Geoscientists are increasingly recognised as playing a crucial role in meeting global challenges such as climate change, sustainable development, resource provision, and natural hazards. By placing your geoscience training within the broader context of the environment, you will gain knowledge of both the challenges and the potential solutions. Within your degree, you will consider both natural and man-made environments, to explore the main factors and processes that control today's environment, how the environment has evolved to its current state and how environmental conditions may change in the future. In addition, your degree will draw upon the expertise of a number of our staff who specialise in Earth science including volcanology, geophysics, hydrogeology and glaciology, who deliver an exciting range of specialist topics to choose from. Your first year will address many of the fundamental themes of the Earth and environmental sciences, from understanding geology to learning about the atmosphere, weather and climate. Specialisation begins in the second year when we introduce Earth science-focused topics, and this degree gives you the flexibility to focus on a specific topic area, for example, geological hazards, soil science, environmental radioactivity or glacial systems.<br><br>Lancaster University will make reasonable endeavours to place students at an approved overseas partner university that offers appropriate modules which contribute credit to your Lancaster degree. Occasionally places overseas may not be available for all students who want to study abroad or the place at the partner university may be withdrawn if core modules are unavailable. If you are not offered a place to study overseas, you will be able to transfer to the equivalent standard degree scheme and would complete your studies at Lancaster.