Course information

• Geoscience plays a crucial role in finding, extracting and managing earth resources. These minerals and energy resources are essential to almost every aspect of our day-to-day modern life. Studying UNE's Bachelor of GeoScience online or on campus will open doors to a range of opportunities for you in this critical field. Our course has a strong practical focus on earth science, geology and GIS, allowing you to upskill and future fit your career. You will expand your knowledge of our planet's composition, structure and natural geological systems, and hone your skills in managing the earth's resource to secure their continuing contribution to our socio-economic wellbeing in the future.

Why study the Bachelor of GeoScience with UNE?

UNE's Bachelor of GeoScience is the only geology degree in Australia that you can complete online. By choosing UNE, you are choosing an industry leader in the provision of online lifelong learning. In fact, year after year, students award UNE 5-star ratings for Overall Experience and Student Support, year after year in The Good Universities Guide.

Whether you are studying online or on campus, you will have opportunities to take advantage of UNE's convenient location in the heart of the New England region, which provides an excellent natural laboratory for studying all aspects of geoscience. We capitalise on our location by undertaking regular and diverse field trips in our local area. We are fortunate to have an array of spectacular geology easily accessible within a short drive of our campus. We also run field trips for locations further afield including overseas to countries such as New Zealand and Bhutan.

In each year of your course, you will complete a specialised Applied Geoscience unit, learning from industry professionals, and leading and up-and-coming researchers. Focusing on forming connections between industry and academic, this innovative suite of units is designed to serve your specific needs whilst studying the Bachelor of Geoscience. Focusing on developing work-ready skills, research methodology and scientific communication skills through a combination of seminars, tutorials, and hands-on field, laboratory and/or workplace experiences, you will reflect on your ongoing development and keep a portfolio of key skills throughout.

UNE has a long history of excellence in teaching and research in earth science. Our geology research has been independently ranked as well above world standard. Our internationally recognised staff have diverse expertise in vertebrate and invertebrate palaeontology, biostratigraphy, tectonics, as well as economic geology, geological mapping, GIS, sedimentary, igneous and metamorphic geology. Our small class sizes mean you will have excellent access to our teaching staff.

UNE is well equipped with modern teaching laboratories (including a large teaching collection of minerals, rocks and fossils) and research facilities, including:

• Microscope laboratories

• Thin section facility

• X-ray laboratories (including XRF and XRD analysers and a µCT scanner)

• Dixson Library (with an extensive collection of earth science literature)

• Macrofossil preparation lab

• Acid lab: acid leaching of carbonate and siliceous rocks using acetic, hydrochloric and hydrofluoric acids to extract fossils.

• Digital macro photography

• Scanning electron microscope (SEM)

• Inductively Coupled Plasma Optical Emission Spectrometer (ICP-OES)

• Isotope Ratio Mass Spectrometer (IRMS)

• Infrared Spectrometer

• Portable field equipment including XRF

• Comprehensive mineral, rock and fossil collections for teaching and research purposes

Course structure

Students must complete Applied Geosciences for each year of full time study (or equivalent)When unit choice is given in Majors, Minors and/or Electives ensure overall compliance with Course Requirements: 'that the candidate must pass not more than 60 credit points at 100-level, at least 36 credit points at 300-level and not more than 12 credit points at 400-level

To qualify for the award a candidate must pass units to the value of 144 credit points with not more than 60 credit points at 100-level; at least 36 credit points at 300-level and not more than 12 credit pionts at 400-level.

• Chemistry I (CHEM110) – 6 credit points

• Our Blue Planet (GEOL110) – 6 credit points

• Dynamic Earth (GEOL120) – 6 credit points

• Applied Geosciences I (GEOL123) – 2 credit points

• Introductory Palaeontology (GEOL202) – 6 credit points

• Field Mapping and Sedimentology (GEOL206) – 6 credit points

• Resource Geology and Environmental Issues (GEOL207) – 6 credit points

• Structural and Metamorphic Geology (GEOL208) – 6 credit points

• Mineralogy, Petrology and Geochemistry (GEOL209) – 6 credit points

• Applied Geosciences II (GEOL223) – 2 credit points

• Palaeontology and Stratigraphy (GEOL311) – 6 credit points

• Applied Geosciences III (GEOL323) – 2 credit points

• Foundational Quantitative Methods for Environmental and Rural Sciences (QMER100) – 6 credit points

Course outcomes

• The aim of this three-year degree is to prepare students to be practising geoscientists with a broad range of practical and analytical skills. This degree will enable graduates to gain employment in a wide range of areas relating to the discipline. Geoscientist jobs can include working outdoors or in laboratories and in this degree we aim to teach work-ready graduates through intensive field work, geology specific GIS/geospatial mapping, practical laboratories and also communication skills.