THE UNIVERSITY of EDINBURGH

DEGREE REGULATIONS & PROGRAMMES OF STUDY 2026/2027

Draft Edition - Due to be published Thursday 9th April 2026

Timetable information in the Course Catalogue may be subject to change.
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Degree Programme Table: Geophysics (BSc Hons) (UTGEOPY)

Jump to: Year 1, Year 2, Year 3, Year 4

Year 1 Academic year: 2026/27, Starting in: September

Compulsory courses

You must take these courses
Physics 1A: Foundations

Must be taken during Semester 1

PHYS08016 20 credits
Introduction to Geophysics
EASC08008 20 credits
Mathematics for Physics 1

Must be taken during Semester 1

PHYS08035 20 credits
Mathematics for Physics 2

Must be passed and taken during Semester 2

PHYS08036 20 credits
The Dynamic Earth
GESC08003 20 credits

Course options

Group A

Select exactly 20 credits in this group.

Physics 1B: The Stuff of the Universe

Select exactly 20 credits of the following courses
Notes:
Whilst you may select any course from those listed below, Physics 1B has been identified by the DPC as complementary to your studies.
Physics 1B: The Stuff of the Universe
PHYS08017 20 credits
OR

Geology and Landscapes

Select exactly 20 credits of the following courses
Notes:
Students intending to take EASC08034 ¿Field Skills in Earth Sciences¿ are recommended to take EASC08030 ¿Geology and Landscapes¿.
Geology and Landscapes
EASC08030 20 credits
OR

Level 7 and 8 courses in Schedules A-R, T, W and Y

Select exactly 20 credits from Level 7 and 8 courses in Schedules A-R, T, W and Y
OR

Challenge Courses: Engaging with complex problems through interdisciplinary collaboration

Select exactly 20 credits of the following courses
Notes:
Challenge Courses are designed to bring together students from different degree programmes to explore the complex issues facing the world today through interdisciplinary collaboration and creative thinking.

Working with each other and expert academics, students will gain new perspectives and develop important life skills highly valued by employers, such as teamwork, problem-solving and adaptability.
Our Changing World
BIME08006 20 credits
Sustainability and Social Responsibility (UG)
EDUA08116 20 credits
Wicked problems: Reason and Rhetoric
EDUA08126 20 credits
Understanding decolonisation in a globalised world
EDUA08127 20 credits
Sustainable Development Goals: History, Progress and Beyond 2030
EFIE08008 20 credits
Living in the Anthropocene
GESC08004 20 credits
Understanding Gender in the Contemporary World
SSPS08012 20 credits
Healthy Eating for People and Planet
VETS08016 20 credits

Year 2 Academic year: 2026/27, Starting in: August

Notes:
Students are required to enrol in 120 credits each year.

Compulsory courses

You must take these courses
Physics of the Earth
EASC08016 20 credits
Geophysical Data Science
EASC08038 20 credits
Mathematics for Physics 2
PHYS08036 20 credits

Course options

Group A

Select exactly 20 credits in this group.

Earth Materials: From atoms to planets

Select exactly 20 credits of the following courses
Earth Materials: From atoms to planets
EASC08031 20 credits
OR

Introduction to Meteorology

Select exactly 20 credits of the following courses
Introduction to Meteorology
EASC08037 20 credits
AND

Group B

Select exactly 20 credits in this group.

Rock Forming Processes

Select exactly 20 credits of the following courses
Rock Forming Processes
EASC08032 20 credits
OR

Introduction to Climate Change

Select exactly 20 credits of the following courses
Introduction to Climate Change
EASC08036 20 credits
AND

Group C

Select exactly 20 credits in this group.

Field Skills for Earth Sciences

Select exactly 20 credits of the following courses
Notes:
EASC08034 is taught mostly after S2 teaching is over.
Field Skills for Earth Sciences
EASC08034 20 credits
OR

Level 7 and 8 courses in Schedules A to T, W and Y

Select exactly 20 credits from Level 7 and 8 courses in Schedules A to T, W and Y
OR

Challenge Courses: Engaging with complex problems through interdisciplinary collaboration

Select exactly 20 credits of the following courses
Notes:
Challenge Courses are designed to bring together students from different degree programmes to explore the complex issues facing the world today through interdisciplinary collaboration and creative thinking.

Working with each other and expert academics, students will gain new perspectives and develop important life skills highly valued by employers, such as teamwork, problem-solving and adaptability.
Our Changing World
BIME08006 20 credits
Sustainability and Social Responsibility (UG)
EDUA08116 20 credits
Wicked problems: Reason and Rhetoric
EDUA08126 20 credits
Understanding decolonisation in a globalised world
EDUA08127 20 credits
Sustainable Development Goals: History, Progress and Beyond 2030
EFIE08008 20 credits
Living in the Anthropocene
GESC08004 20 credits
Understanding Gender in the Contemporary World
SSPS08012 20 credits
Healthy Eating for People and Planet
VETS08016 20 credits

Year 3 Academic year: 2026/27, Starting in: August

Compulsory courses

You must take these courses
Mathematical and computational methods in Geophysics
EASC09054 20 credits
Geophysical Measurement and Modelling
EASC10110 20 credits
Research Training for Geophysics
EASC09055 20 credits

Course options

Group A

Select exactly 20 credits in this group.

Sustainable Subsurface Energy

Select exactly 20 credits of the following courses
Sustainable Subsurface Energy
EASC10131 20 credits
OR

Atmospheric Science Field Skills

Select exactly 10 credits of the following courses
Atmospheric Science Field Skills
METE10006 10 credits
OR

Thermodynamics

Select exactly 10 credits of the following courses
Thermodynamics
PHYS09021 10 credits
AND

Group B

Select exactly 20 credits in this group.

Structural Geology and Tectonics

Select exactly 20 credits of the following courses
Structural Geology and Tectonics
EASC09062 20 credits
OR

Earth's Atmospheric Composition

Select exactly 20 credits of the following courses
Earth's Atmospheric Composition
EASC10127 20 credits
AND

Group C

Select exactly 20 credits in this group.

Geophysical Imaging and Inversion

Select exactly 20 credits of the following courses
Geophysical Imaging and Inversion
EASC10109 20 credits
OR

Advanced Field Skills for Earth Science

Select exactly 20 credits of the following courses
Advanced Field Skills for Earth Science
EASC10130 20 credits

Year 4 Academic year: 2026/27, Starting in: August

Compulsory courses

You must take these courses
Geophysics International Field Course
EASC10111 10 credits
Geophysics Project
EASC10065 40 credits

Course options

Group A

Select exactly 70 credits in this group.

Geophysics Group A Options

Select between 40 and 70 credits of the following courses
Planetary Interiors
EASC10115 20 credits
Geophysical Investigation of Earth Resources
EASC10116 20 credits
Natural Hazards and Risk
EASC11008 20 credits
Atmospheric Dynamics
METE10001 10 credits
Atmospheric Physics
METE10002 10 credits
Physics of Climate
METE10003 10 credits
AND

Level 10 and 11 courses in Schedule N

Select between 0 and 30 credits from Level 10 and 11 courses in Schedule N
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