The natural way to a geology career

The BSc (Hons) in Physical Geography and Geology at Edge Hill University was established to provide students with the skills and experience to become successful graduates in their field. Through providing a balance of academic knowledge and practical ability this course is ideal for anyone with an interest in the natural world who wants to enjoy an outdoor lifestyle as part of their professional practice.

In addition to this, Senior Lecturer, Gerry Lucas, believes graduates have increased employment potential from two key areas, "The first is the emphasis we put on fieldwork and our commitment to field-based investigation and observational skills. The second is that alongside academic delivery we concentrate on employability, with modules provided in engineering geology and geoenvironmental management. These are all qualities employers in the geo world are looking for, so it is vital that students develop them properly," Gerry comments.  

As an integrated degree this course combines surface processes and forms, or geomorphology, with deeper earth studies, or geology, as Gerry details further, "We concentrate on field-based investigation and observational skills, as well as the laboratory expertise required by modern professionals. A lot of the training we undertake is in digital geology, making use of GIS and modelling software to complete our investigations, which is known to be of significant interest to geo employers. As well as this the course, and its assessments, require students to be flexible, resilient and motivated which provides them will highly relevant employability skills."  

James Harrison, Alex Smith and Jo Campion are all final-year students who have recently gained this valuable experience by undertaking a three-week field mapping trip to Fishguard in South Wales. "I had previously completed field mapping on a second-year trip to Mallorca which I really enjoyed," explains James. "When Gerry mentioned the dissertation project in Fishguard to explore the specific geology of the area we decided it would be a great opportunity."  

"The experience we gained out in the field, using equipment and taking notes was really beneficial and is one of the key attributes of the course. It offers an incredibly insightful mix of academic research, laboratory investigations and field-based practical activities, meaning you have solid experience of all the techniques you will need in your future career," he adds.  

With Edge Hill's course highly regarded by employers and offering students the chance to leave university work ready, Gerry believes there has never been a better time to follow geology as a career path. "Geology is once again growing in popularity," he concludes, "and students are seeing its vital role and possibilities, as well as being attracted by the nature of its content relating to the outside world. It's a great time to get involved."  

For further information about the BSc in Physical Geography and Geology visit: http://www.edgehill.ac.uk/study/courses/physical-geography-and-geology