Earth and Planetary Science

Earth and planetary science is the study of our planet and the broader Solar System in all their geological, geophysical, and chemical complexity. It is a discipline that asks fundamental questions about how planets form, how they evolve over billions of years, what makes Earth capable of sustaining life, and what other worlds in the Solar System tell us about our own. The field is genuinely interdisciplinary, drawing on geology, geophysics, physics, chemistry, mathematics, engineering, and computing to investigate phenomena that range from volcanic eruptions and tectonic processes to the composition of asteroids and the origin of water on rocky planets.

At Imperial College London, this four-year full-time degree gives you the breadth and depth that this kind of interdisciplinary science demands. You will study planets, moons, asteroids, and comets alongside the geological and geophysical processes of Earth, developing a rigorous understanding of the mathematical, physical, and chemical principles that underpin the subject. The programme connects you to Imperial's research environment, where planetary science and geoscience are active areas of investigation, and you will encounter open scientific questions rather than simply a settled body of knowledge.

The computational and quantitative skills you develop will be applied across fieldwork, laboratory investigation, and data analysis.

You will develop the capacity to think across multiple scientific disciplines, to work with complex datasets, and to communicate scientific findings clearly, capacities that are valuable in both research and applied careers.

Graduates pursue careers in geoscience research, space agency missions, environmental consultancy, resource exploration, climate science, and academic research. The combination of planetary and geoscience expertise is relevant to the space sector, which is growing rapidly, as well as to energy, mining, environmental monitoring, and national geological surveys. Postgraduate study in planetary science, geophysics, or geochemistry is a natural next step for those drawn to research careers.