Teaching

The course consists of lectures, laboratory and methods practicals, numerical sessions and a research dissertation. A 12,000-word dissertation requires students to identify, design and independently execute a small, empirically-grounded research study related to the course. Students will be supervised through the process from initial question identification through to the design and execution of research.

One to one supervision	Students will have at least ten hours of individual or small group supervision during the course.
Lectures	Students will receive up to 4 hours of formal lectures per week during Michaelmas and Lent Terms. The Past and Future Climates course syllabus includes critical review of the full suite of interpretations of the causes and consequences of natural and anthropogenic climate change as observed in instrumental and geological records, and simulated by climate models for a wide range of past and future climate scenarios. This in-depth survey of past and contemporary climate research includes fundamentals of atmospheric physics, physical oceanography, glaciology, carbon cycle dynamics, climate modeling, volcanology, tree-ring ecology, environmental science, and climate risk.
Practicals	In Michaelmas and Lent Term, students will have up to 12 hours of Laboratory sessions, and up to 24 hours of Numerical sessions.
Posters and Presentations	Students will participate in a dissertation forum in which they will present their dissertation ideas and receive feedback.
Taught/Research Balance	Equal Taught/Research

Feedback

Students will receive written and oral feedback on their formative essay submitted during Michaelmas term. They will receive termly progress reports, written feedback on their assessed coursework and on their dissertation.

Students will be required to submit a dissertation proposal to be discussed with their dissertation supervisor. They will deliver an oral presentation about their dissertation plans, and receive feedback on this.

Assessment

Thesis / Dissertation

A 12,000-word dissertation. An oral examination of the dissertation will take place at the discretion of the examiners.

Essays

One piece of coursework of up to 4,000 words and one quiz with up to 50 questions.