Year 12s: what will be the first way you research your future options? >>

Should I choose Geology or a joint honours in Geology and Physical Geography?

So I'm going to be applying to unis this coming year and I've been set on doing a geology and physical geography degree and while I absolutely LOVE geography, the more I read into geology the more I'm starting to gain a bit more preference for it over geography. At the moment I've done AS levels in Maths, Geography, Biology and Physics, and am dropping Biology. Originally, I was thinking of doing a pure physical geography degree and it's only been the 6 months or so I've considered doing it as a joint honours with geology, and now that I'm starting to like geology more I don't know whether I should apply for a plain geology degree as all the books and other things I've read have fascinated me I've never been taught geology in an academic setting so am still unsure. Any advice would be helpful.

Reply 1

username2088165

Original post by AAK151099

I would recommend having a thorough look at all of the geology and physical geography courses on offer, as course content varies widely between degrees (even in the same subject area) and universities. Research is the key to finding the course which most closely matches your interests :yep:

Your A Levels are well suited to both a geology and/or geography degree, so there's nothing to worry about in that regard - especially since most geology degrees assume no prior knowledge of the subject and therefore start from basics.

There are a variety of options when looking at geology and earth-related degrees. You could do a standard BSc Geology degree, which would cover traditional geology topics such as mineralogy, palaeontology, sedimentology, tectonics, economic geology and geological mapping, or you could specialise a bit and study a course in Environmental Geology, which would cover core geology topics, plus modules on the environmental applications of geology, e.g. geohazards and their mitigation, climate change, pollution, resource exploration and engineering geology. Other degrees like Earth and Environmental Science or Environmental Earth Science also cover a wide range of geology- and geography-related topics, so they would be worth looking into as well.

Like with plain Geology degrees, Geology and Physical Geography courses also vary a lot in terms of content, since both are broad subjects. The amount of each subject that you study also varies between courses: some courses will have a roughly equal number of geology and geography modules, whereas others might focus more on one subject or the other. Another option is to study a major-minor degree. Keele University has both joint honours and major-minor course options, so you could study geology and physical geography equally, or study both for the first two years of your degree, then focus on either geology or physical geography in your final year.

In summary, doing lots of research into course options and content is the best way to find out which degree would likely suit you better :smile: