International Foundation Year in Engineering, Physical Sciences and Architecture (2-Semester), Leading to Master of Science in Exploration Geology Study Group - Cardiff University International Study Centre, UK

International Foundation Year in Engineering, Physical Sciences and Architecture
The International Foundation Year prepares you for university with English language and study skills practice, as well as subject-specific teaching. When you complete the programme, you will progress to the first year of your undergraduate degree. Learn more about how humans can work in harmony with the natural world and choose to progress to a degree in architecture, environmental geography or an engineering subject. You choose a route depending on which undergraduate degree you plan to study. Specialise in one of three routes: architecture, engineering, or physical sciences. Which route you choose impacts the modules you will study.

Leading to: Exploration Geology MSci
People have been using Earth’s natural resources like metals, minerals, oil and gas for centuries to build our towns and cities, power our homes, and make the vehicles, devices and tools that we depend on. New resources are increasingly hard to find, and specialist skills and technology are required to locate and use them responsibly.

On our Exploration Geology course, you will discover how Earth’s processes have created natural resources and how to explore for them to meet future demand. You will develop skills in data analysis, confident decision making and fieldwork, both above and underground. Through specialist exploration modules and practical classes, you will learn to characterise minerals and experience modern software and datasets used by professionals in the sector. All students will gain an introduction to the environmental, social and governance factors affecting the exploration industry and can choose sustainability-focused modules on topics such as hazard resilience and environmental geology as options.

Cardiff University has been training mining engineers and geologists for over 100 years, and our Exploration Geology degree is the only undergraduate degree in the UK that focuses on specialist training in resource exploration. We have a strong and established network of industry connections that allows us to offer our students summer placement opportunities, working in exploration organisations around the world.

As a student on this course, you will gain access our Alumni Mentorship Scheme, a digital support resource run via LinkedIn, where you can get career advice, support and inspiration from our graduates.

Our master's degrees involve a fourth year of study where you work on a research project with a scientist from the School of Earth and Environmental Sciences and their research team. This research can be in resource exploration, or in other geological fields. You will gain advanced research and problem-solving skills that will be invaluable to employers in academia, government and industry.