Rhodes University Geology Department About Us
Welcome to Geology at Rhodes University
The Geology Department at Rhodes University is over 110 years old, having celebrated its centenary in 2005, and has a proud tradition of producing high quality geologists both for the academic and industry streams throughout its history. As part of a double-major programme in the Faculty of Science, we offer a 3-year undergraduate BSc major programme in Geology with a strong emphasis on fundamental geological skills and a well-rounded curriculum. This is complemented by a one-year Honours post-graduate degree programme involving the cultivation and demonstration of higher-level descriptive, analytical and communication skills. Each year except 1st year includes a “hands-on” field course component in which applied skills and a team ethos are developed.‌‌
The Geology building in spring
In addition to standard postgraduate research degrees (MSc and PhD) in a wide variety of subject areas, the Department features a world-class Exploration Geology MSc programme, one of only about five similar ones in the world (and we were the first). This programme, established in 1978, is an internationally-recognised training and degree programme for exploration geologists from all over the world. It consists of a part time programme normally over two years of lecture-, practical- and field-based studies.
Currently the economic crisis has affected key commodity prices, which has led to fewer job opportunities than in the past. Given that the economy of the minerals industry is cyclic, this is an excellent time to spend a couple of years at university in order to upgrade existing degrees. More and better career options will be available in the future and higher level education will enable you to exploit them. If you are interested in finding out more about any of our training programmes, please see the relevant weblinks for further information, or contact us.
The Department prides itself to host one of few electron microprobe facilities on the African continent, which is well utilized by our own students and academic staff, and attracts a large number of researchers from elsewhere. Other instrumentation that we have access to in our department or elsewhere on campus are a fluid inclusion laboratory, XRD, and SEM-ED spectrometry.