School of Earth and Environment
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  • Overview
  • Entry Requirements
  • Fees&Funding
  • Course Structure
  • Course Leaders
  • Industry Links
  • Facilities
  • Profiles

Overview

Geophysics is the remote study of the Earth through physical techniques – principally analysing seismic data, but also applying gravity, magnetic and electrical methods. It is a key element of geological analysis, whether for oil, gas and mineral exploration or for environmental and engineering assessment.

The MSc in Exploration Geophysics has been running for over 35 years. It provides students with a broad range of practical skills underpinned by a theoretical understanding that will equip them to become professionals in their chosen field. Demand for graduates remains high, with virtually all graduates finding employment within geophysics or related areas. Various scholarships are available.

Excellent Career Prospects

Demand for geophysicists has always been high. An MSc is generally considered to be an appropriate level to embark on a career in oil and gas exploration and the course at Leeds has an exceptionally good record of job placement for both UK/EU and overseas students.

Many oil and gas, and service-sector, companies target the course directly for recruitment with numerous company visits through the year. Other opportunities arise from project placements, the EAGE, or the September Open Day of project seminars and presentations with which the course closes.

Most students join, oil and gas, or minerals companies, or geophysical acquisition, processing, interpretation or software companies. Career prospects for students with an MSc are expected to be very good for the foreseeable future. Starting salaries are around £30,000-£35,000pa, with additional benefits for working overseas and/or offshore. Increasingly, most students have these destinations secured well before the end of the course. Graduates are, of course, equipped for success in a wide range of disciplines and some take up related careers such as IT or finance sector jobs or jobs with government agencies. A significant number continue to higher degrees.

The 12 month course includes a 4 month individual project mostly in association with an external company or institute and often taking place in their offices. Teaching by leading academic geoscientists is enhanced by input from industry experts throughout the programme, whilst practical aspects are supported by a substantial investment in field equipment and a dedicated computer lab running industry standard software.

Other Courses of Interest

Entry Requirements

Candidates should have an upper second class degree (2.1) or above in geosciences (e.g. geology or geophysics) or a numerate discipline such as physics or mathematics, although relevant and extensive industry experience can also be taken into account. Equivalent international qualifications are also acceptable.

For this course, applicants should ideally have mathematics to a good A-level grade (or equivalent) as a minimum. Mathematical competence will be assessed prior to joining and additional training may be required.

The course is computer intensive and basic computer literacy including Windows and MS Office are assumed. 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 whose first language is not English, or whose degree is not from a UK institution, will need to satisfy language requirements determined by the School. Please click here for more information.

Not sure if your International/European degree meets our requirements? Find out more information here.

Fees & Funding

For programme fee information visit our fees page

School Scholarships

There are twelve SEE Excellence Scholarships available (various awards for International/Home and EU), for full information visit the School's Scholarships page

Programme Specific Scholarships

We appreciate that funding to undertake a postgraduate degree is a significant issue for individual students. Based on its long history of turning out well qualified graduates, the MSc Exploration Geophysics course at Leeds has a number of studentships available for UK/EU students.

Scholarships (UK/EU students only) are available from BG Group, BP, Maersk, Nexen, Shell and Total. All scholarships cover full fees, living costs, and project and conference attendance allowances (e.g. the EAGE). Industry scholarships usually include a summer internship at the sponsoring company.

If you are eligible for these scholarships you will automatically be considered for them and may be called to an interview. The PESGB (Petroleum Exploration Society of Great Britain) has funded several students over recent years.

**Applicants who wish to be considered for Industry Scholarships should read the information in the When to Apply section of the School website**

Postgraduate Scholarships at Leeds

Visit the University of Leeds Scholarship Web Page: http://scholarships.leeds.ac.uk/

Other Funding Sources

Many students on the course are sponsored by their employer. There are also a number of organisations which provide sponsorships for international students - often country specific.

Those considering funding the course themselves should consider that graduates have a high success rate in gaining (generally well remunerated) employment.

Students in the past have secured funding through a career development loan, for details visit the UK Government Website

The Society of Exploration Geophysics (SEG) - http://www.seg.org/web/foundation/programs/scholarship - apply directly via their website.

Course Structure

The course consists of eight taught modules and an individual project, with two options specialising in either Hydrocarbon geophysics or Environmental and Engineering geophysics. See the University Programme Catalogue for more information about overall programme together with lists and details of individual modules.

Taught modules give a broad training in Exploration Geophysics and associated areas of mathematics and geology. Lectures and seminars are supplemented by lab/computer-based practicals and fieldwork. Assessment includes reports and results of group projects as well as exams. All these activities are supported by having a dedicated computer suite with various industry standard software packages and the chance to use a wide range of geophysical survey equipment.

The most challenging and exciting part of the course for most students is the Individual Project, which runs from May to September and tests students' skills in applying the experiences acquired over the year to a specific problem. Most projects have an association with an exploration company or other external organisation and many students work alongside geoscience professionals in the offices of industrial partners. Projects last year included investigations of specific geological prospects, comparisons of novel seismic processing algorithms and integrated geophysical investigations from basin to quarry scale

Course Leaders

The Institute of Geophysics and Tectonics and other institutes provide a large pool of internationally recognised experts in Geophysics and related subjects:

Industry Links

Links with industry enliven this vocational programme - helping students develop a grounded perspective on their studies, as well as providing recruitment possibilities. In addition to the industrial experience of many school staff and contributions from University of Leeds geoscience spin-out companies, there are numerous contacts with industry representatives throughout the year.

There are company visits (oil and gas companies, geophysical acquisition, processing and software companies) once or twice a week through the course. These companies come primarily to engage and recruit MSc students. The visits include recruitment information, technical showcases and case studies of integrated geoscience in practice as well as opportunities to network with geoscience professionals.

The majority of students attend the EAGE (European Association of Geoscientists and Engineers) annual meeting in May/June. This provides an opportunity for students to find out about the latest technological developments and to meet industry experts – including potential employers.

Most summer projects are carried out either with collaborating companies or institutes. These projects are linked to current activities - representing actual problems for which a research or business outcome is sought. Some are field-based, often overseas. The projects finish with an Open Day when students present their work to a range of industry visitors.

Facilities

MSc Exploration Geophysics has access to various specific facilities as well as the general facilities (libraries, computer clusters etc) available through the University and the School of Earth & Environment.

Substantial recent investment (>£250k) in geophysical survey equipment means that a range of techniques can be effectively demonstrated and practised in the field – including shooting a (fairly shallow) seismic reflection line. These data sets are subsequently used in classroom/computer exercises to establish a practical link between field practice and data quality and interpretability.

A dedicated computer lab containing a suite of high-powered computers enhances the student learning experience by providing access to a range of industry standard geophysical processing and interpretation software packages – e.g. MESA, ProMAX®/SeisSpace®, KINGDOM, Geosoft. These can be used for individual projects, or in workstation-based teaching sessions. They also facilitate team-based exercises designed to simulate industry practice - e.g. processing a reflection seismic line using ProMAX®.

Student Profiles

On this page you can find out more about our former students:

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