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    Computer Science and Geology - BSc (Hons)

    From developing key geological observation and interpretation skills, to learning how to model data and create software, combing Computer Science and Geology will equip you with the applied problem solving and practical skills to tackle the world's geological challenges and pursue a wide range of careers.

    Year of entry

    Course type

    • Combined Honours

    UCAS code

    • FG64

    Duration of study

    • 3 years / 4 years with international or placement year

    Keele Undergraduate Enquiries Form

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    Upon submitting this form, your enquiry will be forwarded on to our enquiries team who will contact you  to answer your question and provide further details about the course that you are interested in.

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     Book an open day Chat to students

    Why study Computer Science and Geology at Keele University?

    Accreditation pathway available in Geology
    Use a wide variety of equipment including supercomputer facilities, a VR lab and a Maker Space
    Our unique 600-acre campus offers a fantastic experimentation environment to perform fieldwork
    Develop your practical skills in Keele's state-of-the-art Central Science Laboratories (CSL)

    Course overview

    Choosing Computer Science and Geology will give you the opportunity to develop a breadth of knowledge and a wide range of skills in two fascinating subjects. Initial modules are designed to bring everyone up to speed and you will learn the key themes that underpin each discipline. In Computer Science you will explore the fundamentals of programming, computing and gain the professional skills required for effective academic study. In Geology you will gain an understanding of geoscience topics such as the Earth's structure, minerals and rocks and paleontology.

    Building on the knowledge you have learnt in both subjects, in years two and three you will explore advanced core modules in topics such as software engineering, petrology and fieldwork techniques - including two major field courses. To add breadth to your learning, you will also have the opportunity to choose modules that align with your career aspirations or interests. The programme will culminate with the opportunity to unleash your creativity and apply the techniques you have acquired throughout your studies by completing a final year geology field project and a computer science project.

    Sector-leading in sustainability education

    At Keele we're leading the sector in sustainability, not just in our ambitions to become carbon neutral by 2030 but also through our teaching and our ground-breaking research into climate change and renewable technologies. In 2021 we were awarded the prestigious title of Global Sustainability Institution of the Year (International Green Gown Awards 2021.
    Our Geology courses are strongly aligned to the role of geoscience in the UN's Sustainable Development Goals.

    Find out more about Keele’s commitment to sustainability

    Fieldwork

    Fieldwork is an essential component of a geology degree, it provides the opportunity to relate the theory and practical activities covered in class to a natural laboratory.
    Fieldwork is embedded into core modules throughout your studies to help you acquire key geological observation and interpretation skills. It's also a great way to foster connections with academics and peers and apply your learning to real-world situations.

    Fieldwork activities may include:

    • Studying the main rock types and their geological structures
    • Mapping and classification of geological structures
    • Interpreting and analysing geological information from aerial photographs
    • Producing geological maps and properly structured geological reports
    • Designing and interpreting appropriate near-surface geophysical surveys for an environmental or geotechnical investigation
    • Interpreting an environment of deposition
    • Using geographical information system and remote sensing techniques to visualise and analyse geoscience data

    In previous years our students have undertaken field courses in the UK to Pembrokeshire, the Peak District, Snowdonia, Mull in western Scotland and overseas destinations including Almeria in Spain and southern Italy.

    Learn from our campus - our own 'living laboratory'

    Our unique 600-acre campus offers a fantastic experimentation environment to perform fieldwork, test new ideas and discover solutions to real-world problems. From our lake system and extensive woodlands to the mining and industrial heritage of the local area, there are many opportunities to study in an authentic environment whilst practicing sustainably.

    Spend a year in industry

    In an increasingly competitive job market, employers are seeking to recruit employees who have high-level knowledge, skills and an understanding of the workplace. Between years two and three of your degree, there is the opportunity to spend a year gaining practical experience with a computing or geologically-focussed company or organisation. This will benefit you by allowing you to familiarise yourself with the professional working environment and the opportunity to apply the skills and theories you have learnt.

    International year

    In between years two and three of your studies you may choose to spend a year studying abroad. This exciting opportunity will enable you to experience different cultural perspectives and establish international networks. It also shows you have the personal attributes to embrace new experiences, which can enhance your employability.
    We offer exchange opportunities with a wide variety of partner institutions.

    Support

    We offer a multi layered student support structure to help you meet your academic and personal needs. You will benefit from the guidance of an academic mentor and access to Keele's Student Experience and Support team. In the Computer Science component of the programme, experienced students and doctoral researchers usually run help-desk sessions to provide support especially when exam and coursework deadlines get closer.

    Societies

    We have a wealth of student-led societies which cover a diverse range of interests. Joining a society is a great opportunity to continue to develop your skills away from your studies. This is another excellent way of demonstrating your genuine interest for the area and can be beneficial when it comes to applying for graduate roles.

    Next Steps

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    Related courses

    Accreditation and professional recognition

    Geological Society Logo

    This programme is accredited by the Geological Society of London

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    Additional opportunities

    Foundation year Placement year International year Study abroad Explore more

    Entry requirements

    Keele strives to be a place where learning, living and working is a positive experience for our entire community, and we're committed to ensuring equality of opportunity to all our applicants with the potential and motivation to succeed, regardless of background. That's why we operate a range of 'alternative offer' schemes with clear eligibility criteria, including contextual offers, offers for those studying within the Keele region, and recognising a range of additional qualifications in your offer.

    The entry grades outlined in this section indicate the likely offer or range of offers which would be made to candidates along with any subject specific requirements. This is for general information only. Keele University reserves the right to vary offer conditions depending upon a candidate's application.

    Read more about our undergraduate entry requirements for United Kingdom and International students.

    A Level requirements

    • BBC

    GCSE requirements

    • Mathematics at C (or 4) if not taken at A Level 
    • English Language/Literature at C (or 4)

    BTEC

    • DMM

    International Baccalaureate

    • 29 points 

    Access to HE Diploma requirements

    • Obtain Access to Higher Education Diploma with 112 UCAS Tariff points including 15 Level 3 credits at Distinction.

    Please note

    • Reformed GCSE grades for England are stated in brackets

    If you don't think you'll meet the entry requirements specified, you may be able to gain entry to this course via a Foundation Year.

    Preparation programmes for international students

    International students who do not meet the direct entry requirements for this course have the opportunity to study an International Foundation Year programme.

    These courses are designed to prepare international students to enter into Keele University undergraduate degrees.

    Next Steps

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    Cassidy, Computer Science

    "Studying at Keele has given me the confidence to take on challenges and step outside of my comfort zone. The small class sizes and constant support from staff has enabled me to take my learning to a deeper level and develop a wider skill set."

    Cassidy, Computer Science

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    Fees and funding

    Going to university can be a daunting as well as an exciting experience. It can be difficult to understand the true costs of being a student, as well as the financial support that is available to help you meet those costs.

    Our Student Financial Support team offers confidential advice and guidance to help you to manage your money, so that you can make the most of your time at Keele. We can help you to resolve issues with your Student Finance, create a budget, and help you to explore your options if you’re facing financial hardship. We are also able to ensure that you receive any funding for which you may be eligible, such as bursaries and scholarships.

    For more information visit our undergraduate fees and funding section.

    Next Steps

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    Modules

    Next Steps

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    Studying Geology at Keele

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    Your future career

    96% of Keele graduates were in a job or further study within six months of graduating (HESA, 2017)

    You will graduate with a strong set of transferable skills suited to a range of different sectors including IT, energy, environmental, engineering, education, and consultancy.

    Careers related to the Computer Science component of this degree include:

    • AI Data Analyst
    • Big Data Engineer
    • Cyber Security Analyst
    • DevOps engineer
    • Forensic Computer Analyst
    • Games Developer
    • Information Systems Manager
    • IT Consultant
    • Multimedia Programmer
    • Network Engineer
    • Research Scientist
    • Software Engineer
    • Systems Analyst
    • UX Designer

    Careers related to the Geology component of this degree include:

    • Basin analyst
    • Exploration geologist
    • Geochemist
    • Geoenvironmental engineer
    • Geological engineer
    • Geological surveyor
    • Geophysicist
    • Hydrogeologist
    • Mineral surveyor
    • Seismologist
    • Survey geologist
    • Teacher/Lecturer
    • Volcanologist

    Geology graduates are likely to be in high demand. Our modern society requires increasing amounts of energy, raw materials and other resources in which the vast majority are discovered by geoscientists. You will graduate with a strong set of transferable skills suited to a range of different sectors including energy, environmental, engineering, education, and consultancy.

    To become a chartered geologist, you will need to gather professional experience after gaining your degree to then apply for Chartered Geologist (CGeol) status.
    Your accredited degree may give you a head-start by reducing the number of years' experience you will need for chartered status.

    Find out more about our careers and employability services, including career planning, alumni mentoring, jobs, internships, starting your own business and much more.

    Next Steps

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    Teaching, learning and assessment

    Teaching and assessment in Computer Science

    Interactive learning

    We embrace a modern approach to learning that includes a balanced mixture of immersive lectures and lab-based sessions. Each taught module will include traditional lectures with all supporting material provided via our virtual learning environment and our labs also offer remote accessibility. Learning and teaching methods used on the programme vary according to the subject matter and level of the module.

    Teaching methods include:

    • Group project sessions
    • Practical sessions
    • Traditional lectures
    • Tutorials
    • Web-based learning
    Assessments in Computer Science

    Assessments are formulated to represent real world use cases and problems and to challenge your knowledge of the subject matters in realistic scenarios. Teaching staff pay particular attention to specifying clear assessment criteria and providing timely, regular and constructive feedback.

    Assessment methods may include:

    • Class tests
    • Coursework
    • Dissertations
    • Project reports
    • Short reports
    • Unseen examinations
    • Video and oral presentations

    Teaching and assessment in Geology

    We offer a personalised learning experience in an environment where you can feel part of a community. Our smaller class sizes will enable you to gain individual attention from your lecturers, forge close connections with other students and study in a focused environment. To ensure you receive a high-quality learning experience, teaching will be delivered through a diverse range of methods. Some classes are taught in workshop format integrating both lecture and practical material.

    Methods of teaching include:

    • Directed reading
    • Field courses
    • Group presentations
    • Independent study
    • Individual progress interviews
    • Lectures
    • Practical classes
    • Project work
    • Use of e-learning/the Keele Learning Environment
    • Workshops

    Assessment in Geology

    The programme includes a range of assessments to develop both academic and employability skills. These include:

    • Coursework
    • Dissertations
    • End-of-semester class tests
    • Essays
    • Field-course assessments
    • In-class and online tests
    • Literature reviews
    • Oral presentations
    • Posters
    • Reflective diaries
    • Technical reports
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    Central Science Laboratories

    Develop your practical skills in Keele's state-of-the-art Central Science Laboratories

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    Facilities

    Central Science Laboratories

    Our Central Science Laboratories allow us to innovate and enhance the teaching experience of our students and supports a highly tailored approach to practical learning.

    You will benefit from dedicated computational space and state-of-the-art laboratory space and equipment including 80 new polarising microscopes and 20 new low powered microscopes.

    The School of Computing and Mathematics

    During your studies you will have access to a suite of facilities within the School of Computing and Mathematics. These include;

    • Seven computer laboratories (remote access available)
    • A high-performance cluster of computers (used for research and projects)
    • A dedicated gaming lab (The Overclockers Lab)
    • Robotics facilities (Maker Space)

    You will also have the opportunity to gain out of hours entry to the building that houses the School's computer laboratories (subject to the request, approval and collection of a key fob).

    The School of Geography, Geology and the Environment

    Facilities you will have access to in the School of Geography, Geology and the Environment include:

    Ice laboratory

    Our ice lab features a dedicated freezer laboratory for water and ice samples from polar environments. IceLab research is driven by the need to understand and develop new methods, such as analysis of ice core ‘biomarkers’, within polar environments in order to inform on key questions surrounding global ocean and atmospheric change, sea ice variability, and humanity’s role in polar ecological change.

    We also have geochemistry, water chemistry and sediment laboratories, where you can conduct geochemical analysis and experiments, measure physical and chemical properties of water and analyse the compositional properties of sediments.

    Weather station

    Keele's weather station provides valuable data locally, nationally and for teaching and research in the school. This includes data for wind speed and direction, rainfall, humidity, sunshine/radiation, air and ground temperatures.

    Research

    In Computer Science we focus on research that has the potential to create a significant impact on the computational understanding and engineering of complex systems, to improve people’s quality of life and to pave the way for world leading innovations that improve the security, reliability and quality of computing devices and services used in industry. Keele is also in the unique position of hosting the first living laboratory for energy-efficient technologies: the multi-million-pound Smart Energy Network Demonstrator (SEND). Our expertise feeds into modules in the latter years of your degree.

    Computer Science research specialisms include:

    • Synthetic biology
    • Wearable technologies,
    • Health and cultural informatics,
    • Responsible artificial intelligence,
    • Computer vision,
    • Evolutionary robotics

    Find out more about our research in Computer Science.

    Our Geology academics are practitioners beyond academia. This means you will benefit from studying modules that have been informed by the research and active work they are undertaking in their field of expertise. Areas of expertise within Geology include:

    • Basin dynamics and sedimentology
    • Structural geology
    • Hydrocarbon and geothermal energy
    • Palaeontology
    • Igneous and metamorphic petrology, geochemistry and volcanology
    • Applied and environmental geophysics
    • Forensic geoscience

    Find out more about research in the School of Geography, Geology and the Environment.

    Foundation year

    Our Foundation Year provides an excellent alternative route to Keele, providing a unique opportunity to better prepare for your chosen degree, and with guaranteed entry onto your undergraduate course once you successfully complete your Foundation Year.

    This extra year of study can improve your academic skills, expand your subject knowledge, give you a better understanding of higher education and, perhaps most importantly of all, build your confidence.

    Keele University is consistently ranked among the top universities for student satisfaction, and we have over 70 years' experience of teaching a foundation year to students. On the Keele Foundation Year, you'll study on campus, joining our undergraduate community from the outset, with access to all the facilities and support that you'd get as an undergraduate student at Keele.

    Keele University is consistently ranked among the top universities for student satisfaction, and we have over 70 years’ experience of teaching a foundation year to students. On the Keele Foundation Year, you’ll study on campus, joining our community from the outset, and you will have access to a range of support.

    Read on to find out about:

    Our Foundation Year allows you to develop your critical thinking, academic reading, writing, and communication study skills along with subject-specific knowledge and skills. Upon meeting the progression criteria and successfully completing our Foundation Year, you will automatically progress into your Keele undergraduate degree with the confidence that you have the skills, and knowledge needed to successfully complete your course.

    The Keele Foundation Year is a two semester programme which provides a tailored pre-degree programme of study to better prepare you for the BSc (Hons) Computer Science and Geology degree. For example, Foundations of Computational Theory and Programming will introduce you to the key principles of Computer Science and programming, while Advancing Programming will allow you to hone these skills in an individual project, all of which will be useful in your degree and professional career. Meanwhile, the Foundations of Geography, Geology and the Environment module will provide knowledge of the basic underlying principles and concepts associated with the origins, evolution and structure of the Earth as a system. All of the modules you take will prove useful in your degree and professional career. Course content has been developed in collaboration with degree teaching teams, so that by the time you begin Year 1, you will be ready to excel at your studies, as the majority of our Foundation Year students do.

    Find out more about the Keele Foundation Year, including information about teaching and assessment methods by visiting the Foundation Year homepage. 

    Course structure

    The module details given below are indicative, they are intended to provide you with an idea of the range of subjects that are taught to our current students. The modules that will be available for you to study in future years are prone to change as we regularly review our teaching to ensure that it is up-to-date and informed by the latest research and teaching methods. The information presented is therefore not intended to be construed and/or relied upon as a definitive list of the modules available in any given year.

    Semester one modules

    FYO-00275 Foundations of Computational Theory and Programming 15 credits
    FYO-00211  Foundations of Numerical and Quantitative Methods for Scientists  15 credits
    FYO-00193 Foundations of Geography, Geology and the Environment 15 credits
    FYO-00185 Practical and Academic Skills in Science 15 credits

    Semester two modules

    FYO-00225 Advancing Programming  15 credits
    FYO-00227 Advancing Computing: Client-Led Collaborative Design 15 credits
    FYO-00195 Advancing Geography, Geology and the Environment 30 credits

     

    Entry requirements

    The entry grades outlined in this section indicate the likely offer or range of offers which would be made to candidates along with any subject specific requirements. This is for general information only. Keele University reserves the right to vary offer conditions depending upon a candidate’s application. Read more about our undergraduate entry requirements for United Kingdom, European Union and International students.

    • Between 40-56 UCAS points from at least 1 A level/level 3 qualification or equivalent, or
    • Relevant work experience

      AND

    • GCSE English Language at grade 4 (C), or Level 2 Functional Skills, or
    • IELTS 5.5 (with 5.5 in all subtests)

    AND

    • GCSE Mathematics at grade 4 (C) or above 

    How to apply 

    Applicants will need to apply for BSc (Hons) Computer Science with Foundation Year (UCAS code: G401) through UCAS at www.ucas.com. You will then be contacted to confirm your second subject by a member of our team.

    Direct entry students

    If you already have your qualifications, are not expecting any further results and only wish to apply to Keele, please contact the Admissions Office directly.

    Our International Foundation Year is delivered on campus through Keele University International College (KUIC). Find out more about the International Foundation Year options on the KUIC website.
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