THE UNIVERSITY of EDINBURGH

DEGREE REGULATIONS & PROGRAMMES OF STUDY 2026/2027

Timetable information in the Course Catalogue may be subject to change.
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Degree Programme Table: Earth Science and Physical Geography (MEarthSci Hons) - 5 Years (Full-time) (UTMESESPGE1F)

Jump to: Year 1, Year 2, Year 3, Year 4, Year 5

Year 1 Academic year: 2026/27, Starting in: September

Compulsory courses

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

Must be taken during Semester 2

EASC08028 20 credits
Physical Geography
GEGR08010 20 credits

Course options

Group A

Select exactly 40 credits in this group.

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

Select exactly 40 credits from Level 7 and 8 courses in Schedules A-R, T, W and Y
OR

Group B

Select exactly 40 credits in this group.

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

Select exactly 20 credits from Level 7 and 8 courses in Schedules A to T, W and Y
AND

Challenge Courses: Engaging with complex problems through interdisciplinary collaboration

Select exactly 20 credits of the following courses
Our Changing World
BIME08006 20 credits
Sustainability and Social Responsibility (UG)
EDUA08116 20 credits
Wicked problems: Reason and Rhetoric
EDUA08126 20 credits
Understanding decolonisation in a globalised world
EDUA08127 20 credits
Sustainable Development Goals: History, Progress and Beyond 2030
EFIE08008 20 credits
Living in the Anthropocene
GESC08004 20 credits
Understanding Society with Big Data: Computational Social Science
INFR08034 20 credits
Health in a Changing Climate
SCAN08017 20 credits
Understanding Gender in the Contemporary World
SSPS08012 20 credits
Navigating Energy Transitions
STIS08013 20 credits
Healthy Eating for People and Planet
VETS08016 20 credits

Year 2 Academic year: 2026/27, Starting in: August

Notes:
Direct Entry students MUST select Group B. There are no elective courses for this group.

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 and Geomorphology

Select exactly 40 credits of the following courses
Geomorphology
GEGR08002 20 credits
Global Change
GEGR08011 20 credits
OR

Group B

Select exactly 40 credits in this group.

Global Change and 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-R, T, W and Y

Select exactly 20 credits from Level 7 and 8 courses in Schedules A-R, T, W and Y
OR

Group C

Select exactly 40 credits in this group.

Global Change and Geomorphology

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

Challenge Courses: Engaging with complex problems through interdisciplinary collaboration

Select exactly 20 credits of the following courses
Our Changing World
BIME08006 20 credits
Sustainability and Social Responsibility (UG)
EDUA08116 20 credits
Wicked problems: Reason and Rhetoric
EDUA08126 20 credits
Understanding decolonisation in a globalised world
EDUA08127 20 credits
Sustainable Development Goals: History, Progress and Beyond 2030
EFIE08008 20 credits
Living in the Anthropocene
GESC08004 20 credits
Understanding Society with Big Data: Computational Social Science
INFR08034 20 credits
Health in a Changing Climate
SCAN08017 20 credits
Understanding Gender in the Contemporary World
SSPS08012 20 credits
Navigating Energy Transitions
STIS08013 20 credits
Healthy Eating for People and Planet
VETS08016 20 credits
OR

Group D

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: 2026/27, Starting in: August

Notes:
Students must enrol in 120 credits each academic year.

Compulsory courses

You must take these courses
Research Design for Physical Geography
GEGR10131 20 credits

Course options

Group A

Select exactly 20 credits in this group.

Physical Geography Field Course A or B

Select exactly 20 credits of the following courses
Physical Geography Field Course (A)
GEGR10150 20 credits
Physical Geography Field Course (B)
GEGR10151 20 credits
AND

Group B

Select between 20 and 40 credits in this group.

Sedimentology, Climate and Tectonics

Select exactly 20 credits of the following courses
Sedimentology, Climate and Tectonics
EASC09061 20 credits
AND

Structural Geology and Tectonics

Select exactly 20 credits of the following courses
Structural Geology and Tectonics
EASC09062 20 credits
AND

Group C

Select between 40 and 60 credits in this group.

Level 9 courses in the School of Geosciences

Select between 0 and 60 credits from Level 9 courses in the School of Geosciences
AND

Level 10 courses in the School of Geosciences

Select between 0 and 60 credits from Level 10 courses in the School of Geosciences

Year 4 Academic year: 2026/27, Starting in: August

Compulsory courses

You must take these courses
Dissertation in Earth Science and Physical Geography
EASC10138 40 credits
Integrating Earth Science and Physical Geography: Processes and Applications
EASC10133 20 credits

Course options

Group A

Select exactly 60 credits in this group.

Level 9 courses in the School of Geosciences

Select between 0 and 60 credits from Level 9 courses in the School of Geosciences
AND

Level 10 courses in the School of Geosciences

Select between 0 and 60 credits from Level 10 courses in the School of Geosciences
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
Exploring the Subsurface
EASC11009 10 credits

Year 5 Academic year: 2026/27, Starting in: August

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

Students wanting to achieve an MEarthSci should have taken 120 credits worth of level 11 courses by the end of their fifth year.

In order to progress into the 5th year of the MEarthSci, students must achieve an average of 60% or more over the 3rd and 4th year combined. Boards of Examiners will consider cases of progression for students who are borderline (i.e. achieve between 58% and 59.99% average across their 3rd and 4th years), taking into account the same factors for progression which are taken into account for other progression, award or classification decisions. Borderline criteria used by Boards of Examiners are published to students in advance.

Compulsory courses

You must take these courses
Project Design and Literature Analysis
GESC11001 20 credits
Geoscience Research Project
GESC11002 40 credits
Frontiers in Earth Science
GESC11003 10 credits
MEarthSci field training
GESC11004 20 credits
Research Methods and Transferable Skills
GESC11005 10 credits

Course options

Group A

Select exactly 20 credits in this group.

Postgraduate Courses (School of GeoSciences) Level 11 courses

Select between 0 and 20 credits from Postgraduate Courses (School of GeoSciences) Level 11 courses
OR

Option Courses

Select between 0 and 10 credits of the following courses
Exploring the Subsurface
EASC11009 10 credits
OR

Earth Science Level 10 courses for ESPG

Select between 0 and 20 credits of the following courses
Notes:
Not all combinations of courses are possible due to timetabling.
Hydrocarbon Reservoir Quality
EASC10015 10 credits
Geomagnetism
EASC10036 10 credits
Hydrogeology 1: Applied Hydrogeology
EASC10082 10 credits
Earth Surface Processes
EASC10084 10 credits
Ore Mineralogy, Petrology and Geochemistry
EASC10094 10 credits
Igneous Petrogenesis
EASC10095 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
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
Changing Marine Biogeochemical Cycles
EASC10123 20 credits
Planetary Science
EASC10128 20 credits
Co-evolution of Life and Earth
EASC10129 20 credits
Topics in Global Change
ENVI10001 20 credits
Polar Oceans: Science and Policy
PGGE11260 20 credits
OR

Geography Level 10 courses

Select between 0 and 20 credits from Geography Level 10 courses
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