Geology Rocks For International Students
26 August 2010
Geoscience students attending summer school on a field trip in the Peak District.
The field trips have been a very interesting part of the course. It's been useful to see the carbonate aspects of geology and classic geological structures for myself
”Misan Ikomi, MSc student from Nigeria,
A summer school at the University of Derby has attracted students from around the world, who have been investigating the unique geology of Derbyshire and the Peak District on a number of field trips.
Students from Nigeria and Oman, as well as the UK, are spending 12 weeks in Derby and its surrounding countryside over the summer while they attend the first phase of the University of Derby's Masters degree in Applied Petroleum Geoscience.
During the course, the students have visited Derbyshire and the Peak District, on trips to Castleton, Wirksworth , Dovedale and Baslow. The area's unique White Peak (limestone) and Dark Peak (sandstone) make it an outstanding location to investigate the different qualities of these rocks, and the students have also been able to see cliff exposures, giving them an insight into the area's geological heritage.
Dorothy Satterfield - Programme Leader on the Masters degree at the University of Derby - said: "The summer students on this course really benefit from Derby's proximity to this unique geology and also the British Geological Survey in Keyworth, Nottinghamshire.
"On a visit to the Survey, students had the opportunity to examine the rock brought up from onshore wells drilled around the UK. By examining the qualities of this rock - its grain size and colour - for example, they can learn about its potential for oil flow through it and nearby. This is just one of the unique learning experiences from the course that will really benefit the students once they're employed in the oil industry."
Misan Ikomi, 24, from Nigeria, said: "The field trips have been a very interesting part of the course. It's been useful to see the carbonate aspects of geology and classic geological structures for myself."
Following the 12-week programme, students on the MSc in Applied Petroleum Geosciences can study most of the diploma phase of the course online from anywhere in the world, which helps students to combine work experience with continuing professional education.
Simon Greenfield, 22, from Barnsley who began the MSc summer programme just weeks after completing his BSc (Hons) in Geology at the University of Derby, said: "I wanted to get started on a vocational course straightaway and get a few steps ahead of the competition; so this summer start programme was perfect for me. I hope to work on offshore oil rigs and finish the MSc while I work."
For more information on the MSc in Applied Petroleum Geosciences, visit website www.derby.ac.uk
For more information please contact Press & PR Officer Joanna Colburn on 01332 593004 or 07775 036988, or email j.colburn@derby.ac.uk
