A large piece of Titanite
Titanite from Graubunden, Switzerland.
(Image credit: Oxford University Museum of Natural Hist / Oxford University Images).

Earth Sciences (Geology)

Course overview

UCAS code: F642 (Geology); F644 (Earth Sciences)
Entrance requirements: A*AA/AAAA
Course duration: 3 years (BA Geology); 4 years (MEarthSci)

Subject requirements

Required subjects:  Maths, plus Chemistry or Physics
Recommended subjects: Chemistry or Physics
Helpful subjects: Biology, Geology, Further Maths

Other course requirements

Admissions tests: None
Written Work: None

Admissions statistics*

Interviewed: 87%
Successful: 22%
Intake: 34
*3-year average 2022-24

Contact

Tel: +44 (0) 1865 272040
Email: enquiries@earth.ox.ac.uk

Unistats information for this course can be found at the bottom of the page

Please note that there may be no data available if the number of course participants is very small.

About the course

Earth Sciences is the study of the planet we live upon. The broad scope and rapidly-advancing nature of the subject is reflected in the course at Oxford, which provides sound and broadly-based scientific training.

We combine physics, chemistry and biology with geology, geography and palaeontology to answer fundamental questions about the origin, development, and future of the Earth.

You will be trained in the skills required for the interpretation of rock materials and geological phenomena as well as applying theory and techniques from other disciplines to the study of the Earth and the environment.

You will learn about how our planet works, and address some of the major issues of our times: from the origin of the solar system, the Earth and life, to the climate system and the fate of glaciers and ice sheets.

The diverse range of courses cover processes from the Earth’s interior, as mapped by seismic waves, to the evolution of the Earth’s crust documented in the rocks at its surface.

The department has an international reputation, and houses state-of-the-art laboratories and computing facilities.

Students and academic staff mix and work together. Offices and teaching labs are close together, creating an atmosphere in which students not only focus on their course, but also get a feel for the discoveries emerging from current research.

Fieldwork/international opportunities

The Earth Sciences course includes several field courses. These link closely to material covered in lectures, and convey the practice of geology, geophysics, geochemistry, and palaeontology in the field environment. This work culminates in an independent project to study and map an area chosen by the student. Many of the field courses take place out of term time.

The Department covers the costs of field classes (i.e. travel, accommodation), so that there are no additional charges for students, and provides safety and geological equipment.

Previous field courses have taken students to Scotland, Spain, Cornwall, Greece, and Bermuda, and the independent mapping projects have occurred globally.

Unistats information

Discover Uni course data provides applicants with Unistats statistics about undergraduate life at Oxford for a particular undergraduate course.

Please select 'see course data' to view the full Unistats data for Earth Sciences. 

Please note that there may be no data available if the number of course participants is very small. 

Visit the Studying at Oxford section of this page for a more general insight into what studying here is likely to be like.

Earth Sciences (Geology)