The Earth Sciences are critical to the sustainable future of our planet and society, allowing us to develop deep understandings of natural hazards, climate change, Earth processes, green energy, sustainable development, natural resources, and more. By nature, our exciting Earth Sciences course is diverse, encompassing interdisciplinary knowledge from geology, geography, climatology, hydrology, chemistry, physics, alongside the natural, environmental, planetary, and social sciences. As an applied subject, you will gain practical knowledge and skills, leading you directly into a rapidly growing UK and international Earth Science job sector.
Practical based learning will enhance and reinforce your understanding of Earth processes at the planetary to atomic scale, as well as exploring complex relationships between Earth and society, such as how to ensure effective climate change mitigations alongside affordable clean energy. You will develop an evidence-based understanding of how to manage, mitigate, and adapt to natural hazards, such as volcanic eruptions, flooding, climate change, and earthquakes. All of this builds on the comprehensive Earth Science competencies we nurture in our students. From oceans, climate and volcanoes, to minerals, evolution and fossils - we make you experts in understanding how your planet works.
Field, laboratory, and software skills are essential tools for the Earth Scientist. During your degree you will become proficient and confident in the application of a range of traditional scientific approaches and cutting-edge technology. For example, hydrological fieldwork is complemented by lab-based water quality analyses and computer simulations of groundwater flow, whilst our modern geological mapping courses integrate traditional mapping with digital data collection using iPads, Ground Penetrating Radar and aerial drone surveys. Throughout your degree, we adopt a holistic approach to learning, guiding you through the Earth Science practices you will need as a confident Earth Scientist professional.
Global reach
This course is aligned to global commitments to enhance sustainable development and decarbonise and restore the natural environment which will place new expectations on industrial sectors, infrastructure projects and government policies. You’ll develop the expertise required to meet the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals and other international agreements and policies like the Paris Agreement.
This ensures you learn the skills and values required by society for sustainable and inclusive access to water and energy, as well as the responsible use of critical minerals required for green technologies. You will learn the next-generation approaches required to combat climate change, protect life and the planet, and build sustainable cities, such as carbon sequestration, sourcing responsible critical minerals for green technologies and net-zero approaches to geoenergy provision.
Once you complete this degree, you will have great knowledge of how the Earth works, understanding its interactions with the atmosphere, biosphere, and hydrosphere, as well as the underlying chemical, physical, and biological processes involved. Learning from the past, you will understand the present, and be able to influence the future. With your new appreciation for past events from deep time, abilities to gain powerful insights from modern big-data, and a diverse transferrable skillset, you will graduate with the knowledge and skills you need to address societies’ biggest challenges today, and in the future, allowing you to work anywhere in the world.
Graduate with confidence
Throughout your degree with us, you will participate in day and residential fieldtrips to be trained in industry-required skills such as mapping, surveying, coring, resource exploration, fossil interpretation, field observation and water quality analysis. Building on the industrial experience of our academics, you will develop a range of applied industry-focused skillsets essential to employment. Authentic exercises and opportunities to engage with industry allow you to achieve a greater understanding of sectors within the Earth Sciences, including the role they play for society and the environment. These opportunities give you the chance to discover potential careers.
Big spaces for big ideas
Kedleston Road offers it all: study in our largest library, relax at Basecamp, train in real-world healthcare settings, and stay active in our state-of-the-art Sports Centre.
Please note that our modules are subject to change - we review the content of our courses regularly, making changes where necessary to improve your experience and graduate prospects.
Undergraduate Open Days
The best way to find out if studying at Derby is right for you is to experience an Open Day. Get a feel for the city and campus, tour our first-class facilities and see where you could be living.
You'll learn in our state-of-the-art facilities for lectures, lab practicals, tutorials, and computer classes training with powerful industry software. You will also learn in the field during day trips visiting regional industry collaborators and the fantastic local landscape across the Peak District. These are complemented by longer residential field camps - both in the UK and abroad.
You'll be taught by staff who are research-active experts in their field and incorporate their passion for research into their teaching. Research-led learning places you at the frontier of knowledge and skills, and is essential across our Earth Sciences course. You will be taught advanced groundwater modelling by Dr Jordan Phethean (the UK lead for Horizon Europe’s €1,000,000 RESCUE project, which searches for new groundwater resources to help societies during hydroclimatic extremes) and about tropical environment responses to climate and sea level change with Dr Stephen Lokier (an expert in creed community response to stress, critical for understanding how our planet will adapt to climate change). The research activities of our staff allows them to succinctly distil expert knowledge into crystal clear formats, making it easy for you to level up your own skills.
How you are assessed
We use career relevant and widely varied assessment styles, which prepare you for the world of work, including presentations and report writing. Earth Scientists need to accurately record data, both in the field and in the laboratory, so we attentively guide you in developing keen observation and recording skills. In the world of work, you will contribute to infographics, reports, computer codes, maps, posters, interviews and more - we therefore use these in our coursework too and try to keep exams to a minimum.
On graduation, you will be a confident Earth Sciences professional, proficient in any career you choose to follow.
Personal academic tutoring
Your personal academic tutor will work with you to help you get the most out of your time at university. Having someone to talk to about your academic progress, your university experience and your professional aspirations is hugely valuable. We want you to feel challenged in your studies, stretched but confident to achieve your academic and professional goals.
At the University of Derby, we aim to attract the very best students to join us and to support their progression to university to ensure they reach their full potential and achieve their ambitions. We believe the very best students come from all backgrounds and we want to build a community that reflects our society.
What is a contextual offer?
Contextual offers are used by universities and colleges to take account of a student’s individual circumstances. Employing contextual offers at the University Derby will allow our admissions team to identify applicants with the greatest potential to succeed in higher education and be an exceptional Derby student. This makes the application process fairer and builds confidence in students about their ability to be part of our academic community.
We will use the information in an application form and may either reduce grade requirements or give extra consideration when deciding whether to give a contextual offer. We will also support these students through information, advice and guidance, outreach activities and on-campus visits before and during the application process.
What is the criteria?
Typical criteria may include one or more of the following:
Students who are care experienced
Students who are estranged from their families
Students who are refugees or asylum seekers
Students whose parents/carers are in the UK armed forces
*Please note students need to declare they meet one of these criteria on their application.
BBB-BBC - with at least a grade C in Geology, Geography, or Environmental Science, but sciences and mathematics (or equivalent qualifications) will be considered
T Level
Merit in Science
BTEC
MMP
GCSE
GCSE Maths and English Grade 4/Grade C (or above) or equivalent qualification
Access to HE
Pass Access to HE Diploma with 60 credits: 45 at Level 3 with a minimum of Distinction: 15, Merit: 24, Pass: 6. Must include passes in compulsory Level 3 subjects
English language requirements
IELTS: 6.0 (with at least 5.5 in each skills area)
2025 entry
These are the typical qualification requirements for September 2025 entry.
At the University of Derby, we aim to attract the very best students to join us and to support their progression to university to ensure they reach their full potential and achieve their ambitions. We believe the very best students come from all backgrounds and we want to build a community that reflects our society.
What is a contextual offer?
Contextual offers are used by universities and colleges to take account of a student’s individual circumstances. Employing contextual offers at the University Derby will allow our admissions team to identify applicants with the greatest potential to succeed in higher education and be an exceptional Derby student. This makes the application process fairer and builds confidence in students about their ability to be part of our academic community.
We will use the information in an application form and may either reduce grade requirements or give extra consideration when deciding whether to give a contextual offer. We will also support these students through information, advice and guidance, outreach activities and on-campus visits before and during the application process.
What is the criteria?
Typical criteria may include one or more of the following:
Students who are care experienced
Students who are estranged from their families
Students who are refugees or asylum seekers
Students whose parents/carers are in the UK armed forces
*Please note students need to declare they meet one of these criteria on their application.
BBB - with at least a grade C in Geology, Geography, or Environmental Science, but sciences and mathematics (or equivalent qualifications) will be considered
T Level
Merit in Science
BTEC
DDM
GCSE
GCSE Maths and English Grade 4/Grade C (or above) or equivalent qualification
Access to HE
Pass Access to HE Diploma with 60 credits: 45 at Level 3 with a minimum of Distinction: 15, Merit: 24, Pass: 6. Must include passes in compulsory Level 3 subjects
English language requirements
IELTS: 6.0 (with at least 5.5 in each skills area)
Our undergraduate and postgraduate course pages will show the intakes that are available and open to applications. It's best to apply early so you can secure your place and beat the rush.
Once we have received your application and supporting documents (such as qualifications or references), we will review it and contact you within 4 weeks to let you know if you have been successful or not.
Our aim is to support all students to have the best possible opportunities to succeed and so our application and enrolment deadlines are in place to ensure you stand the best chance of doing so.
Joining the programme later may harm your chances of success on your course. It is therefore vital that you take note of the dates and ensure you submit your completed application and subsequent enrolment in time.
Undergraduate and postgraduate taught deadlines
Please note some courses may have an earlier induction, teaching and enrolment deadline date.
If your course operates a gathered field or pooled admissions process there may be an earlier application date. Please check your individual course page for further details.
If you are in Year 13 and applying for a full-time undergraduate course (including our joint honours courses), we recommend that you apply through UCAS.
If you are applying to study part-time, or already have your qualifications, or wish to join at Year 2 or 3, you should apply directly to the University.
Alongside an impressive core knowledge and skillset in Earth Sciences, you’ll develop a range of transferable skills, including verbal and written communication, critical analysis, independent thought and problem solving. Your new, solution focused expertise will strongly position you to pursue a wide range of careers upon graduating.
Careers in the Earth Sciences cover a wide range of industry sectors including:
Volcanology
Hydrogeology
Geophysics
Science policy
Responsible mining
Palaeontology
Climatology
Offshore wind
Carbon sequestration
Erosion management
Critical mineral exploration and extraction
Water sector
Oceanography
Engineering geology
Museum curation
Geomorphology Offshore and onshore ground engineering
Site remediation
GIS analytics
Research and development
Flood management
Energy Sector
Teaching
Offshore platforms
Seismology
Geohazards mitigation
Environmental monitoring
Geothermal
Meteorology
Site surveying
Raw materials
Glaciology
Exploration geology
Academia
Planetary sciences
Paleoclimatology
You can also go onto further study and enrol onto our MSc GeoEnergy course, where you will learn transferable skills to actively contribute to the global energy transition, advanced climate change mitigation, and gain expertise to integrate emerging and conventional technologies in the critical GeoEnergy sector.
Careers and Employment Service
Our Careers and Employment Service can help you boost your employment skills by connecting you with employers for work placements, part-time jobs, and volunteering. They can also offer guidance on career options, CV writing, or starting your own business.
Getting you career ready
Your degree is only part of your story.
We're here to help prepare you for life after university.
96% of UK graduates are in employment or further study.
Top 5 for employability. Uni Compare Annual Student Review Rankings 2025.
87% of UK graduates say their current activity is meaningful.
Getting you career ready
Your degree is only part of your story. We're here to help prepare you for life after university. We'll tailor your talents and help you build the tools that will set you apart when you are ready to look for your first graduate role.
Our staff have valuable and varied experiences in the workplace and beyond. And we have great links to industry. This means you'll have opportunities to apply your learning. You'll find work experience that's directly relevant to your studies, including placements and real projects set by businesses.
Our promise
We promise to provide an inclusive approach; supporting, advising and guiding you on your employability journey to success. We will listen to your needs and signpost opportunities for you to engage with up to three years after graduation.
If you need any more information from us, eg on courses, accommodation, applying, car parking, fees or funding, please contact us and we will do everything we can to help you.
Like most universities, we operate extended teaching hours at the University of Derby, so contact time with your lecturers and tutors could be anytime between 9am and 9pm. Your timetable will usually be available on the website 24 hours after enrolment on to your course.
Course updates
The information provided on this page is correct at the time of publication but course content, costs and other individual course details do change from time to time and are updated as often as possible, so please do check these pages again when making your final decision to apply for a course. Any updated course details will also be confirmed to you at application, enrolment and in your offer letter.
If you are thinking about transferring onto this course (into the second year for example), you should contact the programme leader for the relevant course information as modules may vary from those shown on this page.
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