Postgraduate Soil Science 2015-2016

Field based course that takes you across northeast Scotland exploring an ancient tropical rainforest, hill farming in action, survey techniques and soil formation.

A long tradition of soil science teaching at the University of Aberdeen assembled into lectures and field trips delivered by senior academics. 

Your assessments are geared towards developing practical skills. This includes a field log book to teach survey techniques and a presentation on a particular soil that requires research akin to detective work.  An essay and exam will also assessed.

This advanced soil science course provides additional teaching of physical, chemical and biological properties of soils in the context of food security.  You will learn a variety of processes that affect soil productivity, accompanied by practical sessions that will teach relevant analytical methods.  The wide range of soil processes taught will be brought together at the end of the course to provide a working knowledge of agronomy, including the interactions between crops and specific chemical or physical properties of soils.

A highly interactive course, that uses extensively e-learning platforms to enable students to better understand the assessment of contaminated land. Students will learn how to interpret and apply current risk assessment regulations and predict as well as model contaminant pathways. Students will gain valuable experience in using the latest computer software and incorporate real data in order to quantify risk. Very importantly, students will be able to forecast remediation options for a variety of situations and consider the implications and processes involved.

An introduction to landscape and associated conflicts by using the Cairngorm National Park as the setting. Visits to sporting estates, forests (plantation and semi-natural), farms, river management, ski centres and national nature reserves are used to exemplify the complex relationships between semi-natural and management environments and the people that occupy and use them.

Provides thorough training in managing all aspects of a research project from inception to delivery of a thesis in the format of an international scientific journal or a technical note or a consultancy report;

It's an independent research project that can cover any area of soil science, and may be computer, laboratory, greenhouse, partner company or field based;

May be done in the UK or internationally;

There's a requirement for close supervision and training through individual meetings and tuition with supervisor;

May use new technology and research or commercial deliverables to enhance learning experience and skill base of the student.