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Do you understand the Earth?
We all live on the Earth. The planet is filled with both blessings and calamities, such as earthquakes, landslides, tsunamis, volcanoes, hot springs, and natural resources. To study such phenomena is called “geoscience”. Geoscience is the academic field that deals with events on a time scales ranging from the history of continents, oceans and life during the 4.6 billion years after Earth’s formation, to the single moment of an earthquake today. Japanese Geoscientists lead the world in geoscience research by reasons of well-developed experiments and analytical methods, quality and quantity of data, superior theories etc. The Department of Geosphere Sciences at Yamaguchi University is one of the departments providing the opportunity to study geoscience, with a special focus on filed works. Many graduates start their career related to geoscience field, and they are working around the world as geological engineers.
Let’s discover the secrets of the Earth!
Department/Courses
The department will offer students a high quality undergraduate education. From the third year students specialize in either Regional Environmental Science, or Environmental Materials Science. Neither course has a set number of students, so students can freely choose.
Regional Environmental Science Course
In this course, we train graduates who assist society by using specialized geological knowledge. Educational curriculum of this course has been accredited by the Japan Accreditation Board for Engineering Education (JABEE*). Our curriculum has been approved to meet international standards for engineering education. Here, you can obtain the specialized knowledge and skills to support society through both theory and abundant field practice. Students can obtain the national “associate professional engineer” certification upon graduation from this course, which is extremely useful for finding a career related to geological engineering.
*Please see “What is JABEE? ” for more details.
Environmental Materials Science Course
In this course, we provide students with a broad base of knowledge while cultivating scientific thinking and application. This course is well suited for students who are interested in minerals or fossils, or in volcanoes and earthquakes. Students auquire the knowledge and techniques to serve society in sectors such as disaster prevention for earthquakes and volcanoes, and resource and energy management. Our program offers a variety of career paths, and many graduates go on to work in resource and materials companies as well as in teaching and in civil service. In the first and second years, the curriculum of this course is same as the Regional Environmental Science Course. Thus, students can freely choose courses to match their career path and ambitions from the third year onward.
Department of Geosphere Science FAQ
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Basic questions: Question 1. What is the use of geoscience? Question 2. What can I learn in the Department of Geosphere Sciences? Entrance examination: Question 3. I didn’t study geology in high school, can I enter the department? Question 4. I’m a humanities student interested in earthquakes and fossils. Can I take the entrance examination? In the University: Question 5. What sort of study can I perform? Question 6. What type of certifications can I obtain? In the future: Question 7. What kinds of careers are available?
Question 1. What is the use of geoscience? Answer: Geoscience is useful for our very existence! Our lifestyles cannot be achieved without a variety of natural resources, including energy resources such as oil, natural gas and uranium, iron and cement, and rare earth elements that make up materials. At the same time, dealing with environmental problems and reducing damage from disasters such as earthquakes, volcanoes and torrential rain are important issues. We cannot utilize the resources of the Earth unless we understand the history of the land, the oceans and life, as well as their interrelated systems. Geoscience will remain an indispensable field for us as long as we all live on this planet.
Question 2. What can I learn in the Department of Geosphere Sciences? Answer: You’ll learn everything from the basics to the front-line! Our department focuses on field training over classroom lecturing. You can see and feel the Earth and nature for yourself. Yamaguchi Prefecture is a wonderful place to study geoscience that has been called a “museum of geology and rocks”. In experiments and practical training, you’ll not only gain knowledge about geoscience but you’ll also learn communication and presentation skills through group work and other activities. Please see the curriculum page for more details.
Question 3. I didn’t study geology in high school, can I enter this department? Answer: No problem! Our department offers a basic geoscience class for first-year students, so you’ll have the chance to study. The academic field of geoscience includes many subfields such as geophysics, geochemistry and paleontology, allowing you to utilize your knowledge of physics, chemistry and biology. Students who have taken other science courses in high school will find them useful for studying geology.
Question 4. I’m a humanities student interested in earthquakes and fossils. Can I take the entrance examination? Answer: Humanities students are also welcome to take the examination! While science faculties tend to attract students with science and mathematics abilities, students can take an entrance examination for one science course in which they are confident of their abilities, and take other examinations in subjects such as Japanese, English, history and civics. We value curiosity about science, logical thought, basic Japanese language skills and communication abilities. Many students coming from humanities courses in high schools go on to do very well in our program. If you are students from abroad, the website “International Student Center ” provides you very useful information.
Question 5. What sort of study can I perform? Answer: You can perform cutting-edge geoscience studies! The Department of Geosphere Sciences is divided into four major research fields: “Mineral and Resource Science”, which unlocks the secrets of minerals and resources; “Earth Evolution”, which examines the evolution of Earth’s environment and living organisms; “Petrology”, which examines the history of continental drift; and “Applied Geoscience”, which studies the geological disasters. Everything that makes up Earth and the planets is a possible subject of our study. Please see the research introduction of research group for more details.
Question 6. What type of certifications can I obtain? Answer: You can obtain associate professional engineer (JABEE accredited course only), assistant surveyor, school teacher (junior and senior high school) and curator certification! We offer a variety of national certifications, including associate professional engineer and assistant surveyor certification (extremely useful for working in a specialized field), junior and senior high school science teacher certification (necessary for working as an instructor) and curator certification (necessary for a professional museum career). Associate professional engineer certification is of particular use for graduates seeking careers, making it very popular among graduates. Certification is only available in a few geoscience departments nationwide.
Question 7. What kinds of careers are available? Answer: Academic research, geological engineering, resource development, curation, teaching, government, media, and many other fields! Many of our students go onto find careers in the private sector in geological consulting, which deals with basic research and disaster management for large-scale building products such as tunnels and dams, resource development, for materials such as cement and oil, and careers in businesses related to environmental surveying, and we receive a lot of recruiting offers in these fields. Many graduates also enter civil service (working at city or prefectural governments), museums, science education, or go on to become researchers at universities and research institutions. |
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