Undergraduate Study
Our planet and its life are undergoing unprecedented changes. The fossil record provides a rich but relatively untapped data source for how biodiversity has previously responded to environmental changes, from the emergence of the modern biosphere in the Ediacaran-Cambrian to major crises at mass extinctions. Understanding the interplay of environmental change and biodiversity in the past is critical to predicting how life will respond to modern climatic changes.
At Oxford, the primary pathway to studying palaeobiology is through the undergraduate Earth Sciences course which leads to a MEarthSci (4 years) or BA (3 years) degree.
What is Earth Sciences?
Earth Sciences is the study of the planet we live upon. The broad scope and rapidly-advancing nature of the subject is reflected in the course at Oxford, which provides sound and broadly-based scientific training.
We combine physics, chemistry and biology with geology, geography and palaeontology to answer fundamental questions about the origin, development, and future of the Earth.
What will you learn?
You will be trained in the skills required for the interpretation of rock materials and geological phenomena as well as applying theory and techniques from other disciplines to the study of the Earth and the environment.
You will learn about how our planet works, and address some of the major issues of our times: from the origin of the solar system, the Earth and life, to the climate system and the fate of glaciers and ice sheets.
Why Oxford?
The department has an international reputation, and houses state-of-the-art laboratories and computing facilities.
Students and academic staff mix and work together. Offices and teaching labs are close together, creating an atmosphere in which students not only focus on their course, but also get a feel for the discoveries emerging from current research.