Exploration Geophysics MSc

Geophysics involves the use of physical techniques to study the Earth's interior. It involves a range of disciplines, including seismic, gravity, magnetic and geo-electrical methods, applied throughout marine and onshore settings.

Exploration Geophysics is a key element of understanding the resource potential of the subsurface – whether these resources are water, minerals, hydrocarbon reserves or geothermal heat, or if a site is to be developed for CO2 or hydrogen storage. It is applied in engineering site investigations and environmental monitoring, helping to decontaminate sites and assess structural integrity ahead of construction. It is also a well-developed tool in archaeological mapping and glacier mapping. The School of Earth and Environment’s Exploration Geophysics MSc degree gives you the skills to embark on a career in any of these industrial or academic sectors.

Established for over 50 years, Exploration Geophysics MSc has strong links with industrial partners, global research institutes and Leeds’ new Geosolutions centre, each combining to support the application of geoscience expertise in the transition to clean-energy. The course provides you with a breadth of practical skills, underpinned by a theoretical understanding, equipping you with the skills for a profession in your chosen field.

Course highlights

• Theoretical and practical understanding of diverse Exploration Geophysics concepts through an 8-month taught course that blends face-to-face contact with online workshops and research-based teaching – a perfect foundation for a geoscience career.

• A four-month individual research project, often conducted in close collaboration with external partners and the potential to undertake a subsidised internship.

• Access to high specification computer facilities, running industry-standard software packages.

• Develop field survey skills with hands-on experience with our sector-leading stock of geophysical survey systemsYou..

• Build a network of professional contacts through our weekly seminars from geoscience practitioners, from a range of international industries and research institutes.

Specialist facilities

Our Exploration Geophysics course benefits from a dedicated computer cluster, where you will receive training with numerous industry-standard software packages. These include MESA, SeisSpace/ProMAX®, KINGDOM, Petrel™, Geosoft, RokDoc, OpendTect™ and Reveal™. Leeds maintains a sector-leading stock of geophysical survey systems, offering you the capacity to undertake your own data acquisitions, using seismic, radar, magnetic, electrical and electromagnetic systems. This has recently been complemented with borehole tomography and distributed sensing technologies.

Find out more about our facilities.

Programme team

The programme leader, Dr Adam Booth, is a specialist in near-surface geophysical surveying with research interests throughout environmental and engineering geoscience settings. He is a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy, and is committed to innovative curriculum design.

The wider programme team is made up of geoscientists from the School’s Institute of Applied Geoscience and Institute of Geophysics and Tectonics, featuring specialists in data processing, computational geophysics, structural geology and resource exploration.

Active research environment

The Exploration Geophysics MSc curriculum is centred around research-based teaching, and you will benefit from the active research programmes of the delivery team. Your research project will address a genuine geoscience issue, and you will be mentored in essential research skills by a project advisor. A selection of our staff’s current research projects can be seen in our School’s research pages.

Industry links

Strong links with industry reinforce this vocational Masters degree, helping you to develop a grounded perspective, as well as providing you with recruitment possibilities.

In addition to the industrial experience of many School staff and contributions from University of Leeds geoscience spin-out companies, you will have numerous contacts with industry representatives throughout the year.

We have many visits from energy, geophysical acquisition, processing and software companies, primarily to engage with you and recruit Masters students throughout their degree. These visits include recruitment information, technical showcases and case studies of integrated geoscience in practice, as well as opportunities for you to network with geoscience professionals. Many offer 'guest lectures' on the taught course, to supplement what you will learn from our defined syllabus and enhance strongly your employability.

You will have the opportunity to attend one or more major industry events: the PETEX conference, (Biennially, in November: PESGB) and/or the annual European Association of Geoscientists and Engineers conference and exhibition in May/June (EAGE). They have strong student-aligned programmes, alongside extensive presentations and exhibitions on the latest scientific and technological developments. You can experience all of these, and meet industry experts, including potential employers.

Your summer project is typically carried out either with collaborating commercial companies or academic/government institutes. These projects are linked to current activities, representing actual problems for which a real research or business outcome is sought. Some are field-based: some result in journal publications or conference presentations, such as at the EAGE conference. The projects finish with a presentation day where you will present your work to an audience of academic and industry visitors.

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Accreditation

The quality and relevance of our teaching has been recognised by an independent body of academics and industrialists through our Geological Society of London Professional Accreditation.

The Exploration Geophysics curriculum is divided into three semesters, featuring eight taught modules and an independent research project. Taught modules cover a broad range of geophysical disciplines as applied to resource, environmental and engineering industries.

In Semester one, you will learn the theoretical tools of the trade, via fundamental modules covering topics such as seismic fundamentals and acquisition, computational inverse theory, field and structural geology, seismic data processing and near surface geophysics.

Throughout Semester two, you will put this theory intro practice, with applied modules in topics such as reservoir geophysics, petrophysics, seismic interpretation and gravity and magnetic methods. The semester culminates in a residential fieldtrip, in which you will undertake and data acquisition and analyse the data you collect.

Throughout Semester three, over summer, you will apply the skills learnt during the taught course to undertake an independent project to explore a current geophysics research problem. These projects are typically tailored to the individual interests of students, and often involve an external collaborator – whether from the industrial or research sectors – and the potential to undertake an internship for at least part of the project period.

Project topics regularly include investigations of specific geological issues and prospects, studies of novel seismic analysis tools, and integrated geophysical investigations – on scales from basins to quarries. All are unique to each year, with a desired commercial or academic outcome: about 10% of projects involve fieldwork, and can be case studies or innovative research-aligned investigations – even to a publishable standard.

Field work

Exploration Geophysics features 2 field exercises. In Semester 1, you will undertake two days of field geology, to help you visualise subsurface targets and the geological structures that they represent. In Semester 2, you will complete a 4-day residential field trip at a site in North Wales, where you will use our geophysical survey systems to image and understand a variety of subsurface targets.

Want to find out more about your modules?
Take a look at the Exploration Geophysics module descriptions for more detail on what you will study.

Course structure

The list shown below represents typical modules/components studied and may change from time to time. Read more in our Terms and conditions.

For more information and a full list of typical modules available on this course, please read Exploration Geophysics MSc in the course catalogue

Modules

Year 1

Learning and teaching

Exploration Geophysics features a 22-week taught syllabus, spanning two semesters. You may expect up to 6 hours of contact time from staff each day, either via face-to-face lectures, workstation practicals, or online workshops. A number of workshops are led by industry professionals, including on seismic processing, interpretation and inversion. You will undertake coursework submissions throughout the taught-course and have opportunities for constructive feedback on your work. Discussion of your progress and understanding among your MSc peers is encouraged.

You will be assigned a personal tutor, who will maintain contact with you throughout the year and offer pastoral guidance. They will help you to settle into the university and clarify any procedures, as well as helping you prepare for employment on graduation. You will also receive administrative support from SEE’s dedicated Student Education Support office.

You’ll also learn the latest geophysical developments through our “Tuesday Talks” seminar series, featuring a weekly visit from a professional geophysicist. Our recent programme has featured professionals from Drax Power, Fugro, Shell, BP, Cornish Lithium and the British Antarctic Survey.

Our Virtual Learning Environment will help to support your studies: it’s a central place where you can find all the information and resources for the School, your programme and modules.

You can also benefit from support to develop your academic skills, within the curriculum and through online resources, workshops, one-to-one appointments and drop-in sessions.

On this course you’ll be taught by our expert academics, from lecturers through to professors. You may also be taught by industry professionals with years of experience, as well as trained postgraduate researchers, connecting you to some of the brightest minds on campus.

Assessment

Modules are assessed through a variety of exam papers and coursework exercises. Each features opportunities for formative feedback, to help you hone analysis and reporting skills ahead of formally-assessed submissions. Our coursework gives you the opportunity to learn through assessment, with each exercise drawing on authentic examples of geophysical data and testing your appraisal and analysis of it. While most of these submissions are individually assessed, some provide opportunities for groupwork to offer an authentic experience of the diversity of a professional team. The project module tests your ability both to undertake and communicate a science project, and its assessed components include a dissertation, a poster and a research seminar presented to peers, course staff and external industry guests.

Entry requirements

A bachelor degree with a 2:1 (hons) in geosciences (e.g. geology or geophysics) or in a relevant numerate subject, such as physics, mathematics, or some engineering discliplines. Relevant and extensive industry experience can also be taken into account.

You must have mathematics to a good A-level grade (or equivalent) as a minimum. Your mathematical competence will be assessed prior to joining and additional training may be required. The course is computer-intensive and we assume you have basic computer literacy including Windows and MS Office. EDCL/ICDL qualifications are not formally required, but represent the level expected. Familiarity with Linux would also be advantageous as it forms the platform for much of the workstation based training.

Applicants with a 2.2 will be considered on a case by case basis where applicants can demonstrate relevant work experience or aptitude in a relevant specialist field. Graduates from other disciplines and those with professional experience in the sector will also be considered.

We accept a range of international equivalent qualifications. For more information please contact the Admissions Team.

English language requirements

IELTS 6.5 overall, with no less than 6.0 in any component. For other English qualifications, read English language equivalent qualifications.

Improve your English

International students who do not meet the English language requirements for this programme may be able to study our postgraduate pre-sessional English course, to help improve your English language level.

This pre-sessional course is designed with a progression route to your degree programme and you’ll learn academic English in the context of your subject area. To find out more, read Language for Science (6 weeks) and Language for Science: General Science (10 weeks). 

If you need to study for longer than 10 weeks, read more about our postgraduate pre-sessional English course.

How to apply

Application deadlines

Applicants are encouraged to apply as early as possible.

29 July 2022 – International applicants

9 September 2022 – UK applicants

Applications for 2022 entry will open on Friday 1 October 2021. From that date this page will contain a link to take you to information on applying for taught programmes and to the University's online application system.

If you're unsure about the application process, contact the admissions team for help.

Read about visas, immigration and other information in International students. We recommend that international students apply as early as possible to ensure that they have time to apply for their visa.

Admissions policy

University of Leeds Taught Admissions Policy 2022

Fees

• UK: £11,750 (total)
• International: £29,500 (total)

Read more about paying fees and charges.

Brexit 
Visit our Brexit page for the latest information on the effect of the UK's exit from the EU on current students and applicants to the University.

For fees information for international taught postgraduate students, read Masters fees.

Additional cost information

Because we recognise the value of field experience the school heavily subsidises or covers the transport and accommodation costs for all compulsory taught field courses.

We hope to run our fieldwork activities as planned for the 22/23 academic year, but it might not be possible due to the COVID-19 pandemic. We are continually reviewing the situation and will communicate any decisions to applicants and offer holders at the earliest possible opportunity.

There may be additional costs related to your course or programme of study, or related to being a student at the University of Leeds. Read more about additional costs

Scholarships and financial support

If you have the talent and drive, we want you to be able to study with us, whatever your financial circumstances. There may be help for students in the form of loans and non-repayable grants from the University and from the government.  Find out more at Masters funding overview.

We have strong company links which typically offer a number of industry scholarships. Available scholarships can be viewed on our website.

A degree from Leeds and the experience you'll gain here will give you the edge to find the career you want. Your course will give you the experience and knowledge that employers are looking for to help you secure a job.

The University of Leeds is in the top five most targeted universities in the UK by graduate recruiters, according to High Fliers’ The Graduate Market in 2021 report.

There is a strong and continuing demand for geophysicists. A Masters qualification is generally regarded as an essential entry-level requirement in the geoscience sector, whether in resource exploration or in the environmental/engineering industry. Graduates from MSc Exploration Geophysics have an exceptionally good track record at securing employment on completion. Many graduates can be found throughout the energy sector, taking leading roles in the processing and interpretation of seismic data or with the development of relevant software. Elsewhere, graduates secure employment in the minerals industries. MSc-level training in geophysics also equips you for the developing job market in CO2 storage and geothermal energy, or any other sector that requires strong numeracy and skills of data analytics.

Our graduates have secured positions in recent years, including:

• geologist/geophysicist, Agencia Nacional de Hidrocarburos (Colombia)

• geologist/geophysicist, Arup – engineering site investigation

• geophysicist, Bell Geospace – airborne geophysics

• geophysicist, British Geological Survey – geomagnetism unit

• geophysicist, CGG – seismic data processing

• geophysicist, DownUnderGeosolutions – seismic data processing

• geophysicist, ExxonMobil – energy company

• geophysicist, ION GX Imaging – seismic data processing

• geophysicist, NexenCNOOC (now CNOOC) – energy company

• geophysicist, Shell (UK) – energy company

• hydrogeophysicist, Aestsus LLC (USA) – near-surface geophysics

• PhD, University of Bristol – microseismics

• PhD, University of Edinburgh – seismic interferometry

• PhD, University of Stockholm - glaciological geophysics

• software developer, AWE (UK) – forensic seismology

• software developer, BAe Systems – cybersecurity

Further study

Many of our graduates have secured positions on PhD programmes in the UK and internationally: your summer dissertation project provides you with the ideal skillset from which to launch your next step along a research path.

Careers support

At Leeds we help you to prepare for your future from day one. Our Leeds for Life initiative is designed to help you develop and demonstrate the skills and experience you need for when you graduate. We will help you to access opportunities across the University and record your key achievements so you are able to articulate them clearly and confidently.

You’ll have access to the wide range of careers resources and support from your Careers Service. You’ll have the chance to attend industry presentations, book appointments with qualified careers consultants and take part in employability workshops and webinars. Our careers fairs provide further opportunities to explore your career options with some of the UKs leading employers.

You will also have full access to the University’s Careers Centre, which is one of the largest in the country.

There are also plenty of exciting ways you can volunteer during your time at Leeds. Find out more at the Leeds University Union website.