THE UNIVERSITY of EDINBURGH

DEGREE REGULATIONS & PROGRAMMES OF STUDY 2025/2026

Timetable information in the Course Catalogue may be subject to change.
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Degree Programme Table: Earth Science and Physical Geography (BSc Hons) - 4 Years (Full-time) (UTBSCESPGE1F)

Jump to: Year 1, Year 2, Year 3, Year 4

Year 1 Academic year: 2025/26, Starting in: September

Compulsory courses

You must take these courses
The Dynamic Earth
GESC08003 20 credits
Geology and Landscapes
EASC08030 20 credits
Physical Geography
GEGR08010 20 credits
Earth Science Data Analysis 1

Must be taken during Semester 2

EASC08028 20 credits

Course options

Level 7 and 8 courses in Schedules A-Q, T, W and Y

Select between 20 and 40 credits from Level 7 and 8 courses in Schedules A-Q, T, W and Y
Notes:
Students can take a maximum of 40 credits Level 7 language courses in 1st AND 2nd year (combined)
AND

Group A

Select between 0 and 20 credits in this group.

Challenge Courses: Engaging with complex problems through interdisciplinary collaboration

Select between 0 and 20 credits of the following courses
Notes:
Challenge Courses are designed to bring together students from different degree programmes to explore the complex issues facing the world today through interdisciplinary collaboration and creative thinking.

Working with each other and expert academics, students will gain new perspectives and develop important life skills highly valued by employers, such as teamwork, problem-solving and adaptability.
Our Changing World
BIME08006 20 credits
Sustainability and Social Responsibility (UG)
EDUA08116 20 credits
Sustainable Development Goals: History, Progress and Beyond 2030
EFIE08008 20 credits
Living in the Anthropocene
GESC08004 20 credits
Understanding Gender in the Contemporary World
SSPS08012 20 credits
Healthy Eating for People and Planet
VETS08016 20 credits

Year 2 Academic year: 2025/26, Starting in: August

Notes:
Course options in Group B MUST be taken by 2nd year direct entry students. There are no elective courses for this group.

Students on the four year BSc should take the 80 credits of compulsory courses plus either Global Change or Geomorphology and 20 credits of other electives.

Compulsory courses

You must take these courses
Earth Materials: From atoms to planets
EASC08031 20 credits
Rock Forming Processes
EASC08032 20 credits
Field Skills for Earth Sciences and Physical Geography
EASC08035 20 credits
Earth Science Data Analysis 2
EASC08033 20 credits

Course options

Group A

Select exactly 40 credits in this group.

Global Change or Geomorphology

Select exactly 20 credits of the following courses
Geomorphology
GEGR08002 20 credits
Global Change
GEGR08011 20 credits
AND

Level 7 and 8 courses in Schedules A-Q, T, W and Y

Select between 0 and 20 credits from Level 7 and 8 courses in Schedules A-Q, T, W and Y
Notes:
Students can take a maximum of 40 credits Level 7 language courses in 1st AND 2nd year (combined)
AND

Challenge Courses: Engaging with complex problems through interdisciplinary collaboration

Select between 0 and 20 credits of the following courses
Notes:
Challenge Courses are designed to bring together students from different degree programmes to explore the complex issues facing the world today through interdisciplinary collaboration and creative thinking.

Working with each other and expert academics, students will gain new perspectives and develop important life skills highly valued by employers, such as teamwork, problem-solving and adaptability.
Our Changing World
BIME08006 20 credits
Sustainability and Social Responsibility (UG)
EDUA08116 20 credits
Sustainable Development Goals: History, Progress and Beyond 2030
EFIE08008 20 credits
Living in the Anthropocene
GESC08004 20 credits
Understanding Gender in the Contemporary World
SSPS08012 20 credits
Healthy Eating for People and Planet
VETS08016 20 credits
OR

Group B

Select exactly 40 credits in this group.

Earth Science and Physical Geography - Compulsory Courses for 2nd Year Direct Entry

Select exactly 40 credits of the following courses
Notes:
COMPULSORY COURSES FOR 2ND YEAR DIRECT ENTRY STUDENTS.

The Dynamic Earth must be taken in semester 1 and Geomorphology in semester 2.


Geomorphology
GEGR08002 20 credits
The Dynamic Earth
GESC08003 20 credits

Year 3 Academic year: 2025/26, Starting in: August

Notes:
Students are required to enrol in 120 credits each year.

Students should select either EASC09061 Sedimentology, Climate and Tectonics OR EASC09062 Structural Geology and Tectonics.

If you have selected EASC09061 Sedimentology, Climate and Tectonics, you should select two optional courses in semester 1, and one optional course in semester 2.

If you have selected EASC09062 Structural Geology and Tectonics, you should select three optional courses in semester 1.

Not all course combinations are possible due to timetabling.

Compulsory courses

You must take these courses
Research Design for Physical Geography
GEGR10131 20 credits
Physical Geography Year 3 Field Course (Spain)
GEGR09019 20 credits

Course options

Group A

Select exactly 20 credits in this group.

ESPG Y3

Select exactly 20 credits of the following courses
Notes:
Choose EITHER Sedimentology, Climate and Tectonics (semester 1) OR Structural Geology and Tectonics (semester 2).
Sedimentology, Climate and Tectonics
EASC09061 20 credits
Structural Geology and Tectonics
EASC09062 20 credits
AND

Earth Science Level 9 and 10 courses for GPG/ESPG

Select between 0 and 60 credits of the following courses
Mathematical and computational methods in Geophysics
EASC09054 20 credits
Global Environmental Change- Foundations
EASC09056 20 credits
Hydrocarbon Reservoir Quality
EASC10015 10 credits
Topics in Global Environmental Change
EASC10022 10 credits
Geomagnetism
EASC10036 10 credits
Applied Environmental Geochemistry
EASC10048 10 credits
Environmental Problems and Issues
EASC10049 10 credits
Global Environmental Change
EASC10050 10 credits
Hydrogeology 2: Simulation of Groundwater Flow and Transport
EASC10077 10 credits
Formation and Evolution of Continents
EASC10080 10 credits
Hydrogeology 1: Applied Hydrogeology
EASC10082 10 credits
Earth Surface Processes
EASC10084 10 credits
Geoscience Outreach and Engagement
EASC10087 20 credits
Ore Mineralogy, Petrology and Geochemistry
EASC10094 10 credits
Igneous Petrogenesis
EASC10095 10 credits
Topics in Palaeobiology and Evolution
EASC10100 10 credits
Applied Hydrogeology and Near Surface Geophysics
EASC10101 20 credits
Earth's Atmospheric Composition
EASC10102 20 credits
Practical Geochemistry and Data Analysis
EASC10103 20 credits
Palaeontology and Sedimentology
EASC10106 20 credits
Igneous, Metamorphic and Ore Processes
EASC10107 20 credits
Geophysical Imaging and Inversion
EASC10109 20 credits
Geophysical Measurement and Modelling
EASC10110 20 credits
Planetary Geochemistry
EASC10112 10 credits
Geophysical Investigation of Earth Resources
EASC10116 20 credits
Natural Hazards and Risk
EASC10117 20 credits
Nuclear Waste Management: Principles, Policies and Practice
EASC10119 10 credits
Changing Marine Biogeochemical Cycles
EASC10123 20 credits
Geological Evolution of the British Isles
EASC10124 10 credits
Sustainable Subsurface Energy
EASC10131 20 credits
AND

Courses from School(s) N-N - Geography (MA Hons) - Level(s) 10-10

Select between 0 and 60 credits of the following courses
Topics in Global Change
ENVI10001 20 credits
Catchment Water Resources
GEGR10023 20 credits
Remote Sensing and Global Climate Change
GEGR10055 20 credits
Glacial Processes and Geomorphology
GEGR10075 20 credits
People, landscape change and settlement: the last 15,000 years
GEGR10107 20 credits
Development and Decolonization in Latin America
GEGR10114 20 credits
Space, place and sensory perception
GEGR10116 20 credits
Writing Landscape
GEGR10118 20 credits
Ice and Climate
GEGR10119 20 credits
Environmental Justice
GEGR10123 20 credits
Land and Landscape: Explorations in Society and Nature
GEGR10125 20 credits
Geographies of the Border
GEGR10126 20 credits
Capital, Land and Power
GEGR10127 20 credits
The Blue Humanities: Studying the Sea
GEGR10128 20 credits
Geographies of Mobility
GEGR10129 20 credits
Eroding Landscapes: Mountains, Hills and Rivers
GEGR10136 20 credits
Volcanoes, Environment and People
GEGR10139 20 credits
Geographies of Food
GEGR10140 20 credits
Queer Geographies: Spatialising Sexuality and Gender
GEGR10141 20 credits
Problematising Environment and Society
GEGR10142 20 credits
Global Hydrology
GEGR10146 20 credits
Black Geographies
GEGR10147 20 credits
Principles and Practice of Remote Sensing
PGGE11233 20 credits
GIS and Spatial Analytics for Health
PGGE11272 20 credits
Remote Sensing for Disaster Management and Risk Mitigation
PGGE11307 20 credits

Year 4 Academic year: 2025/26, Starting in: August

Notes:
The Earth Sciences and Physical Geography degree is currently undergoing a restructure. The courses listed below are likely to change.

Compulsory courses

You must take these courses
Dissertation in Geology and Physical Geography
EASC10043 40 credits
Frontiers in Research
EASC10089 10 credits
Evolution of the Modern Earth and Cyprus Excursion for Geology and Physical Geography
EASC10120 20 credits

Course options

Group A

Select exactly 50 credits in this group.

Courses from School(s) N-N - Geography (MA Hons) - Level(s) 10-10

Select between 20 and 40 credits of the following courses
Topics in Global Change
ENVI10001 20 credits
Catchment Water Resources
GEGR10023 20 credits
Remote Sensing and Global Climate Change
GEGR10055 20 credits
Glacial Processes and Geomorphology
GEGR10075 20 credits
People, landscape change and settlement: the last 15,000 years
GEGR10107 20 credits
Development and Decolonization in Latin America
GEGR10114 20 credits
Space, place and sensory perception
GEGR10116 20 credits
Writing Landscape
GEGR10118 20 credits
Ice and Climate
GEGR10119 20 credits
Environmental Justice
GEGR10123 20 credits
Land and Landscape: Explorations in Society and Nature
GEGR10125 20 credits
Geographies of the Border
GEGR10126 20 credits
Capital, Land and Power
GEGR10127 20 credits
The Blue Humanities: Studying the Sea
GEGR10128 20 credits
Geographies of Mobility
GEGR10129 20 credits
Eroding Landscapes: Mountains, Hills and Rivers
GEGR10136 20 credits
Volcanoes, Environment and People
GEGR10139 20 credits
Geographies of Food
GEGR10140 20 credits
Queer Geographies: Spatialising Sexuality and Gender
GEGR10141 20 credits
Problematising Environment and Society
GEGR10142 20 credits
Global Hydrology
GEGR10146 20 credits
Black Geographies
GEGR10147 20 credits
Principles and Practice of Remote Sensing
PGGE11233 20 credits
GIS and Spatial Analytics for Health
PGGE11272 20 credits
Remote Sensing for Disaster Management and Risk Mitigation
PGGE11307 20 credits
AND

Earth Science Level 10 courses for GPG

Select between 0 and 30 credits of the following courses
Hydrocarbon Reservoir Quality
EASC10015 10 credits
Geomagnetism
EASC10036 10 credits
Global Environmental Change
EASC10050 10 credits
Formation and Evolution of Continents
EASC10080 10 credits
Hydrogeology 1: Applied Hydrogeology
EASC10082 10 credits
Earth Surface Processes
EASC10084 10 credits
Geoscience Outreach and Engagement
EASC10087 20 credits
Ore Mineralogy, Petrology and Geochemistry
EASC10094 10 credits
Igneous Petrogenesis
EASC10095 10 credits
Topics in Palaeobiology and Evolution
EASC10100 10 credits
Applied Hydrogeology and Near Surface Geophysics
EASC10101 20 credits
Earth's Atmospheric Composition
EASC10102 20 credits
Practical Geochemistry and Data Analysis
EASC10103 20 credits
Palaeontology and Sedimentology
EASC10106 20 credits
Igneous, Metamorphic and Ore Processes
EASC10107 20 credits
Petroleum Systems
EASC10108 20 credits
Geophysical Imaging and Inversion
EASC10109 20 credits
Geophysical Measurement and Modelling
EASC10110 20 credits
Planetary Geochemistry
EASC10112 10 credits
Geophysical Investigation of Earth Resources
EASC10116 20 credits
Natural Hazards and Risk
EASC10117 20 credits
Nuclear Waste Management: Principles, Policies and Practice
EASC10119 10 credits
Changing Marine Biogeochemical Cycles
EASC10123 20 credits
Geological Evolution of the British Isles
EASC10124 10 credits
Hydrogeology 2: Simulation of Groundwater Flow and Transport
EASC10126 10 credits
Planetary Science
EASC10128 20 credits
Topics in Global Change
ENVI10001 20 credits
Modelling of Systems for Sustainability
INFR10088 20 credits
Polar Oceans: Science and Policy
PGGE11260 20 credits
AND

Postgraduate Courses (School of GeoSciences) Level 11 courses

Select between 0 and 30 credits from Postgraduate Courses (School of GeoSciences) Level 11 courses
AND

Option Courses

Select between 0 and 10 credits of the following courses
Dinosaur Palaeobiology
ZLGY10026 10 credits
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