History
The Faculty of Earth Sciences is living proof of a successful academic endeavour that began over a hundred years ago.
Geology studies at the University of Barcelona go back to 1910 with the establishment of pre-EHEA degree courses in Natural Sciences in Spain. In 1953, this university qualification was divided into courses in Geology and Biology. Today, we refer to the higher education programme in Geology as bachelor's degree in Geology.
The bachelor's degree in Geology pursues the study of the planet we inhabit, in order to understand its genesis and its evolution from its origins, through the study of fossil records, rocks and structures, that is, by interpreting what the different geological materials tell us. At the same time, the Earth's subsoil stores fundamental resources for nearly all human activities. Economic development depends upon the availability of mineral and energy resources hidden in the subsoil and it is essential to study their formation and transformation processes throughout geological history to learn where and how they can be exploited in an inexpensive and sustainable manner. In this bachelor's degree, practical sessions and especially field work are very important. Throughout the degree, students complete around eighty days of field work under the guidance of professors in compulsory subjects. Additionally, students are offered around seventy more days of field work in optional subjects.
In 1990, the University of Barcelona (UB) and the Polytechnic University of Catalonia (UPC) collaborated to create the programme in Geological Engineering (currently known as the bachelor's degree in Geological and Environmental Engineering). The aim of this bachelor's degree is to offer knowledge on the principles and working methods of geology and environmental sciences, paired with technological engineering knowledge. This programme is therefore taught jointly by UB's Faculty of Earth Sciences and UPC's Barcelona School of Civil Engineering. Students alternately complete subjects in both institutions, which are located on the Pedralbes Campus within the Barcelona Knowledge Campus, one of the campuses with a highest degree of scientific excellence.
In the academic year 2015-2016, the bachelor's degree in Marine Sciences was launched at the Faculty in close collaboration with the UB's Faculty of Biology and with the participation of other UB and UPC faculties. This bachelor's degree represents the consolidation and final structuring of marine sciences studies in Catalonia, after nearly thirty years since the establishment of the doctoral programme in Marine Sciences and nearly ten years since the creation of the master's degree in Oceanography and Marine Environmental Management.
The course offering of the Faculty of Earth Sciences is complemented with official master's degrees and other postgraduate courses, including the master's degrees in Reservoir Geology and Geophysics, in Mineral Resources and Geological Hazards, in Science and Integrated Management of Water and in Paleobiology and Fossil Record or the courses offered by the School of Gemmology.
