Masters Degrees in Industrial Geology, Ireland

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!

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The MSc in Geoinformatics addresses the growing need for science-trained postgraduates who are technically aware and competent to work in the field of geoinformatics, particularly as applied to environmental and resource management. This twelve month full-time course of study covers both the theoretical and practical aspects of geoinformatics, including Geographical Information Systems (GIS), Remote Sensing (RS), satellite navigation systems, cartography, visualisation, programming and web services.

The course consists of 60 credits of taught modules, followed by independent research towards a dissertation worth 30 credits. In addition to the taught modules, you will have the opportunity to meet practitioners through regular seminars led by experts in the discipline from Ireland and abroad, visits to local geoinformatics enterprises and attendance at relevant Irish conferences. With an MSc in GIS and RS, you will be highly sought after by employers on graduation.

Visit the website: http://www.ucc.ie/en/ckr09/

Course Detail

The course introduces you to the foundational concepts of GIS, RS and cartography in the first teaching period, with lectures and practical classes which explore the underlying principles of the subjects. These skills are developed in the second teaching period with more advanced digital image processing, spatial analysis and computer programming, again taught through lectures and practical classes.

Running throughout both teaching periods are modules which develop your research skills and explore the applications, technologies and systems of geoinformatics. These modules are taught through a variety of methods which include workshops, seminars, fieldtrips, conferences, site visits, group projects and independent study.

Leading national and international geoinformatics practitioners are invited to lead seminars highlighting industrial, commercial and governmental applications and, where applicable, to demonstrate different equipment used in the discipline. You are encouraged to explore your own interests in geoinformatics through self-directed studies, oral presentations, networking with professional researchers and attending the annual national GIS and RS conferences held each autumn.

One of the highlights of the teaching period is the weekend field trip which allows students to gain hands-on experience with a variety of different instruments and to experience the complete data acquisition, processing, evaluation and presentation chain.

When you complete the taught modules you are eligible to undertake the research project in an area of your own choice within the geoinformatics discipline over a four month period from May to September. This research may be undertaken in the university or with the support of a commercial placement organised by you and culminates in a 15,000 word thesis. All students have a dedicated computer in the masters’ lab in the Department of Geography and are provided with student copies of relevant software as well as access to departmental equipment as necessary for research projects.

Further details on the content and modules are available on the Postgraduate College Calendar - http://www.ucc.ie/calendar/postgraduate/Masters/science/page05.html#geographical

Format

During the two teaching periods, there are daily classes that typically consist of one to two hours of morning lectures followed by two to three hours of afternoon practical sessions in the computer lab. For every hour of taught classes, students are expected to spend two to three hours on self-directed study. An overnight stay may be required for attendance at the national conferences, depending on their location, but the weekend field trip is within easy travelling distance of Cork. Students are made aware of the dates of these events at the earliest opportunity and they are a compulsory part of the course.

Placement and Study Abroad Information

While there are no compulsory placement requirements as part of the course, you are actively encouraged to seek opportunities to develop your skills in a commercial environment as part of the independent research project. Several successful partnerships have been developed in this way, resulting in students having access to data and knowledge not available in-house and enabling them to undertake novel and innovative research that directly supports the work of a commercial or government enterprise.

Assessment

Because of the very practical nature of the subject, there is a large element of coursework with some of the taught modules assessed entirely through computer-based exercises, written reports, projects and practical activities. Some modules are also assessed through a combination of coursework and examination at the end of each of the two teaching periods. Students are assessed on valuable transferable skills that include written, mathematical, problem-solving and oral assignments, many of which are completed individually or in small groups.

Careers

You will gain a wide variety of technical skills on this programme, including computer-based activities and use of field instruments. You are also made aware of the importance of theoretical concepts, policy initiatives and commercial constraints and limitations which impact on the use of geoinformatics in the workplace. Many transferable skills are also fostered through different learning approaches, including critical thinking, problem-solving, report writing, oral presentations, statistical analysis, independent research and time management.

How to apply: http://www.ucc.ie/en/study/postgrad/how/

Funding and Scholarships

Information regarding funding and available scholarships can be found here: https://www.ucc.ie/en/cblgradschool/current/fundingandfinance/fundingscholarships/

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