the world in the heart of the European oil industry in Aberdeen
• The programme focuses on upstream geoscience from initial exploration to recovering declining fields
• You learn how to work in multidisciplinary teams involved in hydrocarbon exploration
• You join 98% of graduates in the past decade employed immediately in the oil and gas industry

Where you study

• University of Aberdeen
• Full time
• 12 Months
• September start

International Student Fees 2017/2018

Find out about international fees:

• International
• EU and Scotland
• Other UK

Find out more about fees on the programme page

*Please be advised that some programmes also have additional costs.

Scholarships

View all funding options on our funding database via the programme page and the latest postgraduate opportunities

Living in Aberdeen

Find out more about:

Your Accommodation

• Catered Accommodation
• Self-Catering     

Campus Facilities

• University of Aberdeen: A Global Community
• University of Aberdeen: We are international
• Aberdeen City and Aberdeenshire
• Student Support
• Clubs and Societies
• Sport
• Societies
• Review

Find out more about living in Aberdeen and living costs

Read less

Study for a prestigious MSc in Petroleum Geoscience

by distance learning

Primarily suited to hydrocarbon industry professionals who wish to further develop their knowledge and skills while working, this online version of the well-established Royal Holloway MSc course has an international reputation for excellence in the petroleum industry.

Finding new reserves is becoming ever more challenging and the enhanced recovery of reserves from existing fields is becoming increasingly important. Well-trained Petroleum Geoscientists with the ability to integrate geological and geophysical data, and to apply it on a variety of scales, have a vital role to play.

Practical and technical skills

This MSc in Petroleum Geoscience provides training in the practical and technical skills to address a range of exploration and production challenges, from predicting the likely distribution of hydrocarbons in a frontier sedimentary basin, to quantifying the complex structural, stratigraphic and sedimentological architecture of individual reservoirs.

Royal Holloway, University of London is one of the leading centres for Earth Science research in the UK. It has excellent links with the international oil industry and a strong programme of industry-funded petroleum geology research, which ensures that this Masters is up-to-date, focused and commercially relevant.

Royal Holloway staff provide tutorial support for each module, plus guidance for your dissertation and for project work, which is based on industry data.

Features of the programme

- Comprehensive learning materials delivered via a dedicated web portal: video clips, animations, audiovisual presentations, fully illustrated manuals, self-assessment quizzes, exercises and computer-based practicals including examples of subsurface data such as seismic and well-log data

- A field trip and intensive study seminars held in the UK as part of the final module on the course

- Option to be awarded a Postgraduate Diploma in Petroleum Geoscience if you choose not to undertake the project.

Prestige

The programme has been developed by academics within the Department of Earth Sciences at Royal Holloway using the material and experience from the campus-based Petroleum Geoscience MSc course that has been running since 1985. The Royal Holloway Earth Sciences Department achieved an 'excellence' rating for teaching quality and 70% of our research was graded as world-leading or internationally excellent in the 2008 Research Assessment Exercise.

Career progression

Many graduates of the campus-based MSc are now well-established, successful industry professionals with careers ranging from national oil companies to geoscience IT and consultancy to academia.

Your time commitment

This course is offered online with each module running with tutor support for a three month period during the academic year, and available the rest of the time for preview and revision. This online structure enables you to fit your studies around work and family commitments. To complete an MSc in a three year period you will need to study an average of 20 hours per week during the academic session.

Excellent support

Fully supported by a Virtual Learning Environment, you will have the opportunity for interaction with online tutors to discuss course material and exercises; a virtual student cafe allows you to interact and network with other students.

Contact us

If you have any questions, please contact our Student Advice Centre.

Read less

The Master of Geoscience provides graduate level coursework and training in specialised streams of Geoscience. Graduates from a broad range of scientific backgrounds undertake intensive specialised subjects in geoscience, business and leadership topics taught by leading academics and industry professionals to gain expertise and professional skills in these fields.

You have the opportunity to study core and elective subjects in a range of geoscientific fields at leading Australian universities through established shared local and national teaching programs.

This program is intended to expand on an undergraduate degree in Geoscience for entry into a professional workplace, or for professionals wishing to up-skill in their chosen field.

CAREERS OUTCOMES

As a graduate, you may find a rewarding career in:

• Research
• Environmental consultancy
• Conservation
• Geological surveying
• Government institutions

Read less

Please visit the school website  for detailed information about the course.

Teaching and learning

Please vist the  school website  for further information.

Course unit list

The course unit details given below are subject to change, and are the latest example of the curriculum available on this course of study.

Scholarships and bursaries

Please visit the school website for information on funding opportunities.

Disability support

Practical support and advice for current students and applicants is available from the Disability Advisory and Support Service. Email: [email protected]

Career opportunities

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.

Read less

This MSc is a uniquely broad and flexible programme that suits students' aspirations, background and experience. UCL Earth Sciences has strengths in geophysics, geochemistry, palaeobiology, mineral physics, geodynamics, geohazards, climate science, environmental geosciences and policy, and other areas. Students choose from a wide range of optional modules from within the department and more widely across UCL, building an MSc tailored to their interests.

About this degree

The programme aims to integrate theoretical studies with essential practical skills in the Earth sciences, both in the field and in the laboratory. Students develop the ability to work on group projects, prepare written reports, acquire oral skills and gain training in the methods of scientific research.

Students undertake modules to the value of 180 credits.

The programme consists of three core modules (45 credits), six optional modules (75 credits) and a research dissertation (60 credits).

Core modules

• Research Methods
• Project Proposal
• Earth and Planetary Systems Science

Optional modules

• Earth and Planetary Materials
• Melting and Volcanism
• Physical Volcanology and Volcanic Hazard
• Earthquake Seismology & Earthquake Hazard
• Tectonic Geomorphology
• Palaeoceanography
• Palaeoclimatology
• Biodiversity and Macroevolutionary Patterns
• Deep Earth and Planetary Modelling
• Geodynamics and Global Tectonics
• Crustal Dynamics, Mountain Building and Basin Analysis
• Advanced Biodiversity and Macroevolutionary Studies

Students can also choose relevant elective modules from UCL Geography.

Dissertation/report

All MSc students undertake an independent research project which culminates in a dissertation of approximately 10,000–12,000 words.

Teaching and learning

The programme is delivered through a combination of lectures, seminars, tutorials, and laboratory and fieldwork exercises. Student performance is assessed through coursework, written assignments, unseen written examination and the dissertation.

Fieldwork

Crustal Dynamics, Mountain Building and Basin Analysis is a fieldwork only module without a classroom element.

Further information on modules and degree structure is available on the department website: Geoscience MSc

Careers

Geoscience students have gone on to pursue careers in many varied areas, such as planning and surveying, governmental organisations, academic research.

Recent career destinations for this degree

• PhD in Climatology, Cardiff University (Prifysgol Caerdydd)
• PhD in Geoscience, UCL
• Engineer, Geo-Info
• Lecturer in Geology, University of Benin
• Oil and Gas Analyst, EIC (Energy Industries Council)

Careers data is taken from the ‘Destinations of Leavers from Higher Education’ survey undertaken by HESA looking at the destinations of UK and EU students in the 2013–2015 graduating cohorts six months after graduation.

Why study this degree at UCL?

UCL Earth Sciences is engaged in world-class research into the processes at work on and within the Earth and planets.

Graduate students benefit from our lively and welcoming environment and world-class facilities, which include the UK's only NASA Regional Planetary Image Facility and access to the University of London Observatory in north London.

The department also hosts the UCL Hazard Research Centre, Europe's leading multidisciplinary hazard research centre, and engages in extensive collaborative work with the Royal Institution and the Natural History Museum.

Research Excellence Framework (REF)

The Research Excellence Framework, or REF, is the system for assessing the quality of research in UK higher education institutions. The 2014 REF was carried out by the UK's higher education funding bodies, and the results used to allocate research funding from 2015/16.

The following REF score was awarded to the department: Earth Sciences

92% rated 4* (‘world-leading’) or 3* (‘internationally excellent’)

Learn more about the scope of UCL's research, and browse case studies, on our Research Impact website.

Read less

The Department of Earth & Space Sciences offers a 36-credit Master of Science degree in Geoscience designed for the professional development of geologists and precollege teachers. Students may also obtain Pennsylvania teaching certification in Earth and Space Science and/or General Science with the appropriate selection of courses. Employment and advancement opportunities for MS Geoscience graduates are excellent due to the hundreds of environmental firms, government agencies, and school districts within the greater Philadelphia area.

The Curriculum

All students complete a 19-credit core with the following courses: ESS 523 Field Geology, ESS 521 Geometrics, ESS 596 Earth Systems Science, ESS 547 Geoscience Seminar, and ESS 602 Directed Research. The core also includes choosing 2 of the following 4 courses: ESS 530 Oceanography, ESS 570 Meteorology, ESS 536 Environmental Geology, and ESS 549 Advanced Hydrogeology. The remaining 17 credits may be fulfilled by electives, of which at least 8 must be ESS or SCE courses. The MS Geoscience degree requires completion of a non-thesis, final project with a faculty advisor involving original, independent scientific or education research.

Benefits of the Program

• Evening, summer, and weekend courses
• Designed for completion in two years
• State-of-the-art equipment and facilities
• Focus on enhancing knowledge and skills needed by geologists and science teachers
• Meet and work with geologists and science teachers from throughout the greater Philadelphia area
• Affordable tuition
• Hundreds of alumni in the region employed as geologists and teachers

Read less

Please visit the school website for detailed information about the course.

Scholarships and bursaries

Please visit the school website for information on funding opportunities

Disability support

Practical support and advice for current students and applicants is available from the Disability Advisory and Support Service. Email: [email protected]

Career opportunities

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.

Read less

Programme description

This MSc is aimed at students who wish to pursue a geosciences-related career in the future energy sector, as it transitions from fossil fuels to a low carbon economy. The aim is to offer a programme that uses subsurface (geological) knowledge opening a diverse range of career pathways in lower carbon geoenergy technologies; the disposal of energy-related wastes and the hydrocarbon industry.

This MSc programme builds on the strength and reputation of the research groups operating in the School of GeoSciences on uses of the subsurface: carbon capture and storage (CCS); radioactive waste disposal; energy storage and extraction; unconventional and conventional hydrocarbons; wet and dry geothermal heat; and subsurface fluid tracing using noble gases and stable isotopes.

Programme structure

Compulsory courses (for students who have accredited prior learning, elective courses are taken in lieu) – 90 credits

• Future Geoenergy Resources
• Applied Hydrogeology and Near surface Geophysics
• Hydrogeology 2
• Environmental Geochemistry
• Project Design and Literature Analysis
• Carbon Storage and Monitoring

Compulsory Courses – for those with Geoscience background – 20 credits

• Subsurface Reservoir Quality

Compulsory Courses – for those without Geoscience background – 20 credits

• Geology for Earth Resources
• Hydrocarbons

Optional courses: choice of 10 credits from following

• Ore Mineralogy, Petrology & Geochemistry
• Seismic Reflection Interpretation
• Carbon Capture and Transport
• Helmsdale MSc Field Excursion
• Environmental Problems and Issues
• Nuclear Waste Management: Principles, Policies & Practice

Compulsory Dissertation

• Dissertation in Applied Geoscience (Geoenergy)

Career opportunities

This programme will train students in the use of subsurface geological knowledge opening a diverse range of career pathways in lower carbon geoenergy technologies and the disposal of energy-related wastes. These include radioactive waste disposal; carbon capture and storage; geothermal energy and subsurface energy storage including compressed air energy storage.

Other pathways include working in environmental and regulatory aspects of energy storage involving potential pollution; tracking subsurface fluids in the event of leakage from subsurface facilities and ground water resources.

Read less