Welcome to the Australian National University Earth & Marine Science Program

Why study Earth and Marine sciences at the ANU?

Planet Earth is an amazing place - it is in a constant state of motion, and its surface is always changing. At the centre of the Earth, temperatures are as high as they are on the surface of the Sun. Over billions of years, this has caused continents to drift apart and oceans to open and close. The study of Earth and Marine Sciences is fundamental to our understanding of the precious balance of life on Earth and how the Solar System in which we live was formed.

By studying the rock record, scientists are able to determine the climatic history of Earth when it has been hotter than today, a true "Greenhouse", and colder as an "lcehouse", when glaciers covered much of the Earth's land surface. The Earth & Marine Science program combines internationally renowned researchers, dynamic and exciting undergraduate programs and world class facilities to provide a stimulating and challenging environment to undertake study at all levels.

The Reasearch School of Earth Sciences is a centre of excellence for teaching and research and mobilises a wide range of geological, geochemical and geophysical techniques and expertise to try to understand the nature of the Earth and its environment.

Our focus is on both environmental science and earth processes, and we are the only full teaching program for Earth Sciences in Canberra. The program is based in the Research School of Earth Sciences housing world leading researchers in the Earth Sciences with the provision of Undergraduate and Postgraduate Courses, as well as Higher Degree Research.

Access is available to advanced equipment for observational, experimental and computational work. Our location provides unrivalled opportunity for collaboration with government entities such as Geoscience Australia, CSIRO and the Bureau of Rural Sciences.

The Institute of Scientific Information (ISI) has ranked ANU geoscience the top university program in Australia, and amongst the top 10 universities worldwide in the subject.

Opportunities

For undergraduate students:

We have an extensive undergraduate program including Geology, Environmental Geoscience and Marine Geoscience. Honours students have the unique opportunity to fully participate in the academic life of the Research School, and to be actively involved in one of the many research projects available. Furthermore we are looking to setup exceptional students with a pathway to a career in geoscience through our Summer Research Scholarships and Internship Program.

For Postgraduate students and researchers:

We have a long list of outstanding facilities and research scientists, click to find a research project, read student testimonials, or about the investigations that were conducted in 2007, or just browse our research topics.

Generous scholarships are available with additional scholarship "top ups" for both Honours and PhD students.

Careers in Earth Science

Career opportunities in Earth and environmental science are growing rapidly as the persuit of natural resources and alternative energy reaches a peak in human timescales, furthermore the protection of populations and infrastructure from such natural disasters as earthquakes and cyclones is becoming more impotant as our planet reacts to long term human habitation. Some of the careers available to earth science professionals are Atmoshpheric science, Geology, marine biology, fluid dynamics, resource exploration, computer programming, earthquake prediction, environmental protection, structural geology, government advisory, analytical chemistry, archaeology and geophysical modelling to name just a few.

Starting salaries in the Earth and Environmental Sciences are anywhere between $40,000 and $90,000 depending on your qualifications and graduates are currently in very high demand with 90.6% gaining fultime employment upon graduation. (Source http://www.gradsonline.com.au/gradsonline/)