The Natural Environment

At Aberdeen we know that, just like nature itself, there are no limits. And with the climate crisis threatening the natural environment and our everyday lives, we need to work together across borders and disciplines – now more than ever – to help protect our planet.

At Aberdeen, we work creatively across disciplines, in order to come up with informed solutions to address climate change, the loss of biodiversity, the destruction of habitats, environmental pollution, natural hazards and the transition to sustainable energy.

Join us if you are interested in understanding the different scientific, political, legal or socio-economic causes of the climate crisis, and develop the skills and tools needed to create a more sustainable future for our planet. Join the boundary breakers, risk takers and environmental protectors as we work towards a greener, more sustainable world.

Why Aberdeen?

• Our programmes cover topics from the molecular to the global scale, from the deep oceans to high altitude and from deep time to the present day.
• Explore the processes that have shaped our natural environments to understand how we can tackle climate change, water management, natural hazards and transition from fossils fuels to sustainable energy.
• Enjoy easy access to wonderful field study locations throughout Scotland such as Arran, Skye, and the Scottish Highlands and fantastic natural environments including coastline and marine habitats, mountain and river systems, Caledonian forests and farmland.
• The new Science Teaching Hub provides a modern teaching and laboratory space for students studying chemistry, medical sciences, geosciences and biological sciences.
• Queen's Anniversary Prize: in 2021, our world-leading research and teaching in soil science was awarded a prestigious Queen's Anniversary Prize - the highest national Honour awarded in UK further and higher education. 
• We are 5th in the UK of 105 Law Schools for Overall Student Satisfaction (National Student Survey 2022).
• 88% of Earth Systems and Environmental Sciences research at Aberdeen was ranked as world-leading or internationally excellent by REF 2021.