The Geological Society Degree Accreditation Scheme

First degree programmes

The Geological Society's Accreditation Scheme for first degree programmes in geoscience was launched in 1997 and has now become an established benchmark of quality awarded to over 140 programmes. Applications from overseas are now being received, and the first overseas programme given accredited status was at the University of the West Indies in 2004. Since then programmes at universities in Hong Kong, Saudi Arabia and Oman have also been accredited.

Accredited status provides added assurance to prospective students that a department's teaching is of the highest quality, and has been approved by an independent body of academics and industrialists. A graduate taking an accredited undergraduate programme will be gaining experience and insights directly relevant to a later award of Chartered Geologist or Scientist (CGeol/CSci) status. 

The list of accredited programmes changes as university departments apply for and receive accreditation. Accreditation is granted for a period of six years, at the end of which the university must submit an application for re-accreditation. When a degree programme is accredited for the first time, students will normally obtain an accredited degree if they are in their first or second year of study when accreditation is first awarded, although there may be exceptions to this rule. Approval is always awarded to a programme and not to an individual student. 

MSc programmes

An accreditation scheme for taught MSc programmes was introduced in December 2006, to recognise MSc programmes that offer advanced professional and scientific training in a specific area of the geosciences.

A graduate taking an accredited MSc will be gaining experience and insights directly relevant to a later award of Chartered Geologist or Scientist (CGeol/CSci) status. 

University geoscience departments

University departments of geoscience in the UK, Ireland and Overseas are listed below (alphabetically by region). Please click on the relevant link to find out more about the institution. The linked pages show all currently and formerly accredited degree and MSc programmes, with the date that accreditation was granted and the date that it will expire unless an application for re-accreditation is submitted.

Institutions offering accredited first degrees are marked with one asterisk (*)

Institutions offering accredited MSc programmes are marked with two asterisks (**)

As part of improvements to our careers advice, Masters not yet accredited by the Society are also listed on the relevant university pages.