Undergraduate Programmes; BSc Major In Geology, BSc Honours Geology

1. BSc Major In Geology

Students may study Geology as part of the BSc. course in the Science faculty. The degree structure is a course unit or modular system. Geology can be studied as a minor or a major subject. This is a three-year full-time programme. Geology major students take geology at first, second and third year levels. They can do a second major in biological sciences, chemistry, geography, mathematics, physics or statistics. Alternatively, geology major students can do a minor in one of the aforementioned subjects plus options in mine engineering and soil science.
Courses
A BSc General student is required to attend at least 10 (but normally 12) courses at each of Parts One, Two and Three and pass at least 28 courses, 20 at Part Two or above, to be awarded a B.Sc. General degree. A core course is one which must be passed in order to be awarded a major in a subject (e.g. Geology, Mathematics, etc.). Pre-requisite courses are those which must be passed in order to take a particular course.

Part 1 Courses:
GL106 Planet Earth and its Minerals: structure of the Earth, mineralogy, structural geology

GL107 Introduction to Petrology: igneous petrology, metamorphic petrology, sedimentary petrology

GL108 Economic and Applied Geology: economic geology, environmental geology, principles of stratigraphy, Zimbabwean stratigraphy, palaeontology

GL109 Introduction to Maps and Fieldwork: introduction to geological maps, introduction to geological fieldwork (Harare area)

Part 2 Courses:
GL213 Advanced Mineralogy: mineralogy, minerals under the petrological microscope, crystallography and silicate structures, introduction to mine geology

GL214 Igneous and Metamorphic Petrology II: igneous and metamorphic rocks under the microscope, classification, textures, intrusions and associations.

GL215 Sedimentology: sedimentary rocks under the microscope, classification.

GL216 Structures and Plate Tectonics: faults, folds, fabrics, structural analysis, stereoplotting, plate tectonics

GL217 Applied Geology II: physical hydrogeology, environmental geology of small scale and large scale mining, mining in context

GL281 Fieldwork II: Ten days of fieldwork in the Magondi Mobile Belt, Karoo Supergroup or a similar location.

Part 3 Courses:
GL309 Advanced Igneous and Metamorphic Petrology and Geochemistry: petrogenesis, magma sources and processes, phase modelling, tectonic context, metamorphic and igneous textures, metamorphic thermodynamics, progressive metamorphism, fluids in metamorphism, major and trace element and isotope geochemistry, introductory geochronology

GL313 Geological Evolution of Southern Africa: Archaean stratigraphy, Proterozoic stratigraphy, Phanerozoic stratigraphy

GL315 Geotectonics: rock deformation, plate tectonics, planetary geophysics, geological map interpretation

GL317 Advanced Economic and Applied Geology: economic geology, remote sensing, engineering geology, coal

GL382 Fieldwork III: Ten days of fieldwork in the Harare-Bindura-Shamva Greenstone Belt, Zambezi Mobile Belt or a similar location.

2. BSc Honours Geology Programme

This is a one-year full-time programme. BSc graduates with a good major in geology are admitted.

Courses:
HGL401 Hard Rocks: microtectonics, strain analysis, P-T-t paths, crustal growth, modelling of igneous and metamorphic processes, advanced geochronology, digital structural modelling

HGL402 Soft Rocks: sedimentology and basin analysis, hydrogeology, environmental geology and impact assessment.

HGL403 Economic Geology: exploration management, exploration geochemistry, exploration geophysics, remote sensing, GIS, sedimentary deposits, orthomagmatic deposits, geostatistical modelling

HGL452 Field Course: Two weeks fieldwork in highly deformed Precambrian terrain

HGL460 Miniproject Course: Two short-cycle problem-based research projects and reports

HGL470 Project Course: Field- and lab-based research dissertation on a specific geological problem with application of skills gained and knowledge acquired throughout the programme.