St Petersburg University announced the start of a new Master's Programme "Geophysics".
Russia is blessed with an extraordinary concentration of mineral reserves, and their extraction is one of the country’s key industries. Today, the issue of the environment and the sensible use of natural resources (which includes searching for, exploring and processing raw and fuel-and-energy resources) is one of the priorities of the Russian economy. It is no surprise, then, that experts in this field are much-needed.
Geophysics, a new master’s programme launched by St Petersburg University, is aimed at training such experts, who will then be capable of using geophysical methods to solve problems in prospecting for mineral resources and in geotechnical investigations. Unlike similar programmes offered at other universities, this programme is not limited to one subject area. Instead, it includes all of the basic methods of geophysical prospecting: seismic, electrical, magnetic and GIS (geographic information systems), or combinations of these methods, in order to deal with specific operating and theoretical problems.
For details about admission to the programme, please look here.
Students will take courses in the basic disciplines, associated with, for example, petrophysics and geostatics. They will also have specialised and applied courses addressing geological and geophysical problems in the field of marine, mining, oil-and-gas and engineering geophysics, airborne geophysics and geophysical well logging. Special attention will be given to the reclamation of the continental shelf and to working with cutting-edge software in the oil and gas industry. Owing to the vast range of topics to be covered, the programme will also be of value to students in related fields, such as physics and mathematics.
When a student graduates, they will not only have a background in geophysics but also a broad professional outlook. And that, as we know, always contributes to a person’s effectiveness, the demand for their services and their career growth. Vyacheslov Polovkov, Programme Director
The Geophysics programme has been developed with the active involvement of employers in the field: the major geological prospecting, extracting and oil-and-gas companies, and, in addition, front-end loading, academic and governmental organisations. Students will do internships at such companies as Gazpromneft STC (the Gazpromneft Science and Technology Centre), Gazpromneft-Sakhalin, NK Rosneft (the Rosneft Oil Company) and the Rosgeo holding company, all of whose experts will be brought in to teach the core courses, to deliver guest lectures and to hold workshops.
Once a student completes the programme, they will have many different options for starting a career. They will be able to do laboratory research on minerals and rocks, design and carry out scientific and engineering projects, do experimental development in the natural and industrial sciences, organise fieldwork, or teach, to mention only a few of the choices. A graduate will also be able to join an established company or start their own business.