Curriculum
The Applied Earth Sciences bachelor study programme lasts three years. During your bachelor's you will become acquainted with a fascinating, multifaceted field. You follow a wide range of subjects and are active in the 'real world' from the start.Thanks to the many excursions, fieldwork assignments and study trips, you apply your theoretical knowledge and learn the ins and outs of the field, both in the Netherlands and abroad.
In addition to the general programme you can take minors (packages of optional subjects), study abroad or do an internship. You will end your bachelor programme with your bachelor end project, in a field of your interest. Once you have your diploma you can transfer to a follow-up Master’s degree programme.
Curriculum
Academic years are subdivided into four, equal, 10-week educational periods (quarters). Every quarter centres on a theme. Theory, practice and skills are provided in a combined manner on the basis of these themed modules. As is the case in the current programme, the basic courses will continue to be geology, maths, physics and chemistry. Furthermore, you will learn about Applied Earth Sciences applications. Per quarter you will take various basic sciences and application courses.
Mathematics & AES
Most high school pupils expect an combination of geography and mathematics when hearing about Applied Earth Sciences. But in practice, the mathematics provides the basis for the programme.
Read moreDuring the bachelor you follow 5 mathematics courses, but in practically all other subjects you will be needing your mathematical knowledge as well. This knowledge is applied to the subject ‘Earth’. Think about a dyke for example. When water flows under the structure it decreases the stability of the dyke. Through mathematics you can quantify this water stream and predict how safe the dyke truly is. So by applying the mathematics you can make something visible that you cannot directly see. This way you apply mathematics to the world!
Study Schedule
Below you see the study schedule of the first 3 years. The colours correspond to 4 learning lines; Mathematics, Physics and Chemistry, Geology and Applied Earth Sciences.
Courses
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‘Principles of Chemistry’ focusses on chemical processes, such as entropy, enthalpy and thermochemistry. The processes which are assessed in class are clarified by using computer practicals. Physics is included in the first year in ‘Mechanics’, which addresses waves, forces and uses the energy balance to solve various mechanical problems. In the course ‘Electricity and Magnetism’, these two concepts of physical processes are taught. All these courses require mathematical solutions to solve problems.
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‘Mathematics 1’ will teach students how to solve first and second order differential equations. ‘Linear Algebra’ will continue with understanding linear algebra and proving several linear algebra theorems. ‘Probability and Statistics’ is a course spread out over the first two quarters of the year and will assess the basics of the probability theory and statistics. These courses require you to practice the material at home as it is best understood by intensive practice.
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‘Geology 1’ includes the general knowledge of the system Earth, tools for 3D geometric representation for geological objects and finally methods and techniques for the recognition of fundamental minerals and rocks. ‘Geology 2’ gives a closer look into the geology of North-West Europe and covers various rocks and formations as well as the physical processes that have occurred and are still occurring. ‘Geology 3’ takes students on an excursion to the Belgian Ardennes, Luxembourg and the German Eiffel. You study different rock types and the formation of rocks and geological structures. This course requires the students to integrate all knowledge from the excursion in various assignments.
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‘Grand Challenges and Applied Earth Sciences’ gives an insight of all the global issues which an Applied Earth Sciences Engineer could have an impact on. Different topics, ranging from global climate change to the tilt of the church in Delft, are included in the form of assignments. ‘Methodology of Geophysics and Remote Sensing’ covers the basics of Applied Geophysics and Remote Sensing principles and includes making various assignments to gain a deeper understanding of the two topics.
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‘Chemical Thermodynamics’ continues upon the chemistry course lectured in the first year. The course consists of lectures and computer assignments, during which the concepts lectured are applied to chemical equations. ‘Signals & Systems with Python’ consists of a lecture part, where the theorem behind signals and instrumentation is taught, and a practical part, which uses the program Matlab to model the concepts taught in class. You learn a programming language and will use these skills in other courses in the bachelor as well. The last course in this learning goal is ‘Physical Transport Phenomena’, which covers the fundamentals of fluid flow, heat transfer and mass transfer.
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‘Mathematics 4’ continues upon concepts of linear algebra and differential equations taught in the first year in the form of lectures and material is practiced at home. ‘Mathematics 5’ covers the fundamentals of numerical analysis. This course is divided into a lecture part and a computer part, where programming is used to solve numerical problems.
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‘Sedimentology and Reservoir Geology’ includes topics on various sedimentary environments and the sedimentary processes related to these environments. It includes a laboratory practical where thin sections of cores and rock samples are analysed with microscopes. ‘Geological Fieldwork’ includes three weeks of fieldwork during which the subsurface of a specific area in the South of France is analysed. The surface, in terms of land cover, is evaluated as well and mapped using modelling tools. Lectures prepare the students for the fieldwork and teach them how to model land classes and how to assess the subsurface from looking at the surface.
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‘Geophysical Methods’ covers reflection seismology, electrical sounding and borehole logging. In order to understand these three concepts, assignments are made and group work is included. In ‘Soil Mechanics’ applied and theoretical soil mechanics are explained. This course is taught in combination with students from Civil Engineering as the soil is a subject in both bachelor programmes. ‘Rock Mechanics and Rock Engineering’ gives students a basic understanding of rock mechanics and includes a range of rock engineering applications, underground and surface excavations. ‘Geostatistics and Remote Sensing’ teaches students to work with the programming software QGIS. Students will learn to analyse uncertain spatial data by following lectures and computer practicals. The examined data is gathered by the students themselves in and around Delft.
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A minor is a cohesive unit of courses you can freely choose. Students can broaden their knowledge by following courses in a different subject area or at another university in the Netherlands or abroad. Students can also choose to do a minor at their own faculty to deepen their understanding of a certain topic.
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‘Mechanics and Transport of Flow through Porous Media’, focusses on the flow of water in the subsurface. Various assignments to understand the concepts of flow in the subsurface are made using the program Matlab. ‘Petro-physics and Image Analysis’ covers the basics of log evaluation and an introduction to measurements on rocks through lectures and assignments. ‘Mineral Resource Geology and Modelling’ covers the fundamental need for resources for society and the growing demand for resources for the energy transition. The course will also include the efficiency and maximal use of resources, global supply and demand and will touch upon the sustainability and circularity of the mineral resources supply in the world. During the ‘Field Exploration Project’ students have to design their own subsurface engineering project in a group project. Students will work full time on the design and will cover topics, such as environmental risks, economical and societal aspects as well of their sub-surface engineering project as well. The course includes various guest lectures and is concluded with a final report and final presentation.
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In order to graduate, students will have to write a thesis. This means you will have to choose an individual research project in the area of Applied Earth Sciences. Students will conduct research independently, write a report and give a presentation about their findings.
Binding recommendation
TU Delft employs the BSA system: the binding recommendation on the continuation of studies. This means that you must obtain at least 75 per cent of your credits (i.e. 45 of the 60 ECTS) in your first year in order to continue your programme. If you receive a negative binding recommendation on the continuation of studies, you will not be permitted to enroll in this programme again in the next 4 years.
Study load per week
Lectures
12 hours
Projects/practicals
9 hours
Self-study
19 hours
Study association
The study association, the MV, is for all students, PhD’s, alumni and employees involved with Applied Earth Sciences. Besides the activities that support the programme, the MV is also involved in supplementary activities for each of these target groups. Our commissioner of education supports students in educational committees and in case of complaints.The MV also has its own pub in the city centre of Delft and is very active!
Student support and guidance
During your studies, you are not on your own. In your first year of study you will be assigned a mentor who will help you to familiarise yourself with the campus and your study programme. Your mentor is there to answer questions you have during your new life as a student. In addition, every degree programme has academic counsellors to help you with questions about your degree programme and everything related to it. If you have questions about matters such as study planning, study delay and studying with a disability, we have a group of student counsellors, psychologists and study and careers advisers who are ready to help. Together they form the Student & Career Support team.
Additional Opportunities
Delft Honours Programme Delft
The Delft Honours Programme is for ambitious students who are looking for a challenge over and above what their curriculum offers. This is in addition to your regular study programme in the 2nd and 3rd year. It gives you the opportunity to acquire additional knowledge in or outside your field of specialisation, to work on your personal development, and to collaborate with students on other programmes.
More information about the Delft Honours Programme
Dreamteams
At TU Delft you have the opportunity to be involved in unique student projects that bring together students from various disciplines. These incredible student projects include the world’s fastest bicycle, the fastest solar-powered car, and the altitude record for amateur-built rockets. Our teams compete in worldwide competitions and achieve fantastic results that put TU Delft on the map.
More information about Dreamteams
Top sporting talent
Do you want to become a top-level athlete while studying for your degree? TU Delft supports students who combine their studies with top-level sporting activities and invests in the development of talent in and outside the lecture halls. Because it is often difficult to combine a regular programme of study with a top-level sports training programme, we offer special facilities and provisions for recognised top-level athletes. This includes coaching by academic counsellors and top-level sports coordinators, financial support in the form of the Graduation Support Scheme, sponsorship, and access to the sports facilities at X.
More information about top-level sport