400-Level course structure
- 400-level students starting in semester 1 must enrol in GEOL 401 (Current Topics and Advanced Methods in Geoscience worth 20 points).
- 400-level students starting in semester 2 must enrol in GEOL402 (10-points; semester 2) followed by GEOL403 (10-points; semester 2).
- Honours students must enrol in 4 other papers (worth 10 pts each) in addition to GEOL 490 (BSc Hons Research Project worth 60 pts). Two 10-point papers must be taken in semester 1, and two 10-point papers must be taken in semester 2.
- PGDipSci and MSc students must enrol in 6 other papers (worth 10 pts each) in addition to GEOL 480 (PGDipSci Dissertation worth 40 points) or GEOL 495 (1st year MSc worth 40 points). Three 10-point papers must be taken in semester 1, and three 10-point papers must be taken in semester 2.
- Optional 10-point papers
| Course | Core papers | Elective papers |
|---|---|---|
| BSc(Hons) | GEOL401 (or GEOL402 and GEOL403), GEOL 490 |
4 other 10-point 400-level papers (2 papers in semester 1; 2 papers in semester 2) |
| PGDipsci | GEOL401 (or GEOL402 and GEOL403), GEOL 480 |
6 other 10-point 400-level papers (3 papers in semester 1; 3 papers in semester 2) |
| MSc (1st year) | GEOL401 (or GEOL402 and GEOL403), GEOL 495 |
6 other 10-point 400-level papers (3 papers in semester 1; 3 papers in semester 2) |
The following flowchart has been designed to assist you in planning your progression into 400-level Geology. It indicates suggested pathways to PGDipSci, Honours and Masters degrees.
View/download the GEOL 400-level pathways flowchart (PDF)
400-Level research projects
See the Course outline section of GEOL 401/402/403 for the latest 400-level handbook / course outline.
1. Arrange a project and a supervisor
Projects include those listed below or others arranged through discussion with a supervisor. You are encouraged to develop your own project ideas and discuss these with staff members. If you are from outside Otago and want to arrange a project, you should email potential supervisors directly to discuss possible projects. If you are unsure who to email please make initial contact our administrator via geology@otago.ac.nz.
2. Fill out the project intentions form
All students intending to undertake 400-level next year (Hons, Masters or Postgraduate diploma) should aim to have provisional projects assigned by the end of November. Please fill out the 400 Level intentions form as soon as possible and send this to our administrator via geology@otago.ac.nz.
3. Enrol at the University
4. Complete field safety and logistics form prior to fieldwork
Prior to any fieldwork taking place you must submit a field safety and logistics form and follow the other procedures for fieldwork health and safety:
Elective Papers:
Information on 400-level elective papers can be found at the following link:
https://www.otago.ac.nz/geology/study/papers/index.html#400level