Master of Earth Science Degree, by coursework

The Master of Earth Science (MESc) Degree can be completed full-time in one year (100 points) or two years (200 points), depending on your background, or part-time over several years. International students must take the degree full-time.

The degree involves completion of three 25-point coursework Subjects, a literature review and a thesis.

Candidates with an Honours degree, or academic or industry equivalent, may complete the degree in one year (100 points) with a minor thesis.

Candidates with a Bachelors degree, or equivalent, complete the MESc degree in two years (200 points) with a major thesis to be written in large part as a publishable paper.

Specialisations available

The Master of Earth Science degree emphasises Geodynamics as they are fundamental to understanding the genesis of commercial deposits, and hence exploring for new resources, as well as the interplay between the solid earth and its atmosphere and hydrosphere, intrinsic to environmental studies. Three specialisations are offered:-

• MESc - Earth Systems allows flexibility to study a wide variety of solid earth, hydrodynamic and atmospheric processes and the resulting coastal and geomorphic landforms and meteoric disturbances. Candidates usually complete a coursework Subject in “Environment and Earth Systems” and two other Subjects
• MESc - Geodynamics and Petroleum teaches the skills needed to explore for oil and gas. It focuses on advanced seismic, structural, stratigraphic and 3D-modelling skills to determine the structural, tectonic and sequence stratigraphic setting of hydrocarbon systems in order to define hydrocarbon traps and play fairways. Candidates usually complete the coursework Subjects in “Petroleum and Energy Resources”, “Basin Analysis and Structure” and either “Geodynamics” or “Geophysics and 3D-Modelling”
• MESc - Geodynamics and Ore Deposits teaches the skills needed to explore for ore bodies. It focuses on geophysical interpretation and 3D modelling combined with structural and stratigraphic analysis to understand and predict emplacement of ore bodies and the development of ore-bearing provinces. Candidates usually complete the coursework Subjects “Economic Geology”, “Geophysics and 3D-Modelling” and “Basin Analysis and Structure” or “Geodynamics”.

Subjects

The coursework offerings are grouped into six Subjects, each worth 25 points. Each subject comprises four one-week theory or field-based short courses (or equivalent in two-week units) and a short assignment covering the four weeks work. MESc candidates normally undertake three Subjects. The Subjects are:-

• Basin Analysis and Structure
• Economic Geology
• Environment and Earth Systems
• Geodynamics
• Geophysics and 3D modelling
• Petroleum and Energy Resources

You will select your Subjects and the individual one-week theory or field-based short courses with your supervisor and the MESc Coordinator at the beginning of the year, usually in Late January-Early February.

The School of Earth Sciences offers the one or two-week units collaboratively with Monash and other SE Australian Universities so that you will be studying with a group of Australian and overseas students and industry Earth Scientists. The number of students attending each individual one or two-week short course typically varies between 6 and 24.

Please note that ~30 one or two-week short courses are offered each year but individual short courses can vary with availability of specialist staff. The one week short courses offered in 2005 are listed here.

Fieldwork

The School of Earth Science offers a number of field courses, to spectacular locations around Australia , including:-

• Basin Evolution along Victoria 's Otway Coast , including Cape Otway and the Twelve Apostles
• Structural Styles along the Otway Coast and at Cape Liptrap , Phillip Island and Inverloch
• Sequence Stratigraphy and Mapping in the Flinders Ranges of South Australia
• Economic Geology at the giant Broken Hill ore body

Through affiliated organisations the following field courses are offered:-

• Environmental Geology Field Techniques
• Introduction to Structural Geology, Bermagui Field Camp
• Coastal Environmental Geomorphology
• Exploration Skills Mapping Camp
• Geophysics Field Camp
• Physical Volcanology

Choosing a thesis topic and supervisor

Two options are available regarding your research topic. 1) You may have your own research topic and dataset in mind, particularly if you are coming from industry. 2) You may wish to undertake a research project offered by one of the many academics within the School of Earth Sciences . In both cases you can contact the MESc Coordinator directly at mesc-coord@earthsci.unimelb.edu.au who will direct your enquiry to the appropriate specialist in the School of Earth Sciences , or you can investigate the Earth Sciences staff members on this website and contact them directly.

Examples of Typical Research Projects

MESc – Geodynamics and Petroleum: 3D shallow structure and stratigraphy over the giant oilfields of the Gippsland Basin – workstation interpretation of 3D seismic data using Geoquest and Petrel.

MESc – Geodynamics and Ore Bodies: 3D modelling of Victorian gold deposits and development of computer aided exploration strategies.

MESc – Earth Systems: Environmental and Meteorological examples

See Research Projects for current information on available thesis topics.

Fees

The latest fee schedule for postgraduate coursework studies is available from the faculty.

Individual one week short courses are available from the postgraduate course coordinator - mesc-coord@earthsci.unimelb.edu.au

For more information see www.earthsci.unimelb.edu.au

Contact

Or contact the postgraduate course coordinator - mesc-coord@unimelb.edu.au