MSc Geoscience for Sustainable Energy / Course details

Communication Skills:  

Communication skills prepare students for the academic rigours of completing the MSc Petroleum Geoscience and Subsurface Energy Engineering programs. The unit also aims to build technical and transferable skills applicable to the business world from application to employment. We will look at the methods of communicating scientific and technical material via written material, posters, and presentations. We will critique existing presentations to assess good and bad practice. Assessments aim to reinforce good writing and oral presentation skills.  
 

The business workplace consists of people of varied backgrounds, experience and technical abilities. This unit provides practical experience in cross-disciplinary communication and personal development in order to get the best out of teamwork experiences at Manchester and in subsequent careers. Assessment aims to improve presentation skills while enhancing group work abilities.  

The skills developed in this unit can be applied to rigorous planning and preparation of the students’ own summer independent research project.  

Fieldwork/site visits

This element builds on the concepts taught throughout the MSc Energy Program. Trip assessment focuses on field skills, using a series of exercises to develop core skills.  

Understanding of geology to undergraduate level is expected for the fieldwork component of the course. 

Communication Skills:  

The course aims to equip students with the skills to communicate scientific information, knowledge, and ideas to expert and non-expert audiences.  We will critically evaluate the content, format, and structure of written documents and oral presentations; understand the referencing of texts while being aware of plagiarism. We also look at the subtleties of communication within teams and how to professionally contribute in the work environment through teamwork and project management.  

Fieldwork/site visits

Geological outcrops provide analogues to energy systems below the Earth’s surface. Through fieldwork, we aim to assess the controls that structure, sequence stratigraphy and depositional environments have on the stratigraphic record. By examining sedimentary rocks, we can evaluate how these controls affect potential source rocks, reservoir quality and seals. Fieldwork reinforces skills in three-dimensional thinking and visualisation and it provides an appreciation of the problems of "scaling up" geological observations to the subsurface models employed by reservoir engineers. The applied nature of geological concepts is highlighted through visits to industrial sites that leverage the storage or geothermal potential of subsurface systems.  

On the successful completion of the course, students will be able to: 

• Develop self-awareness and techniques to better communicate in the employment market;
• Evaluate critically the content, format, and structure of written documents and oral presentations;
• Design and produce professional-quality written documents, posters, and oral presentations to communicate scientific information, analysis, and synthesis to expert and non-expert audiences;
• Plan scientific and technical projects in both group and individual contexts, with practices that also consider environmental and societal impacts and sustainability;
• Use business communication skills to contribute significantly to shared professional performance;
• Appraise the contribution of geological systems analysis, through mapping structural and sedimentary processes in the evaluation of spatial and temporal distribution of reservoirs (for oil and gas, CO2 storage, geothermal), and other key elements of the petroleum system (source rocks, seals, traps);
• Appreciate safe practices in all aspects of geological fieldwork and/ or industrial site visits, and incorporate objectives of reducing the environmental impact (e.g., for mergers and acquisitions).

Syllabus:  

Topic 1: CV and careers:  A careers workshop examines the language and methods used to market yourself in a CV/cover letter to increase chances of success. Session continues with a look at a typical job application process.  Feedback on a mock job application provides an opportunity to improve student CVs.  

Topic 2: Report writing:  Examination of what is expected in the formatting and formulation of MSc level written work, including the treatment of data, its analysis and interpretation. The evaluation and critique of literature are discussed, along with correct methods of referencing. Academic malpractice is described along with good practice for its avoidance. The component is assessed with a short essay: feedback on this exercise will guide future assignments.  

Topic 3: Oral presenting:  Best practice in assembling and presenting an oral presentation. Assessment is by a group exercise investigating the merger or acquisition of an energy company, focusing on H&S, sustainability, and environmental impact. This exercise focuses on the valuation of companies in terms of assets, future outlook, resources, and revenue, providing insight into the economics of the energy industry.  

Topic 4: fieldwork/site visits:  Geoscientists complete a Semester 2 one-week residential field trip to Morocco.  The trip is an opportunity to build and apply skills in rock identification, depositional environments/facies analysis, and structural geology. Outcrops are investigated and interpreted as analogues to subsurface systems.  Field-based exercises will help reinforce ideas on reservoir architecture and fluid flow. Students on the Subsurface Energy Engineering program take part in visits to industrial sites where sustainable energy systems are being explored and utilised. These visits provide an opportunity to investigate the link between geological systems and subsurface energy.  

Mock job application, 3 sides of A4 (0%)

Essay, 1500 words (30%)

Oral (group), 15 mins (30%)

Field/site work, field notebook and individual report (40%)

Mock job application, 3 sides of A4 - Individual feedback on applications via email/Blackboard

Essay, 1500 words - Individual feedback on essays via Blackboard

Oral (group), 15 mins - Group feedback uploaded to Blackboard within a few days of talk.

Field/site work - Individual feedback on reports via Blackboard

Journal articles will be recommended in class.