Exploration Geology with a Year of Study Abroad

People have been using Earth’s natural resources like metals, minerals, oil and gas for centuries to build our towns and cities, power our homes, and to make the vehicles, devices and tools that we depend on. New resources are increasingly hard to find and require specialist skills and technology to locate and exploit responsibly. On our Exploration Geology course, you will learn how the Earth’s processes have created the planet’s natural resources and how to explore for them to meet future demand. You will develop skills in fieldwork (both above and underground), data analysis and confident decision making and use modern exploration software.

We make the most of our location and take regular field trips to explore mining sites across Wales. There will also be opportunities to do overseas trips, in the past we’ve been to Spain and Cyprus.

On this four-year programme, you can spend one academic year studying at one of our partner universities abroad. Studying abroad is a fantastic opportunity to experience other cultures and viewpoints, learning the different styles and approaches to your subject in another country and exploring new physical environments, landscapes and coastlines. You will get the chance to make new friends and contacts from around the world. Plus, you will have the opportunity to develop a wealth of life skills and strengths that will help you to compete in an increasingly global workplace, such as adaptability, resourcefulness, and resilience.

Our Regrow Borneo project allows you to offset your flight’s carbon emissions by making an affordable donation to support our tree-planting project in the Lower Kinabatangan rainforest, Sabah, Borneo.

We’ve worked with industry to design our course so you graduate with the specialist skills needed to be a professional exploration geologist. Our degrees are also accredited by the Geological Society, the professional body for geosciences in the UK.

You don’t need to have studied Geology already as we’ll be starting year one with the basic principles to bring everyone to the same level.

Distinctive Features of the Programme

Year Abroad opportunity - Learn while you travel and experience the landscapes or coastlines, education and culture of a different country with the opportunity to complete a year studying at a university abroad.

History and uniqueness – We have been training mining engineers and geologists for over 100 years. Exploration Geology is the only undergraduate degree in the UK to focus on specialist training in resource exploration and we have strong links to industry through placements and through the Exploration alumni network and its mentoring scheme.

Student satisfaction - Belong to a small and friendly community of staff and students. Exploration Geology received a score of 100% Overall Satisfaction in the National Student Survey 2019.

Flexible degree schemes - all of the School’s degrees have a common first semester that introduce you to geosciences and geography. You can then decide whether to stay with your chosen degree or switch to another in the same School. You don’t need to commit to a university abroad until your second year, so there’s plenty of time to consider your options and decide where you would like to explore.

Hands-on fieldwork - you will get plenty of opportunity to develop your fieldwork skills above and below ground with regular day trips and residential trips in Wales and overseas. We have a former gold mine close to Cardiff and many other outstanding natural landscapes for us to explore.

Access to the British Geological Survey and National Museum of Wales - our school is in the same building as the Welsh office of the British Geological Survey and next door to the National Museum of Wales. We use the exhibition galleries of the National Museum and material from its collections to enhance our teaching. The British Geological Survey Wales also provide ideas for student projects.