Top 5 Free Online Geology Courses / / by BGS Comms

If you're finding yourself with a bit more time while we're staying home and keeping ourselves safe, maybe you'll be interested in finally getting around to that geology course you've always wanted to do! Below, we give you our pick of the best geology courses stating in April, that you can take part in online. 

Have other recommendations? Let us know in the comments!

An Introduction to Geology - Open University

An Introduction to Geology is a course created by the Open University and takes around 12 hours to complete. It covers subjects such as rock types, natural resources (including numerical & graphical methods to calculate their quantities and concentrations) and the sustainability of these in regards to their extraction. It also includes an exploration into the societal and environmental issues associated with sustainability.

On completion of the course you will receive a free statement of participation! Open University also offer more courses on their OpenLearn platform, which are well worth checking out. 

Extreme Geological Events - Cardiff University

Cardiff University via FutureLearn has created a whistlestop tour of extreme geological events, which takes 12 hours to complete. You will be introduced to Earth's geological history and learn about large past events such as floods, volcanic eruptions, earthquakes and tsunamis. The chance of them occurring in the future along with the potential risks and mitigation measures will also be explored. You can find the course here.

This course is available to join today and offers a very flexible schedule. 

Our Earth: Its Climate, History, and Processes – The University of Manchester

Our Earth: Its Climate, History, and Processes is a course created by The University of Manchester and takes approximately 17 hours to complete. It investigates not only how the land formed, but also the formation of air, water & life and how these have interacted over time.

This course starts on April 13.

New Zealand Landscape as Culture: Maunga (Mountains) – Victoria University of Wellington

Do you want to learn some overseas geology? New Zealand Landscape as Culture: Maunga (Mountains) is a course created by the Victoria University of Wellington and will last around eight hours.

You will learn about the unique geology of the mountains in New Zealand, their formation and also the cultural identities attached to them. Combining science and culture, this course looks great! It starts on April 15 so sign up now!

The Dynamic Earth: A Course for Educators - American Museum of Natural History 

This course is created for those who have experience of teaching. During the course, you will be introduced to geological time, radiometric dating and how to understand and interpret rocks. By the end you should be able to share your knowledge of your local geology! The Dynamic Earth: A Course for Educators is a course created by the American Museum of Natural History and takes around 11 hours to complete. 

This course starts today (April 6), though there are flexible enrollment options.