Durham University
Climate Science BSc (Hons)
Durham University

Course modalities offered

Key Course Facts

Student Reviews

Below you can see course specific reviews of 45 graduates of Climate Science BSc (Hons) and other courses in Earth Sciences at Durham University for each of the survey questions in comparison to the average for all UK degree courses in Earth Sciences.

Overall student satisfaction
85 /100
45 total respondents

Primarily based on data from undergraduate degree students.

The NSS is commissioned by the Office for Students

Salary

Salary of Graduates in Earth Sciences

Important: Salary data below is not course specific, but contains data of all students of Earth Sciences at the university. Due to data collection methodology, salary data is mainly based on data related to undergraduate students.

  15 months after graduation 3 years after graduation 5 years after graduation
Median salary £26500 £28500 £32500
25-75 percentile range £23000 - £29500 £22500 - £33000 £25000 - £41500


Salary of all UK Graduates of Earth Sciences

  15 months after graduation 3 years after graduation 5 years after graduation
Median salary £24981 £24496 £28785
25-75 percentile range £21491 - £29019 £19181 - £30313 £22339 - £36076

Course Description

Climate change and humanity’s response to it will define life on the planet for billions of people but despite this there are few undergraduate degrees that focus on the broader climate problem.

This BSc in Climate Science uniquely offers a big-picture approach encompassing both recent and past climate change and its impact on Earth and human systems. It provides a holistic overview of climate science and equips you with the knowledge and skills to lead society towards the mitigation of this emergency.

Our flexible degree puts you in control. It gives you both the fundamentals and increased specialisation as you progress through the course, allowing you to choose a pathway of most interest to you. The degree acknowledges the breadth of the field of climate science and provides you with a solid background in diverse aspects of climate science that span geological time.

In the first year, you will learn about climate change and develop your understanding of Earth processes and resources.

In Year 2, you will learn about isotopes and can opt to study glaciers, the carbon cycle, how the Earth’s climate has varied in the past and how scientists reconstruct past climate change.

In your final year, you will study Earth Systems and can choose to learn about how climate change impacts coastal and alpine environments, atmospheric circulation, how it affected ancient civilisations, or explore the geochemistry of the environment. You will also undertake a dissertation and conduct fundamental research into an advanced topic of your choice related to climate science.

Jobs & Career Perspectives

15 months after graduation, graduates of this course were asked about what they do and, if they are working, about their current job and their perspectives.

Current jobs

Required skill level of job after 15 months

Jobs of graduates of this course (15 months after graduation)

Example below based on all graduates of Climate Science BSc (Hons) at Durham University

15% Elementary occupations
15% Business, Research and Administrative Professionals
15% Welfare and housing associate professionals
10% Design occupations
10% Teaching Professionals
10% Administrative occupations
5% Sales occupations
5% Business and public service associate professionals
5% Artistic, literary and media occupations
5% Teaching and Childcare Support Occupation

You will be assessed through a combination of coursework, class tests and end-of-year examinations. A significant proportion of your final assessment will be through your research dissertation in the final year. The dissertation is worth one-third of your final-year marks.

Entry Requirements / Admissions

UCAS Tariff of Accepted Students for Earth Sciences

Qualification requirements

Scottish Higher qualifications are considered on an individual basis

Including one in a relevant subject/science (80 UCAS tariff points)

31-30 overall or 665-655 in 3 HL subjects.

If Mathematics is not taken beyond GCSE, a grade 7, (or A) in GCSE Mathematics, or Core Mathematics grade B is essential

Including a relevant subject/science @ C or above (80 UCAS tariff points)

M in T Level Health, Healthcare Science, or Science.

Our contextual offer for this programme is A level BBB/ABC (or equivalent, to include 2 science subjects at grade B or above). To find out if you’re eligible, please visit: https://www.durham.ac.uk/study/undergraduate/how-to-apply/what-happens-to-your-application/contextual-offers/

Requirements for international students / English requirements

IELTS academic test score (similar tests may be accepted as well)

    • 6.5
    • All other courses
    • 4.5
    • Foundation
    • 6.5
    • Graduate Degrees
    • 6.5
    • Undergraduate Degrees
Get advice on which foundation courses are best for you to still study Climate Science, BSc (Hons), if you do not meet the minimum requirements in terms of UCAS score, A levels, or English language requirements.

Costs

Tuition Fees Climate Science BSc (Hons)

Ireland £9250 year 1
England UK £9250 year 1
Northern Ireland £9250 year 1
Scotland £9250 year 1
Wales £9250 year 1
Channel Islands £9250 year 1
EU £29500 year 1
International £29500 year 1

Additional fee information

The tuition fees for 2024/25 academic year have not yet been finalised, they will be displayed here once approved.

Average student cost of living in the UK

Rent £518
Water, gas electricity, internet (at home) £50
Supermarket shopping £81
Clothing £35
Eating out £33
Alcohol £27
Takeaways / food deliveries £30
Going out / entertainment (excl.alcohol, food) £24
Holidays and weekend trips £78
Transport within city £17
Self-care / sports £20
Stationary / books £13
Mobile phone / internet £13
Cable TV / streaming £7
Insurance £51
Other £95
  
Average student cost of living £1092

London costs approx 34% more than average, mainly due to rent being 67% higher than average of other cities. For students staying in student halls, costs of water, gas, electricity, wifi are generally included in the rental. Students in smaller cities where accommodation is in walking/biking distance transport costs tend to be significantly smaller.

How to apply

Application deadline:

January 1, 2025

This is the deadline for applications to be completed and sent for this course. If the university or college still has places available you can apply after this date, but your application is not guaranteed to be considered.

Possible Entry Points:

  • year 1 (Default entry point)

University Rankings

Positions of Durham University in top UK and global rankings.

Rankings of Durham University in related subject specific rankings.

Social Studies & Humanities

    • #4 
    • #7 
    Geography
    GRAS Global Ranking of Academic Subjects - ShanghaiRanking
    [Published 19 July, 2022]
    • #5 
    • #14 
    Geography
    QS World University Rankings By Subject
    [Published 22 March, 2023]
    • #12 
    • #91 
    Social Sciences
    THE World University Rankings by Subject
    [Published 26 October, 2022]

See all 37 university rankings of Durham University

About Durham University

Founded in 1832, Durham University (DU) is located in the cathedral city of Durham, North East England. DU takes pride in having numerous subject fields ranked among the best in the world according to QS, as well as having an exceptionally large course catalogue without compromising the quality that students can expect. Apart from the impressive academic opportunities on offer, students can also participate in numerous sports, music, and art-based extracurricular activities on-site.

List of 211 Bachelor and Master Courses from Durham University - Course Catalogue

Student composition of Durham University

undergraduates:
17140
postgraduates:
4365
Total:
21505
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Where is this programme taught

College allocation pending
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Durham City
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Similar courses

Program University Student satis­faction Unem­ployed Drop­out Tuition (UK) Tuition (Inter­national) UCAS Tariff City
Climate Science BSc (Hons) Durham University 85% 5% 4% £9250 £29500 168 Durham On campus Full-time
Climate Science BSc (Hons) University of Liverpool 78% 0% 0% - - 164 Liverpool On campus Full-time
Mathematics with Ocean and Climate Sciences BSc (Hons) University of Liverpool - - - - - - Liverpool On campus Full-time