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Bachelor of Science (Earth and Ocean Sciences)
Course Overview
Earth and Ocean Sciences (EOS) is a unique degree programme in Ireland. It investigates the Earth from the inside out (ranging from the depths of the planet's core to the highest reaches of the atmosphere, at the very edge of space) and aims to enhance understanding of Earth's surface and ocean environments. Myriad complex physical and chemical processes have changed and sculpted the Earth over its 4.6 billion year history. The conditions these processes created permitted the evolution of life in Earth’s very distant past, an apparently unique feature of this planet within the Solar System. A second unique feature of the Earth is the presence of liquid water at its surface – these fundamentally important marine and freshwater environments are also explored in detail on the EOS degree.
Climate change and the search for sustainable resources and energy are critically important concerns at present – Earth and Ocean scientists (geoscientists) are uniquely positioned to address these significant challenges for humanity. The energy, water and raw materials (including metals and minerals) that society depends on are underpinned by the geosciences, so to manage these resources sustainably we need to understand their place within the broader Earth system. The EOS degree programme provides this essential training: it exposes graduates to a global career market, develops scientists who can investigate issues of global concern, and it also strongly aligns with UN Sustainable Development Goals.
EOS graduates are among the 25,000 people currently employed in geosciences in Ireland. They are working as science communicators and as tour guides, scientific officers, technologists, research scientists, map makers, teachers, lecturers and consultants. Some work for government agencies (Environmental Protection Agency, Geological Survey Ireland, Geological Survey Northern Ireland, Office of Public Works, and the Marine Institute), and some work in environmental and engineering consultancies here and around the world working on renewable (geothermal, wind, wave) energy projects, dealing with flood management and water management, assessing environmental impacts of various projects, finding and managing economic resources.
Applications and Selections
Who Teaches this Course
The EOS degree is taught by a dedicated and enthusiastic team of academic staff with skills covering a wide range of disciplines such as mineralogy, petrology, geochemistry, structural geology, geophysics, hydrogeology, physical and chemical oceanography, marine biogeochemistry, palaeobiology and sedimentology. In 2012, EOS staff won the first ever University of Galway President’s Team Teaching Award for the high quality of the final year project programme in Earth and Ocean Sciences.
Lecturers include:
- Dr Sadhbh Baxter
- Dr Jake Ciborowski
- Prof Peter Croot
- Dr Eve Daly
- Dr Anthony Grehan
- Dr Tiernan Henry
- Prof Mark Johnson
- Dr Liam Morrisson
- Dr John Murray
- Dr Shane Tyrrell
- Dr Martin White
Requirements and Assessment
Key Facts
Entry Requirements
Minimum Grade H5 in two subjects and passes in four other subjects at O6/H7 level in the Leaving Certificate, including Irish, English, Mathematics, a laboratory science subject (i.e. Chemistry, Physics, Biology, Physics with Chemistry (joint) or Agricultural Science) and any two other subjects recognised for entry purposes.
Additional Requirements
Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL)
Duration
4 years
Next start date
September 2024
A Level Grades (2023)
universityofgalway.ie/alevels
Average intake
30
QQI/FET FETAC Entry Routes
Closing Date
NFQ level
Mode of study
ECTS weighting
Award
CAO
GY314
Course code
Course Outline
Earth and Ocean Sciences incorporates two fundamental disciplines: Geology and Oceanography, which makes it a unique degree programme in Ireland.
Geology is the study of the Earth as a dynamic system, including its origins and subsequent history, along with its structure and composition. It is the ultimate story of environmental change through time and it incorporates diverse areas such as palaeontology, hydrogeology, geophysics, remote sensing, mineralogy, sedimentology and earth surface processes. Almost all natural resources (e.g. metals, minerals, water, energy) on our planet are controlled either directly or indirectly by geology, hence geoscience informs on how these resources can be optimally managed for a sustainable future in the very pressing context of anthropogenic climate change.
Oceanography is key to understanding all aspects (physical, biological, chemical) of the ocean, therefore oceanographers are required to assess and monitor climatic/environmental impacts, and natural/man-made hazards in oceans and coastal areas. Scientific exploration of the oceans underpins advances in ecosystem
Pathway of study Year by Year
Year 1
Earth and Ocean Science draws upon biology, chemistry, physics and mathematics, so EOS students take modules in all four of these broad subject areas to ensure they have a solid grounding in science for subsequent years of study.
Year 2
25 credits (out of 60) in the second year of study are EOS modules; these focus on providing a good introduction to both earth science and oceanography, along with fieldskills training.
- EOS213 Introduction to Oceanography (10 ECTS)
- EOS2102 The Earth: From Core to Crust (10 ECTS)
- EOS2101 Introduction to Fieldskills (5 ECTS)
An additional 35 credits of second year modules are taken from a broad range of subject areas of particular interest to students, such as zoology, botany, physics, mathematics, languages etc.
Year 3
In third year, students focus their studies in more depth in various key subjects in EOS. Additionally, a residential fieldtrip is run towards the end of the academic year which allows students to apply the information learned in class (in a real-world situation) and also improve their data collection, observational and team-working skills.
- EOS3101 Geological Structures & Maps (5 ECTS)
- EOS3104 Fieldskills Training (5 ECTS)
- EOS303 Ocean Dynamics (5 ECTS)
- EOS304 Aquatic Geochemistry (5 ECTS)
- EOS305 Introduction to Applied Field Hydrology (5 ECTS)
- EOS323 Sediments and the Sedimentary Record (5 ECTS)
- EOS3102 Environmental & Marine Geophysical Remote Sensing (5 ECTS)
- EOS3103 Palaeontology & Evolution (5 ECTS)
- EOS3107 Minerals, magmas, and metamorphism (10 ECTS)
These third year EOS modules total 50 credits – the remaining 10 credits may be taken from a diverse range of optional and complementary modules (in zoology, botany, physics etc.)
Year 4
A significant component of the final year of the EOS degree programme is a research project which the student completes under the guidance of an assigned project supervisor. These projects are diverse in terms of their scope and topic (directly reflecting the diversity of research conducted in EOS), and they allow students to investigate a subject of particular interest to them in some detail.
In addition, a range of specialised final year EOS modules are taken:
- EOS402 Global Change (5 ECTS)
- EOS405 Field Skills in Oceanography (5 ECTS)
- EOS407 History of Life (5 ECTS)
- EOS409 Biophysical Interactions in the Oceans (5 ECTS)
- EOS418 Applied Field Hydrogeology (5 ECTS)
- EOS422 Sedimentary Basins (5 ECTS)
- EOS4101 Earth Observation & Remote sensing (5 ECTS)
- EOS4103 Advanced Fieldskills (5 ECTS)
- EOS4105 Economic Geology: Principles, Practice & Sustainability (5 ECTS)
For more specific details about all of the modules taught on every year of the EOS degree, please see the EOS Undergraduate Handbook
Curriculum Information
Curriculum information relates to the current academic year (in most cases).Course and module offerings and details may be subject to change.
Glossary of Terms
- Credits
- You must earn a defined number of credits (aka ECTS) to complete each year of your course. You do this by taking all of its required modules as well as the correct number of optional modules to obtain that year's total number of credits.
- Module
- An examinable portion of a subject or course, for which you attend lectures and/or tutorials and carry out assignments. E.g. Algebra and Calculus could be modules within the subject Mathematics. Each module has a unique module code eg. MA140.
- Subject
- Some courses allow you to choose subjects, where related modules are grouped together. Subjects have their own required number of credits, so you must take all that subject's required modules and may also need to obtain the remainder of the subject's total credits by choosing from its available optional modules.
- Optional
- A module you may choose to study.
- Required
- A module that you must study if you choose this course (or subject).
- Required Core Subject
- A subject you must study because it's integral to that course.
- Semester
- Most courses have 2 semesters (aka terms) per year, so a three-year course will have six semesters in total. For clarity, this page will refer to the first semester of year 2 as 'Semester 3'.
Year 1 (60 Credits)
OptionalMP180: Applied Mathematics - 15 Credits - Semester 1OptionalMA180: Mathematics (Honours) - 15 Credits - Semester 1
OptionalMA161: Mathematical Studies - 15 Credits - Semester 1
RequiredBO101: Biology - 15 Credits - Semester 1
RequiredPH101: Physics - 15 Credits - Semester 1
RequiredCH130: Chemistry: The World of the Molecule - 15 Credits - Semester 1
Year 2 (60 Credits)
OptionalBO202: Evolution and the Tree of Life - 5 Credits - Semester 3OptionalMA215: Mathematical Molecular Biology I - 5 Credits - Semester 3
OptionalMA211: Calculus I - 5 Credits - Semester 3
OptionalMA284: Discrete Mathematics - 5 Credits - Semester 3
OptionalMP231: Mathematical Methods I - 5 Credits - Semester 3
OptionalMP236: Mechanics I - 5 Credits - Semester 3
OptionalCH203: Physical Chemistry - 5 Credits - Semester 3
OptionalCH204: Inorganic Chemistry - 5 Credits - Semester 3
OptionalBPS202: Fundamentals in Aquatic Plant Science - 5 Credits - Semester 3
OptionalBO201: Molecular and Cellular Biology - 5 Credits - Semester 3
OptionalMI202: Laboratory Skills in Microbiology I - 5 Credits - Semester 3
OptionalBO2101: Scientific Writing Skills - 5 Credits - Semester 3
OptionalGR224: Beginner's German for Science - 10 Credits - Semester 3
OptionalGR252: German - 10 Credits - Semester 3
OptionalGR353: German - 10 Credits - Semester 3
OptionalMA2286: Differential Forms - 5 Credits - Semester 3
OptionalLN2210: Scileanna Gaeilge don Eolaíocht 1 - 5 Credits - Semester 3
OptionalPH2102: Physics Laboratory and Problem Solving I - 5 Credits - Semester 3
OptionalST2001: Statistics for Data Science 1 - 5 Credits - Semester 3
OptionalPH2105: Mechanics and Thermodynamics - 5 Credits - Semester 3
RequiredEOS213: Introduction to Ocean Science - 10 Credits - Semester 3
OptionalMA212: Calculus II - 5 Credits - Semester 4
OptionalZO209: Vertebrate Zoology - 5 Credits - Semester 4
OptionalMA203: Linear Algebra - 5 Credits - Semester 4
OptionalMA216: Mathematical Molecular Biology II - 5 Credits - Semester 4
OptionalMA283: Linear Algebra - 5 Credits - Semester 4
OptionalZO208: Invertebrate Biology - 5 Credits - Semester 4
OptionalMP232: Mathematical Methods II - 5 Credits - Semester 4
OptionalFR252: French - 10 Credits - Semester 4
OptionalMP237: Mechanics II - 5 Credits - Semester 4
OptionalCH202: Organic Chemistry - 5 Credits - Semester 4
OptionalCH205: Analytical & Environmental Chemistry - 5 Credits - Semester 4
OptionalBPS203: Plant Diversity, Physiology & Adaptation - 5 Credits - Semester 4
OptionalMI203: Laboratory Skills in Microbiology II - 5 Credits - Semester 4
OptionalMI204: Microbes and the Environment - 5 Credits - Semester 4
OptionalMA2287: Complex Analysis - 5 Credits - Semester 4
OptionalPAB2101: AgriBiosciences - 5 Credits - Semester 4
OptionalLN2211: Scileanna Gaeilge don Eolaíocht 2 - 5 Credits - Semester 4
OptionalPH2104: Physics Laboratory and Problem Solving II - 5 Credits - Semester 4
OptionalST2002: Statistics for Data Science 2 - 5 Credits - Semester 4
OptionalPH2106: Atomic Physics & Electromagnetism - 5 Credits - Semester 4
OptionalMA2111: Anailís - 5 Credits - Semester 4
RequiredEOS2101: Introduction to Fieldskills - 5 Credits - Semester 4
RequiredEOS2102: The Earth: From Core to Crust - 10 Credits - Semester 4
Further Education
Following completion of the Earth and Ocean Sciences degree, graduates commonly either take up employment immediately, or they may decide to continue their studies to MSc or PhD level.
A large number of taught masters programmes in earth or marine science are available in Ireland, Britain and Europe. These all allow graduates to gain a professional qualification in a subject area that they are particularly interested in (e.g. hydrogeology, hazard mitigation, sustainable exploration and resource management, surface and ocean environments, palaeobiology). In University of Galway, for example, the MSc in Marine and Freshwater Resources Management is available to EOS graduates:
Geoscience is a thriving and vigorous area of research; University of Galway is a partner institution in the SFI Research Centre in Applied Geosciences (iCRAG ). For those interested in pursuing a career in ocean or marine science, University of Galway has strong links with the Marine Institute, which is located close by in Oranmore in Galway.
Numerous possibilities exist for research positions for EOS graduates, they are particularly valued and in demand because of the high quality and multidisciplinary nature of their training at undergraduate level.
Why Choose This Course?
Career Opportunities
Graduates of Earth and Ocean Science are working in government agencies and departments (for example: EPA, Teagasc, Geological Survey Ireland), local authorities and other regulatory sectors; graduates are pursuing research and academic careers in Ireland and overseas; graduates are working in the private sector, in a range of industries and for a range of firms in the energy sector (geothermal, wind energy and other renewal energies), in the extractive industries (quarries and mining, especially in relation to rare earth elements), in conservation, restoration and environmental protection, and in the tourism sector. More than 25,000 are employed in geoscience in Ireland and the sector generates more than Three billion Euro per year for the Irish economy.
Who’s Suited to This Course
Learning Outcomes
Transferable Skills Employers Value
Work Placement
Study Abroad
Related Student Organisations
Course Fees
Fees: EU
Fees: Tuition
Fees: Student Contribution
Fees: Student levy
Fees: Non EU
EU Fees are comprised of Tuition + Student Contribution Charge + Student Levy** €140. **Payable by all students and is not covered by SUSI. Further detail here.
Find out More
Programme Director: Dr Eve Daly
School of Natural Sciences/College of Science and Engineering
Email: Eve.daly@univeristyofgalway.ie
Website: https://www.universityofgalway.ie/science-engineering/school-of-natural-sciences/disciplines/earth-ocean-science/
Other Useful Links:
www.gsi.ie
www.icrag-centre.org
www.epa.ie
www.teagasc.ie
What Our Students Say
![Oisín](/science-engineering/undergraduateprogrammes/Oisín_headshot-V3.jpg)
Oisín Leonard | BSc (Earth and Ocean Sciences)
EOS has allowed me to gain a much deeper understanding of our natural world and Galway was the perfect place to do so, with the Atlantic on our doorstep and curious landscapes such as the Burren and Connemara only a stone’s throw away! My favourite part of the course was getting the opportunity to explore and understand all these intriguing areas through the countless fieldtrips offered.
![Weston](/science-engineering/undergraduateprogrammes/Weston-Harding.jpg)
Weston Harding | BSc (Earth and Ocean Sciences)
Under the guidance of an incredibly enthusiastic faculty, I studied a range of geological and oceanographic subjects, tackling everything from global tectonics to climate change. Our classroom learning was heavily reinforced by a series of amazing residential field trips to Antrim, Wexford, Wales, and also time on the research vessel ‘Celtic Voyager’. This course truly prepares students for roles in industry or postgraduate study, and I honestly couldn’t recommend it highly enough.
![Avery](/science-engineering/undergraduateprogrammes/Avery-Fenton.jpg)
Avery Fenton | BSc (Earth and Ocean Sciences)
Throughout the EOS degree, I was given so many opportunities to try different sciences and I actually found so many different loves. And since then, my career has been able to take multiple paths. I worked in industry and now I am in academia. This degree really sets you up for whatever path you want to take.