Course overview

Description

Geoscience is the study of our dynamic planet and aims to understand the origin and evolution of Earth, its ancient environments and climates, natural hazards and the formation of resources including petroleum, mineral deposits and groundwater. Knowledge of past and present earth processes is fundamental in predicting future environmental change. This course develops students' abilities to gather and interpret geological information for a wide range of applications.

Course title
Master of Geoscience (coursework or coursework and dissertation)
Award abbreviation
MGeoSc
Course code
72550
Course type
Master's degree by coursework or by coursework and dissertation
Status
Current / 2024
Administered by
Earth Sciences
CRICOS code
074954D

Course details

Intake periods
Beginning of year and mid-year
Attendance type
Full- or part-time (Student visa holders should read Education Services for Overseas Students Act 2000 for more information.)
Articulation
The Master of Geoscience has the following exit awards: 72250 Graduate Certificate in Geoscience (24 points) (24 points), 72350 Graduate Diploma in Geoscience (48 points) (48 points)
Credit points required
96
A standard full-time load is 24 points per semester.
Standard course duration
2 years full-time (or equivalent part-time) comprising 72 points of taught units and 24 points of admission credit, as recognised and granted by the School
Maximum course duration
2 years full-time (or equivalent part-time) comprising up to 96 points of taught study (see Rule 5 for further information)
Time limit
4 years
Delivery mode
Internal
Locations offered
UWA (Perth)
Domestic fee type
Commonwealth supported and/or HECS-HELP; or postgraduate fee-paying/FEE-HELP
Available to international students
Yes. For information on international student fees see 'Student Procedures: Fees'. (Enquiries: https://www.uwa.edu.au/askuwa)
Course Coordinator(s)
Dr Alan Aitken
Fees
Visit the fees calculator.

Prospective students should see the Future Students website for details on admission requirements, intake periods, fees, availability to international students, careers information etc.

Example Study Plan

See study plans for more information.

Course structure

Key to availability of units:
S1
Semester 1
S2
Semester 2
N/A
not available in 2024 – may be available in 2025 or 2026
NS
non-standard teaching period

All units have a value of six points unless otherwise stated.

Students who have not completed tertiary units that are deemed equivalent to the conversion units for the chosen specialisation must complete relevant conversion units up to the value of 24 points from this group, as advised by the School(s):

AvailabilityUnit codeUnitnameUnit requirementsContact hours
S2GEOS4403Introduction to Basin Analysis
Prerequisites
Enrolment in
72550 Master of Geoscience
or 72540 Master of Hydrogeology
workshops: up to 4 hours per week
NSGEOS4417Structural Geology for Exploration
Prerequisites
Enrolment in
HON-GEOGY Geology
or 72550 Master of Geoscience
Lectures and practical work. There may be a field trip of up to 5 days to regional Western Australia.
S1, S2SCIE4401Data Use in Science
Prerequisites
Enrolment in
72510 Master of Agricultural Science
or 72520 Master of Biological Science
or 72530 Master of Environmental Science
or 72550 Master of Geoscience
or 72540 Master of Hydrogeology
or 71520 Master of Biomedical Science
or 71580 Master of Biotechnology
or 71570 Master of Geographic Information Science
or 73530 Master of Agricultural Economics
or 73550 Master of Business Psychology
or 70550 Master of Bioinformatics
or 71590 Master of Oceanography
or 74540 Master of Marine Biology
Incompatibility
STAT1400 Statistics for Science
or STAX1400 Statistics for Science
and
STAT1520 Economic and Business Statistics
or STAX1520 Economic and Business Statistics
and SCIE1104 Science, Society and Data Analysis
24 hours. The total workload for this unit is 150 hours.
S1, S2SCIE4403Ethical Conduct and Communication of Science
Prerequisites
Enrolment in
73660 Master of Medical Physics
Incompatibility
SCOM1101 Communicating Science (ID 1553)
or SCOX1101 Communicating Science
and SCOM2208 Science Writing (ID 1559)
Weekly face-to-face OR online workshops. This unit runs in Semester 1 and Semester 2, and can be taken in either semester.

Take all units (24 points):

AvailabilityUnit codeUnitnameUnit requirementsContact hours
NSGEOS4410Tectonics of Australia in the Indo-Pacific
Prerequisites
Enrolment in
72550 Master of Geoscience
or 73540 Master of Petroleum Geoscience
or 72540 Master of Hydrogeology
or BH004 Bachelor of Science (Honours)
or HON-GEOGY Geology
workshops: 3 x 3 hours per week for 6 weeks. The total workload for the unit is 150 hours.
NSGEOS4411Mineralising Systems
Prerequisites
Enrolment in
72550 Master of Geoscience
or BH004 Bachelor of Science (Honours)
or HON-GEOGY Geology
workshops: 8 hours per week for 5 weeks. The total workload is 150 hours.
NSGEOS4412Petroleum Systems and Subsurface Characterisation
Prerequisites
Enrolment in
72550 Master of Geoscience
or 73540 Master of Petroleum Geoscience
or BH004 Bachelor of Science (Honours)
or 62520 Master of Low Emission Energy Technologies
or HON-GEOGY Geology
workshops: 8 hours per week for 6 weeks
NSGEOS5505Multiscale Tectonic Systems
Prerequisites
Enrolment in
72550 Master of Geoscience
or 70630 Master of Science
or 70590 Master of Ore Deposit Geology
or 73540 Master of Energy Geoscience
60 hours (see unit outline for breakdown)

Coursework and Dissertation

Students completing the Master of Geoscience by Coursework and Dissertation take all 24 points (4 units) from this group, with at least 6 points (1 unit) at level 5.

AvailabilityUnit codeUnitnameUnit requirementsContact hours
S1, S2GEOS5011Masters Research Project in Geoscience Part 1
Prerequisites
Enrolment in
72550 Master of Geoscience
or 73540 Master of Petroleum Geoscience and satisfy eligibility criteria for research project
or dissertation
Co-requisites
Successful completion of
Or Enrolment in
Unit(s) GEOS5012 Masters Research Project in Geoscience Part 2
Incompatibility
Unit(s) SCIE5590 Literature Review and Research Proposal
and Unit(s) SCIE5511 Science Research Project Part 1
and Unit(s) SCIE5512 Science Research Project Part 2
and Unit(s) SCIE5513 Science Research Project Part 3
supervision sessions with one or two supervisors over two semesters; independent research and study. Students are guided in this process through an induction program starting the week before semester.
S1, S2GEOS5012Masters Research Project in Geoscience Part 2
Prerequisites
Enrolment in
72550 Master of Geoscience
or 73540 Master of Petroleum Geoscience
Co-requisites
Successful completion of
Or Enrolment in
Unit(s) GEOS5011 Masters Research Project in Geoscience Part 1
supervision sessions with one or two supervisors over two semesters; independent research and study. Students are guided in this process through an induction program starting the week before semester
S1, S2GEOS5013Masters Research Project in Geoscience Part 3
Prerequisites
Successful completion of
two Unit(s) GEOS5011 Masters Research Project in Geoscience Part 1
and GEOS5012 Masters Research Project in Geoscience Part 2
Co-requisites
Successful completion of
Or Enrolment in
GEOS5014 Masters Research Project in Geoscience Part 4
Incompatibility
Unit(s) SCIE5590 Literature Review and Research Proposal
and Unit(s) SCIE5511 Science Research Project Part 1
and Unit(s) SCIE5512 Science Research Project Part 2
and Unit(s) SCIE5513 Science Research Project Part 3
supervision sessions with one or two supervisors over two semesters; independent research and study. Students are guided in this process through an induction programme starting the week before semester.
S1, S2GEOS5014Masters Research Project in Geoscience Part 4
Prerequisites
Enrolment in
72550 Master of Geoscience
or 73540 Master of Energy Geoscience
Co-requisites
Successful completion of
Or Enrolment in
Unit(s) GEOS5013 Masters Research Project in Geoscience Part 3
supervision sessions with one or two supervisors over two semesters; independent research and study. Students are guided in this process through an induction programme starting the week before semester.

Students completing the Master of Geoscience by Coursework and Dissertation take 24 points (4 units) from this group.

AvailabilityUnit codeUnitnameUnit requirementsContact hours
S1ENVT4409Remote Sensing of the Environment
Co-requisites
Successful completion of
Or Enrolment in
Unit(s) ENVT4411 Geographic Information Systems Applications
Or Unit(s) GEOG2201 Geographic Information Systems
42
S1, S2ENVT4411Geographic Information Systems Applications
Incompatibility
Unit(s) GEOG2201 Geographic Information Systems (ID 1384)
The total workload for the unit is 150 hours. This includes podcasts for viewing and reading to be undertaken prior to attending one compulsory 3-hour workshop per week where students will be contributing to interactive discussions together with practical lab work using GIS software. Completion of the practical workshop labs is necessary to enable skills for completing written unit assessment. Independent learning is required throughout the unit.
S2ENVT5566Advanced Spatial and Environmental Modelling
Prerequisites
Successful completion of
one Unit(s) ENVT4411 Geographic Information Systems Applications
or Unit(s) GEOG2201 Geographic Information Systems
or Successful completion of
one Unit(s) ENVT5561 GIS and Spatial Analysis: Multifunctional Landscapes
or Unit(s) ENVT5562 GIS and Spatial Analysis: Coastal Resilience
or Unit(s) ENVT5563 GIS and Spatial Analysis: Waterway Restoration
or Unit(s) ENVT5564 GIS and Spatial Analysis: Contaminated Sites
or Unit(s) ENVT5565 GIS and Spatial Analysis: Sensor Networks
or Enrolment in
62550 Master of Professional Engineering
total of 150 hours
NSGEOP4002Near-Surface and Environmental Geophysics
Prerequisites
Enrolment in
73540 Master of Petroleum Geoscience
or 72540 Master of Hydrogeology
or 72550 Master of Geoscience
or HON-GEOGY Geology
or HON-GEOPH Geophysics
3 x 4 hour workshops per week for 5 weeks
NSGEOS4413Climate Geoscience
Prerequisites
Enrolment in
HON-GEOGY Geology
or HON-MARSC Marine Science
or HON-ENVSC Environmental Science
or 72550 Master of Geoscience
or 72540 Master of Hydrogeology
or 73540 Master of Petroleum Geoscience
or 71590 Master of Oceanography
or BH004 Bachelor of Science (Honours)
Lectures and practical work. There may be a one-day field trip (TBC)
S2GEOS4418Basin Analysis Techniques
Prerequisites
Enrolment in
72550 Master of Geoscience
or 72540 Master of Hydrogeology
or 73540 Master of Energy Geoscience
Incompatibility
Unit(s) EART3344 Basin Analysis
workshops: 1 x 2 hours and 1 x 3 hours per week
NSGEOS5503Advanced Energy Geoscience for a Low Carbon Future
Prerequisites
Successful completion of
one Unit(s) GEOS4412 Petroleum Systems or equivalent
Incompatibility
Unit(s) GEOS4416 Petroleum Resources
workshops: 2 x 4 hours per week for 6 weeks
NSGEOS5506Structural Analysis for Energy Geoscience
Prerequisites
Enrolment in
72550 Master of Geoscience
or 70630 Master of Science
or BH004 Bachelor of Science (Honours)
or 73540 Master of Petroleum Geoscience
workshops: 8 hours per week
N/AGEOS5507Analytical Techniques for the Geosciences
Prerequisites
Bachelor of Science in Geoscience (or equivalent)
lectures/tutorials: 8 hours per week (2 x 4-hour blocks); reading/online tutorials/assignments/assessments (non-contact): 16 hours per week (for 6 weeks starting week 8 and ending week 13)
N/AGEOS5508Isotopes to Petrogenesis
Prerequisites
Enrolment in
72550 Master of Geoscience
or 70630 Master of Science
or 70590 Master of Ore Deposit Geology
workshops: 9 hours per week
NSGEOS5509Sedimentary Basin Field Excursion
Prerequisites
Enrolment in
72550 Master of Geoscience
or 73540 Master of Energy Geoscience
or 70630 Master of Science
workshops: 2-4 hours for up to 2 weeks; field trip: 5-10 days depending on location
N/AGEOS5510Applied Palynology
Prerequisites
Successful completion of
one Unit(s) GEOS4412 Petroleum Systems
workshops: 2 x 3–4 hours per week
NSGEOS5512Critical Metal Resources
Prerequisites
Enrolment in
70590 Master of Ore Deposit Geology
or 73540 Master of Energy Geoscience
or HON-GEOGY Geology
or 72550 Master of Geoscience
Workshops: 8 hrs per week for 6 weeks
NSGEOS5513Geophysical Exploration for Mineral Systems
Prerequisites
Enrolment in
72550 Master of Geoscience
or 70590 Master of Ore Deposit Geology
Intensive workshop teaching over two weeks (up to 7 hrs/day for 10 days) and some online components
S1, S2GEOS5596Geoscience Internship
Prerequisites
Enrolment in
72550 Master of Geoscience
or 73540 Master of Petroleum Geoscience
internship or placement hours as appropriate up to 150 hours.
NSMING5501Applied Structural Geology
Prerequisites
Enrolment in
70590 Master of Ore Deposit Geology
or 72550 Master of Geoscience
or Successful completion of
two Unit(s) at a level four in GEOS or equivalent
a 5-day block and an up to 7 nights (8-days) field trip in Semester 2 (total workload is 150 hours)
N/AMING5503Geodynamics and Metallogeny Field Excursion
Prerequisites
Enrolment in
72550 Master of Geoscience
or 70630 Master of Science
or 70590 Master of Ore Deposit Geology
2-week intensive unit. The total workload for the unit is 150 hours.
NSMING5504Precambrian Metallogeny
Prerequisites
Enrolment in
70590 Master of Ore Deposit Geology
or 72550 Master of Geoscience
or 70630 Master of Science
Successful completion of
one Unit(s) GEOS4411 Mineralising Systems

Coursework Only

Students completing the Master of Geoscience by Coursework take units to the value of points so that points taken across this group and the Fieldwork and Advanced Topic Groups equals 48 points (8 units), with at least 30 points (5 units) of level 5 units.

AvailabilityUnit codeUnitnameUnit requirementsContact hours
S1ENVT4409Remote Sensing of the Environment
Co-requisites
Successful completion of
Or Enrolment in
Unit(s) ENVT4411 Geographic Information Systems Applications
Or Unit(s) GEOG2201 Geographic Information Systems
42
S1, S2ENVT4411Geographic Information Systems Applications
Incompatibility
Unit(s) GEOG2201 Geographic Information Systems (ID 1384)
The total workload for the unit is 150 hours. This includes podcasts for viewing and reading to be undertaken prior to attending one compulsory 3-hour workshop per week where students will be contributing to interactive discussions together with practical lab work using GIS software. Completion of the practical workshop labs is necessary to enable skills for completing written unit assessment. Independent learning is required throughout the unit.
S2ENVT5566Advanced Spatial and Environmental Modelling
Prerequisites
Successful completion of
one Unit(s) ENVT4411 Geographic Information Systems Applications
or Unit(s) GEOG2201 Geographic Information Systems
or Successful completion of
one Unit(s) ENVT5561 GIS and Spatial Analysis: Multifunctional Landscapes
or Unit(s) ENVT5562 GIS and Spatial Analysis: Coastal Resilience
or Unit(s) ENVT5563 GIS and Spatial Analysis: Waterway Restoration
or Unit(s) ENVT5564 GIS and Spatial Analysis: Contaminated Sites
or Unit(s) ENVT5565 GIS and Spatial Analysis: Sensor Networks
or Enrolment in
62550 Master of Professional Engineering
total of 150 hours
NSGEOP4002Near-Surface and Environmental Geophysics
Prerequisites
Enrolment in
73540 Master of Petroleum Geoscience
or 72540 Master of Hydrogeology
or 72550 Master of Geoscience
or HON-GEOGY Geology
or HON-GEOPH Geophysics
3 x 4 hour workshops per week for 5 weeks
NSGEOS4413Climate Geoscience
Prerequisites
Enrolment in
HON-GEOGY Geology
or HON-MARSC Marine Science
or HON-ENVSC Environmental Science
or 72550 Master of Geoscience
or 72540 Master of Hydrogeology
or 73540 Master of Petroleum Geoscience
or 71590 Master of Oceanography
or BH004 Bachelor of Science (Honours)
Lectures and practical work. There may be a one-day field trip (TBC)
S2GEOS4418Basin Analysis Techniques
Prerequisites
Enrolment in
72550 Master of Geoscience
or 72540 Master of Hydrogeology
or 73540 Master of Energy Geoscience
Incompatibility
Unit(s) EART3344 Basin Analysis
workshops: 1 x 2 hours and 1 x 3 hours per week
NSGEOS5506Structural Analysis for Energy Geoscience
Prerequisites
Enrolment in
72550 Master of Geoscience
or 70630 Master of Science
or BH004 Bachelor of Science (Honours)
or 73540 Master of Petroleum Geoscience
workshops: 8 hours per week
N/AGEOS5507Analytical Techniques for the Geosciences
Prerequisites
Bachelor of Science in Geoscience (or equivalent)
lectures/tutorials: 8 hours per week (2 x 4-hour blocks); reading/online tutorials/assignments/assessments (non-contact): 16 hours per week (for 6 weeks starting week 8 and ending week 13)
N/AGEOS5510Applied Palynology
Prerequisites
Successful completion of
one Unit(s) GEOS4412 Petroleum Systems
workshops: 2 x 3–4 hours per week
NSGEOS5513Geophysical Exploration for Mineral Systems
Prerequisites
Enrolment in
72550 Master of Geoscience
or 70590 Master of Ore Deposit Geology
Intensive workshop teaching over two weeks (up to 7 hrs/day for 10 days) and some online components
S1, S2GEOS5596Geoscience Internship
Prerequisites
Enrolment in
72550 Master of Geoscience
or 73540 Master of Petroleum Geoscience
internship or placement hours as appropriate up to 150 hours.

Students completing the Master of Geoscience by Coursework must take a minimum of 6 points (1 unit) from this group.

Advanced Topics

AvailabilityUnit codeUnitnameUnit requirementsContact hours
NSGEOS5503Advanced Energy Geoscience for a Low Carbon Future
Prerequisites
Successful completion of
one Unit(s) GEOS4412 Petroleum Systems or equivalent
Incompatibility
Unit(s) GEOS4416 Petroleum Resources
workshops: 2 x 4 hours per week for 6 weeks
N/AGEOS5508Isotopes to Petrogenesis
Prerequisites
Enrolment in
72550 Master of Geoscience
or 70630 Master of Science
or 70590 Master of Ore Deposit Geology
workshops: 9 hours per week
NSMING5504Precambrian Metallogeny
Prerequisites
Enrolment in
70590 Master of Ore Deposit Geology
or 72550 Master of Geoscience
or 70630 Master of Science
Successful completion of
one Unit(s) GEOS4411 Mineralising Systems

Students completing the Master of Geoscience by Coursework must take a minimum of 6 points (1 unit) from this group.

Fieldwork

AvailabilityUnit codeUnitnameUnit requirementsContact hours
NSGEOS5509Sedimentary Basin Field Excursion
Prerequisites
Enrolment in
72550 Master of Geoscience
or 73540 Master of Energy Geoscience
or 70630 Master of Science
workshops: 2-4 hours for up to 2 weeks; field trip: 5-10 days depending on location
NSMING5501Applied Structural Geology
Prerequisites
Enrolment in
70590 Master of Ore Deposit Geology
or 72550 Master of Geoscience
or Successful completion of
two Unit(s) at a level four in GEOS or equivalent
a 5-day block and an up to 7 nights (8-days) field trip in Semester 2 (total workload is 150 hours)
N/AMING5503Geodynamics and Metallogeny Field Excursion
Prerequisites
Enrolment in
72550 Master of Geoscience
or 70630 Master of Science
or 70590 Master of Ore Deposit Geology
2-week intensive unit. The total workload for the unit is 150 hours.

See also the rules for the course and the Student Rules.

Rules

Applicability of the Student Rules, policies and procedures

1.(1) The Student Rules apply to students in this course.

(2) The policy, policy statements and guidance documents and student procedures apply, except as otherwise indicated in the rules for this course.

Academic Conduct Essentials and Communication and Research Skills modules

2.(1) Except as stated in (2), a student who enrols in this course for the first time irrespective of whether they have previously been enrolled in another course of the University, must undertake the Academic Conduct Essentials module (the ACE module) and the Communication and Research Skills module (the CARS module).

(2) A student who has previously achieved a result of Ungraded Pass (UP) for the CARS module is not required to repeat the module.

(3) A student must successfully complete the ACE module within the first teaching period of their enrolment. Failure to complete the module within this timeframe will result in the student's unit results from this teaching period being withheld. These results will continue to be withheld until students avail themselves of a subsequent opportunity to achieve a passing grade in the ACE module. In the event that students complete units in subsequent teaching periods without completing the ACE module, these results will similarly be withheld. Students will not be permitted to submit late review or appeal applications regarding results which have been withheld for this reason and which they were unable to access in the normally permitted review period.

English Language competency requirements

3. To be considered eligible for consideration for admission to this course an applicant must satisfy the University's English language competence requirement as set out in the University Policy on Admission: Coursework.

Admission requirements

4. To be considered for admission to this course an applicant must have—

(a) a Bachelor's degree or an equivalent qualification, as recognised by UWA;

and

(b) the equivalent of a UWA weighted average mark of at least 50 per cent; and

(c) successfully completed prior tertiary study in geology or in a related cognate discipline as recognised by UWA.

Admission ranking and selection

5. Where relevant, admission will be awarded to the highest ranked applicants or applicants selected based on the relevant requirements.

Articulations and exit awards

6.(1) This course has the following exit awards:

  • 72250 Graduate Certificate in Geoscience (24 points)
  • 72350 Graduate Diploma in Geoscience (48 points)

(2) A student who withdraws from the Master of Geoscience course before completing it, but after completing 24 points, which includes the course core units, may apply to the School to be awarded the Graduate Certificate in Geoscience.

(3) A student who withdraws from the Master of Geoscience course before completing it, but after completing 48 points, which includes the course core units, may apply to the School to be awarded the Graduate Diploma in Geoscience.

Course structure

7.(1) The course consists of units to a total value of 96 points (maximum value) which include conversion units to a value of 24 points.

(2) Units must be selected in accordance with the course structure, as set out in these rules.

(3) Students who have completed tertiary units that are deemed equivalent to the conversion units for the chosen specialisation are granted credit for conversion units up to a value of 24 points.

Satisfactory progress

8. To make satisfactory progress a student must pass units to a point value greater than half the total value of units in which they remain enrolled after the final date for withdrawal without academic penalty.

9. A student who has not achieved a result of Ungraded Pass (UP) for the Communication and Research Skills module (the CARS module) when their progress status is assessed will not have made satisfactory progress even if they have met the other requirements for satisfactory progress in Rule 8.

Progress status

10.(1) A student who makes satisfactory progress in terms of Rule 8 is assigned the status of 'Good Standing'.

(2) Unless the relevant board determines otherwise because of exceptional circumstances—

(a) a student who does not make satisfactory progress for the first time under Rule 8 is assigned a progress status of 'On Probation';

(b) a student who does not make satisfactory progress for the second time under Rule 8 is assigned a progress status of 'Suspended';

(c) a student who does not make satisfactory progress for the third time under Rule 8 is assigned a progress status of 'Excluded'.

11. A student who does not make satisfactory progress in terms of Rule 9 is assigned the progress status of 'On Probation', unless they have been assigned a progress status of 'Suspended' or 'Excluded' for failure to meet other satisfactory progress requirements in Rule 8.

Award with distinction

12. To be awarded the degree with distinction a student must achieve a course weighted average mark (WAM) of at least 80 per cent which is calculated based on—

(a) all units above Level 3 attempted as part of the course that are awarded a final percentage mark;

(b) all relevant units above Level 3 undertaken in articulating courses of this University that are awarded a final percentage mark;

and

(c) all units above Level 3 completed at this University that are credited to the master's degree course.

Deferrals

13. Applicants awarded admission to the course are entitled to a deferral of up to 12 months, as per the University Policy on: Admissions (Coursework).

Additional rules
Research project

14. Students who request approval to undertake a research project as an optional unit in this course must have—

(a) a weighted average mark of at least 65 per cent in 48 points of the level of Level 4 and 5 units completed in the first year of the course;

and

(b) a supervisor, approved by the Faculty, must have confirmed their willingness and availability to supervise the project.