The Department of Earth Sciences

Earth Science has been taught in Bristol for over 100 years, and the Department has grown substantially in the past 15 years, with the addition of extensive modern laboratories and teaching areas. The subject has expanded in Bristol to include great research and teaching strength in Earth system science, molecular phylogenetics, and geophysics in the last five years.

The reputation of the Department has grown. Job prospects for graduates are buoyant. Overseas students and researchers are attracted by our very high research ratings, and these bring money for ambitious investment. In 2008 we were ranked in the top 5 UK Earth and Environmental Sciences for research by the Higher Education Funding Council for England.

We enrol about 60 Single Honours students each year and geologists and environmental geoscientists share a common first year, so choices are kept open. We have 24 core-funded members of teaching staff, 48 postdoctoral research staff, 67 postgraduate research students and 48 MSc students. These young trainee researchers, from all over the world, give the Department a real buzz of activity as they investigate the limits of knowledge in volcanology, environmental geosciences, deep earth composition, isotope geochemistry and palaeontology.

The Higher Education Funding Council for England has highlighted the following teaching strengths in the Department:

• well-qualified and enthusiastic staff
• excellent rapport between staff and students
• a wide range of innovative and challenging advanced modules
• advanced information technology, enhancing the learning experience
• an effective approach to the development of transferable skills
• well-equipped and well-organised laboratories, promoting an excellent learning environment.

The high reputation of the University and the attraction of the city of Bristol are important assets enjoyed by our students. We invite you to consider studying Earth Sciences at Bristol and joining us in a pleasant and friendly environment.