MSc Geology Student Handbook

8/13/2019 MSc Geology Student Handbook

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IMPERIAL COLLEGE LONDON

Faculty of Engineering

Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering

MSc Student Handbook

MSc courses in Engineering Geology

September 2012


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Introduction

We very much hope that all our MSc students will enjoy the year they spend at Imperial College.

Part of that enjoyment will come from an awareness of all that the College has to offer, as well asmore directly from the courses themselves.

This 'Blue Book' attempts to set out background information on the College and the many andvarious facilities the College provides, as well as some information on the MSc courses themselves.We hope that it will prove to be useful; if you have any suggestions that might improve it, please letme know.

Clark FentonSeptember 2012


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About The Handbook

This handbook is intended for Students of the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering

and contains general information about the College, the Department and College Procedures. Morespecific information relating to your programme of studies is to be found on the following:

http://www3.imperial.ac.uk/civilengineering/prospectivestudents/postgraduatetaughtadmissions

and on Blackboard, which is our preferred Virtual Learning Environment.

Information about the staff, research interests, technical services, safety and much more, can also

be found on the Department's web site.http://www3.imperial.ac.uk/civilengineering

The 2012-13 Term Dates and Bank Holidays are included on the following page.

This handbook is divided into three sections:

Section 1 - General Information on the College

You will find it useful to read general information about the College, the Faculty and the Graduate

School.

Section 2 - General Information on the Department

This section has information about the Department and the departmental facilities. It also includes a

list of departmental officers including contact details and how to find your way around the

Department.

Section 3 - College Procedures

This section provides links to college procedures that will/may affect students throughout theiracademic life.
http://www3.imperial.ac.uk/civilengineering/prospectivestudents/postgraduatetaughtadmissionshttp://www3.imperial.ac.uk/civilengineering/prospectivestudents/postgraduatetaughtadmissionshttp://www3.imperial.ac.uk/civilengineeringhttp://www3.imperial.ac.uk/civilengineeringhttp://www3.imperial.ac.uk/civilengineeringhttp://www3.imperial.ac.uk/civilengineeringhttp://www3.imperial.ac.uk/civilengineering/prospectivestudents/postgraduatetaughtadmissions


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Useful Dates -Term Dates / Bank Holidays / College Closures

Week

NoDates Term Bank Holidays

Week 01 01-05 October 2012 Autumn Christmas Day 25-Dec-12

Week 02 08-12 October 2012 Autumn Boxing Day 26-Dec-12

Week 03 15-19 October 2012 Autumn New Years Day 01-Jan-13

Week 04 22-26 October 2012 Autumn Good Friday 29-Mar-13

Week 05 29 October - 02 November 2012 Autumn Easter Monday 01-Apr-13

Week 06 05-09 November 2012 Autumn Early May Bank Holiday 06-May-13

Week 07 12-16 November 2012 Autumn Spring Bank Holiday 27-May-13

Week 08 19-23 November 2012 Autumn Summer Bank Holiday 26-Aug-13

Week 09 26-30 November 2012 Autumn

Week 10 03 -07 December 2012 Autumn Term Dates : 2012-2013

Week 11 10-14 December 2012 Autumn Autumn Term:

Week 12 17-21 December 2012 Xmas Saturday 29 Sept to Friday 14 Dec 2012

Week 13 24-28 December 2012 Xmas Spring Term:

Week 14 31 December - 04 January 2013 Xmas Saturday 5 January to Friday 22 March 2013

Week 15 07-11 January 2013 Spring Summer Term:

Week 16 14-18 January 2013 Spring Saturday 27 April to Friday 28 June 2013

Week 17 21-25 January 2013 Spring

Week 18 28 January - 01 February 2013 Spring College Closure Dates

Week 19 04-08 February 2013 Spring Christmas:

Week 20 11-15 February 2013 Spring Saturday 22 December to Tuesday 1 January2013 (incl)

Week 21 18-22 February 2013 Spring Easter:

Week 22 25 February - 01 March 2013 Spring Thursday 28 March to Tuesday 2 April 2013 (incl)

Week 23 04-08 March 2013 Spring

Week 24 11-15 March 2013 Spring Graduation Ceremonies

Week 25 15-22 March 2013 Spring Commemoration Day

Week 26 25 March - 29 March 2013 Easter Wednesday 24 October 2012

Week 27 01-05 April 2013 Easter PG Awards Day

Week 28 08-12 April 2013 Easter Wednesday 1 May 2013

Week 29 15-19 April 2013 Easter

Week 30 22-26 April 2013 Easter

Week 31 29 April - 03 May 2013 Summer

Week 32 06-10 May 2013 Summer




Week 36 03-07 June 2013 Summer

Week 37 10-14 June 2013 Summer

Week 38 17-21 June 2013 SummerWeek 39 24-28 June 2013 Summer


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Section 1GENERAL INFORMATION ON THE COLLEGE

History

Imperial College London is an independent institution. Until 2006, it had been a college of theUniversity of London. It was established by Royal Charter in 1907 as a merger of the Royal College of

Science, the City and Guilds College (Engineering Departments) and the Royal School of Mines. These

colleges had themselves begun with different titles on different sites in London, the earliest dating

from 1841. In the 1980s and 1990s, a number of Medical Colleges merged, forming the Faculty of

Medicine and completing the formation of the current structure of Imperial College London.

The College now operates on a number of sites. The main campus is in South Kensington, where the

engineering, science and undergraduate medicine departments are located. Other London-based

campuses are at Charing Cross, Chelsea and Westminster, Hammersmith, Royal Brompton, and St

Mary's Hospitals. There are also special postgraduate facilities in Life Sciences at Silwood Park near

Ascot and part of the Department of Environmental Sciences is currently located at the Wye campus,near Ashford in Kent.

In July 2006, Imperial College's Council made the decision to become independent from the

University of London, becoming a University in its own right, in recognition of its world-class

research and teaching.

Imperial College London officially became independent on 7 July 2007. All students entering since 1

October 2007 are now automatically registered for degrees of the Imperial College London.

The College Principles

Imperial College London embodies and delivers world class scholarship, education and research in

science, engineering, medicine and business, with particular regard to their application in industry,

commerce and healthcare.

The College is diverse and international it comprises academic staff, students and support staff of

varied disciplines and backgrounds. It encourages collaboration, actively opposes discrimination and

recognises the importance of making a positive impact in the wider community.

The Principlesdefine the guiding principles of the college community and cover all students, bothundergraduate and postgraduate. A full list of the principles can be found using the link below.

http://www3.imperial.ac.uk/students/ourprinciples
http://www3.imperial.ac.uk/students/ourprincipleshttp://www3.imperial.ac.uk/students/ourprincipleshttp://www3.imperial.ac.uk/students/ourprinciples


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College Administration

The Rector and Head of the College is Professor Sir Keith ONions, FRS.

The main administrative departments for the College can be found in the Sherfield Building and theFaculty Building. These buildings house the Rector's suite, the Finance Section, Registry (which deals

with student admissions and all records, forms, etc. connected with undergraduate and post-

graduate students), Human Resources, the Pay Office and other central offices of the College.

The Student Hub

The Student Hub is the one-stop shop for all key information and support that students need for

everyday life at Imperial.

Fully trained Student Hub staff can help with enquiries on:

Accommodation, student financial support, tuition fees, student records, exams, research degrees,

admissions, living in London and much more.

The Student Hub is located at the west end of Level 3, Sherfield Building, visit the website at

www.imperial.ac.uk/studenthub

Faculty of Engineering

As a member of the Department of Civil & Environmental Engineering you are part of the Faculty of

Engineering. At Imperial College research and teaching are organised into three Faculties, each

headed by a Principal:

Faculty of Engineering Professor Jeff Magee,

Faculty of Medicine ProfessorSir Anthony Newman Taylor

Faculty of Natural Sciences Professor Maggie Dallman

Dean of Students

The Dean of Students reports to the Pro Rector (Education) and has overall responsibility for all

matters relating to the welfare of students. This includes theCollege tutors,the Wardens of the Halls

of Residence, the Student Counselling Service and the Senior Disability Advisor. The Dean also

supports the work of theCollege Chaplaincy.

The Dean, together with the Pro Rector (Education), liaises with the Imperial College Union

sabbatical officers on their concerns and aspirations. The Dean of Students chairs the College

Disciplinary Committee and is involved in student appeals and complaints procedures.

The current Dean of Students is Professor Denis Wright.
http://www.imperial.ac.uk/studenthubhttp://www.imperial.ac.uk/studenthubhttp://www1.imperial.ac.uk/medicine/people/a.newmant/http://www3.imperial.ac.uk/portal/page/portallive/6C146B5C1AF42298E0440003BACD17D6http://www3.imperial.ac.uk/portal/page/portallive/0FDF9D2807ED43D0E0440003BACD13A5http://www3.imperial.ac.uk/portal/page/portallive/5BA6CB70EE490F5DE0440003BACD17D6http://www3.imperial.ac.uk/portal/page/portallive/162F1849B4AE69DAE0440003BACD13A5http://www.imperialcollegeunion.org/representation/sabbaticals/?lp=350http://www.imperialcollegeunion.org/representation/sabbaticals/?lp=350http://www.imperialcollegeunion.org/representation/sabbaticals/?lp=350http://www.imperialcollegeunion.org/representation/sabbaticals/?lp=350http://www3.imperial.ac.uk/portal/page/portallive/162F1849B4AE69DAE0440003BACD13A5http://www3.imperial.ac.uk/portal/page/portallive/5BA6CB70EE490F5DE0440003BACD17D6http://www3.imperial.ac.uk/portal/page/portallive/0FDF9D2807ED43D0E0440003BACD13A5http://www3.imperial.ac.uk/portal/page/portallive/6C146B5C1AF42298E0440003BACD17D6http://www1.imperial.ac.uk/medicine/people/a.newmant/http://www.imperial.ac.uk/studenthub


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College Tutors

Student welfare is of particular concern to members of academic staff in departments and divisions,

and to Wardening teams in Halls. Undergraduate students have a personal tutor, and Departmental

Senior Tutor who oversees tutorial support, who may also be consulted. Postgraduate students on

taught courses have a course director and cluster administrator and research postgraduates have asupervisor, supported by the Department's Postgraduate Administrator and Postgraduate Tutor.

These should be the first point of reference if problems arise. However, all students also have

confidential access - independent of department or division - to the College Tutors regarding

academic issues, and all aspects of pastoral care and discipline within the College.

The College Tutors are:

Dr Mick Jones [email protected] +44 (0)20 8383 1643

Dr Simon Archer [email protected] +44 (0)20 7594 5368

Dr Lynda White [email protected] +44 (0)20 7594 8527

Imperial Horizons (Undergraduate Students ONLY)

Looking to get the most out of your degree? Imperial Horizons is a new programme for all Imperial

undergraduates starting in 2012 and beyond. It is designed to broaden your education, inspire your

creativity and enhance your professional impact. Our wide-ranging and innovative courses will

enable you to develop a unique set of Imperial graduate attributes and give you an edge in yourfuture career.

For more information:http://www3.imperial.ac.uk/horizons

Graduate School (Postgraduate Students ONLY)

As a member of the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering students are automatically

made a member of the Graduate School. Membership means students become part of a wider

community, broadening and enriching their academic and social experience whilst at Imperial.

The Graduate School has an overarching role with a remit that covers both professional skills

development training and the quality assurance of all masters and research programmes.

The Graduate Schools professional skills development programme focuses on developing generic

personal skills such as communication, teamwork, project management and planning skills. Whilst

some courses are compulsory for first year research students, all postgraduates are welcome to

relevant courses. The Graduate Schools programme has twice received the Times Higher Award for

Outstanding Support for Early Career Researchers.

Full details of the skills courses and how to reserve a place can be found on the Graduate Schoolwebsite:http://www3.imperial.ac.uk/graduateschool/transferableskillsprogramme
mailto:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]://www3.imperial.ac.uk/students/graduateattributeshttp://www3.imperial.ac.uk/students/graduateattributeshttp://www3.imperial.ac.uk/students/graduateattributeshttp://www3.imperial.ac.uk/horizonshttp://www3.imperial.ac.uk/horizonshttp://www3.imperial.ac.uk/graduateschool/transferableskillsprogrammehttp://www3.imperial.ac.uk/graduateschool/transferableskillsprogrammehttp://www3.imperial.ac.uk/graduateschool/transferableskillsprogrammehttp://www3.imperial.ac.uk/graduateschool/transferableskillsprogrammehttp://www3.imperial.ac.uk/horizonshttp://www3.imperial.ac.uk/students/graduateattributesmailto:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]


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The Graduate School also organises a number of social activities throughout the year. These include

a welcome event, careers events, distinguished guest lectures, receptions and a research symposium

with a poster competition. The Graduate School also hosts the Ig-Nobel Tour Show. These events

are intended to promote intellectual discussion and exchange of ideas across disciplines.

Further information about Graduate School can be found online at

http://www3.imperial.ac.uk/graduateschool

or contact themby [email protected]

Imperial College London Library

The Central Library, open 24 hours during term time, is the main focus for library services on the

South Kensington Campus. With over 1,100 study spaces, the Library is home to our engineering and

science print collections, as well as a broader range of humanities and humanities material. Withsubscriptions to over 28,000 electronic journals and databases youll find much of what you need is

available wherever you have internet access. Where the library doesnt have immediate access to

material there is a document supply service that can track down what you need, nationally and

internationally. A vital part of the library service is its team of subject librarians who can advise on

everything from where to find the best information to how to manage your references and more.

For more information and the name of your librarian seewww.imperial.ac.uk/library.

Printing Services

There are both colour and black and white printing facilities available to students within the Central

Library at a small cost. Printing credit for these facilities is stored on your college ID card and can be

purchased in the Central Library.

Additionally the Office Depot Print Shop is located in Room 024 of the Sherfield Building.

Room 024 is located in the basement of the Sherfield Building. Access can be made by entering

Sherfield through the double doors next to the branch of Santander. From there you can take the lift

to Level 0 where Office Depot is now situated.

Office Depot can be contacted on 020 7594 9587 or by email [email protected]

Please click on the link below for the full details and the contact information.

http://www.purchasing.ad.ic.ac.uk/Product%20Areas/Print/index.htm

Affordable external printing shops near the South Kensington Campus include Kall Kwik and

Prontaprint.
http://www3.imperial.ac.uk/graduateschoolhttp://www3.imperial.ac.uk/graduateschoolmailto:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]://www.imperial.ac.uk/libraryhttp://www.imperial.ac.uk/libraryhttp://www.imperial.ac.uk/librarymailto:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]://www.purchasing.ad.ic.ac.uk/Product%20Areas/Print/index.htmhttp://www.purchasing.ad.ic.ac.uk/Product%20Areas/Print/index.htmhttp://www.purchasing.ad.ic.ac.uk/Product%20Areas/Print/index.htmmailto:[email protected]://www.imperial.ac.uk/librarymailto:[email protected]://www3.imperial.ac.uk/graduateschool


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Clubs and Imperial College Union

There are a large number of clubs providing opportunities to meet people who share similar

interests. These include: Chess, Riding & Polo, Martial Arts Clubs, Chamber Music, Film Society,

Choir, 2 Orchestras, Wind Band, Wine Tasting Club, Imperial College Amnesty International, and

many religious and ethnic-based groups covering most religions and nationalities. A complete list canbe obtained from the Students' Union.

All postgraduate students and staff registered for degrees are eligible for membership of the

Students' Union.

1. All students of Imperial College, regardless of whether or not they are PhD or masters students,

are automatically members of Imperial College Union.

2. All students of Imperial College may join any of the Union's 260+ clubs and societies. Some of

these clubs charge small membership fees, others don't.

3. All civil engineering undergraduates and postgraduates are automatically members of "CivSoc",

the Civil Engineering Society, and the "City & Guilds College Union", the Faculty of Engineering

Union. All graduate students are also members of the "Graduate Students Association", a body that

represents graduate students to the College and co-ordinates social events for graduate students. All

of these bodies are part of Imperial College Union.

4. If not a single one of the 260+ clubs and societies of Imperial College Union are doing what you

want to do, then you can start your own!

5. All students have access to the Union's bars, catering outlets and the advice centre. These

facilities are based in the Union Building, which is located in the Beit Quadrangle on the northernedge of the South Kensington campus.

6. The Union runs a network of academic representatives ranging from year representatives to the

ICU President. Research students traditionally elect group and Departmental representatives from

amongst themselves whilst faculty and college level representatives are elected by formal online

cross campus votes throughout the year. Undergraduate and MSc students traditionally elect

course/year representatives in lectures at the start of the year.

7. Rail discounts and Oyster card discounts have nothing to do with membership of ICU. These

discounts are available to every student in the country by right. To get your Oyster card discount,

you need first to prove to Transport for London that you are a registered student of Imperial College.

The Student Hub on level three of the Sherfield Building will help you with the application process

for your Oyster Card.

8. Staff (Research Assistants registered for PhD) are not members of Imperial College Student Union

as they are represented by trade unions. However, research staff may join clubs after buying

Associate membership and use the union's bars and catering services.

9. Under the 1994 Education Act, students may opt out of membership of ICU. Students who do so

still have access to all of the facilities ICU offers and may continue to participate in clubs. However,

students who opt out may not vote in elections.

10. For further information please seewww.imperialcollegeunion.org
http://www.imperialcollegeunion.org/http://www.imperialcollegeunion.org/http://www.imperialcollegeunion.org/http://www.imperialcollegeunion.org/


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Health Centre & Dental Surgery

The College Health Centre is located on 40 Prince's Gardens, SW7 1LY. It is a NHS practice and

students and staff may register as patients if they live within its registration area. A triage clinic is

run from 8.30am 10.00am Monday-Friday and 3.00pm 4.00pm Monday, Wednesday Friday.

These clinics are intended for brief consultations for patients who need to be seen on the same day.This clinic operates a queuing system and this may involve a wait. For an appointment to see a

specific doctor, you should ring the Health Centre Receptionist on 49375/6. A Nurses Clinic is also

available without an appointment Monday-Friday 9.00am -11.00am and 3.00pm4.00pm Monday,

Wednesday Friday. Services offered in this clinic are for pregnancy testing, dressings, sports

injuries, minor illnesses and accidents. You can also book routine appointments with them.

Imperial College Health Centre is closed at weekends and on public holidays. On weekdays during

the Christmas and Easter closures, the Health Centre runs an emergency clinic only, from 8:30am to

10.00am. However, reception is open until 1.00pm. The Health Centre provides a 24-hour

emergency service for its NHS registered patients only, however, in the event of an emergency when

the Health Centre is closed, telephone the Health Centre on +44 (0)20 7584 6301 or internalextension 49375/6. A recorded message will give you the out of hours answering service telephone

number. Please ring this number and ask for the Imperial College doctor. A doctor will return your

call at the earliest opportunity.

The nearest accident and emergency departments are at Chelsea and Westminster Hospital, 369

Fulham Road, London SW10 9NH, and St Mary's Hospital, Praed Street, London W2 1NY.

Nights, weekends, public holidays, College closures (NHS registered patients only)

For more information about the NHS registration area, international students & the NHS and how to

register with a doctor please visit the health centre website at:

http://www.imperialcollegehealthcentre.co.uk/

You can also find more information about repeat prescriptions, home visits, nurses services and

vaccinations at the above website.

The services of an acupuncturist, osteopath, chiropractor and Alexander Technique teacher and

College Counsellors are also available for all students. The student counsellors, David Allman,

Catherine Perry, Rosie Summerhayes and Cathy Ingram can be found on Level 4 of the Sherfield

Building. ([email protected]).

The dental clinic welcomes all new patients. New patients and current patients are required to signup annually to be entitled to NHS dental treatment.

The dental team provides the full range of NHS treatments. If you feel you may require dental

treatment within the next year and are not already registered with a London dentist, register as

soon as it is convenient in order to become eligible for NHS treatment. You can register from

Monday to Friday 09.0017.00. The surgery can also provide private treatment. The Dental Surgery

can be contacted on 49396.
http://www.imperialcollegehealthcentre.co.uk/http://www.imperialcollegehealthcentre.co.uk/mailto:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]://www.imperialcollegehealthcentre.co.uk/


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Where to find snacks or meals

There are various places where meals or snacks can be obtained scattered around the South

Kensington campus. In the Sherfield Building the Senior Common Room (SCR) is open to all staff and

postgraduates on non-taught courses and their guests. The SCR is not open to MSc students. TheSCR provides hot meals, snacks and salads and has a separate caf/bar area which is open all day.

The Junior Common Room (JCR), which is open from 8.30am for breakfast, within which is the 'QT'

shop which sells sandwiches, pies and other snacks to take away. The entrances to both Common

Rooms are on the Walkway[1]

. On the ground floor is the Main Dining Hall (known as the Queens

Tower Rooms), which sells hot and cold meals and is open to all.

Next to the Sherfield Building facing onto the Queens Lawn, the newly renovated Library Caf offers

hot meals as well as drinks and snacks. It is usually open as follows:

Mon-Thursday 08:30 - 23:00

Friday 08.30 - 21:00Saturday & Sunday 10:00 - 17:00

Other food outlets around the campus include 170 Queens Gate (dinner only), the Students' Union

in Beit Quad and Eastside. At 170 Queen's Gate (the Rector's residence), there is a waitress service

restaurant which is available to all who wish to eat in a more relaxed environment than the other

dining facilities offered within the College, however, tables must be booked in advance.

Shops and Banking Facilities

Imperial College Students' Union runs the Union Shop and the Newsagents, which can be found on

the Walkway. The Union Shop sells stationery, greetings cards, postage stamps, telephone cards,

calculators, and many other items including clothes. The Newsagents sell papers, magazines, snacks,

drinks and other small items. Also located on the Walkway is an opticians and Blackwells bookshop.

Away from the campus, within 5 minutes walk, you will find a variety of shops in Gloucester Road

and, slightly further afield, there are shops in South Kensington, Knightsbridge and Kensington High

Street.

There is a branch of the Santander Bank on level 2 (the walkway) of the Sherfield Building with ATM

machines located in the Ground Floor lobby of Sherfield Building. Other banks are situated on

Gloucester Road, and in South Kensington and Knightsbridge.

Post Office

There is no Post Office on campus, normal post can be sent via the Departments General Office.

The nearest Post Office is located at the corner of Gloucester Road and Exhibition Road, close to

Gloucester Road Underground station.

[1]The Walkway runs from the Mechanical Engineering building on Exhibition Road through to the rear

entrance of the Huxley building, which houses the Maths, Physics and Computing Departments.


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Access to Learning Fund (ALF)

The Government provides Higher Education institutions with ALF to provide discretionary financial

help for both full and part-time undergraduate and postgraduate students.

The College uses ALF to assist students who need additional support, whether because they havehigher than expected costs, or unexpected difficulties. Priority is typically given to mature students,

students from low-income families, students with dependents (especially lone parents), disabled

students, care leavers, final-year students, and part-time students.

Before submitting an application, undergraduate students must have applied for their maximum

student loan entitlement and have received the first instalment. Postgraduate students must be able

to demonstrate that they made a realistic financial provision to fund their course. For further

enquiries please [email protected]

The College Hardship Fund

The College has a Fund to help European and overseas students who are experiencing financial

difficulties.

The Hardship Fund is primarily intended to assist those students who have experienced a change in

their financial circumstances after registering with the College. Grants cannot be made to assist with

tuition fee payment.

If you apply to the Fund then your Senior Tutor, Postgraduate Tutor or supervisor will be asked toconfirm that your attendance and academic progress are satisfactory. Applications are considered by

a panel that meets once per term.

Ethos (Sports Centre)

Ethos, Imperial College's sports centre opened in January 2006 and boasts the following state of the

art facilities:

Climbing wall

Exercise studio

25m deck-level swimming pool

Sauna/steam room and spa

5 badminton court sports hall

76 station Fitness Gym

Three squash courts

Sports Injury treatment rooms

Massage Capsule

Spacious reception area with Fair Trade coffee

Check out the website for more detailshttp://www.imperial.ac.uk/sports
mailto:[email protected]:[email protected]://www.imperial.ac.uk/sportshttp://www.imperial.ac.uk/sportshttp://www.imperial.ac.uk/sportshttp://www.imperial.ac.uk/sportsmailto:[email protected]


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English Language Support Unit

http://www3.imperial.ac.uk/humanities/englishlanguagesupport

The English Language Support Unit (ELSP) offers classes, the majority of which are free of charge, to

students and members of Imperial College London who are not native speakers of English.

Please note our classes are NOT open to non-members of Imperial College.Non-members can search

for English language courses in London at the Association of Recognised Language Schools website:

www.arels.org.uk.

For further information about our Undergraduate and Erasmus programme, please clickhere.

To attend an English class the first step is to come to one of the English test and registration sessions

at the beginning of each term.

Details of the test sessions can be found on their webpage and on the ELSP noticeboard in theHumanities department (Level 3, Sherfield Building).

Humanities Evening Classes

The Centre for Co-Curricular Studies at Imperial College London offers a range of evening classes in a

variety of languages at various levels, as well as classes in Creative Writing and Music Technology.

Also on offer are Introductions to Film, Opera, Theatre and Art.

Courses availablecomprise 20 weekly sessionsduring the Autumn (9 weeks) plus Spring (11 weeks)

Terms. All courses are 2-term coursesthat begin in the WEEK COMMENCING 15 OCTOBER 2012,

break for Christmas by 13 December 2012, resume for the Spring term in the week commencing 7

January 2013 and finish by 21 March 2013. We do NOT have any new classes starting in January

2013.

All 2-term coursesbegin at 6.30pm (MONDAY COURSES ONLY) or 6pm (ALL OTHER DAYS) on the day

of the week as indicated on ourtimetable.All classes are taught for two hours per week (2 hours x

20 weeks = 40 hours of tuition).

Our courses, OPEN TO ALL, are attended by Imperial College members and alumni, local Museumstaff, students of nearby colleges or other London universities, as well as members of the wider

general public.

For more information visit:http://www3.imperial.ac.uk/humanities/eveningclasses
http://www3.imperial.ac.uk/humanities/englishlanguagesupporthttp://www3.imperial.ac.uk/humanities/englishlanguagesupporthttp://www.arels.org.uk/http://www.arels.org.uk/http://www3.imperial.ac.uk/humanities/englishlanguagesupport/classesduringtermtime/generalenglishclasseshttp://www3.imperial.ac.uk/humanities/englishlanguagesupport/classesduringtermtime/generalenglishclasseshttp://www3.imperial.ac.uk/humanities/englishlanguagesupport/classesduringtermtime/generalenglishclasseshttp://www3.imperial.ac.uk/portal/page/portallive/0FDF9D27F2DB43D0E0440003BACD13A5http://www3.imperial.ac.uk/portal/page/portallive/0FDF9D27F2DB43D0E0440003BACD13A5http://www3.imperial.ac.uk/humanities/eveningclasses/timetable/timetableskhttp://www3.imperial.ac.uk/humanities/eveningclasseshttp://www3.imperial.ac.uk/humanities/eveningclasseshttp://www3.imperial.ac.uk/humanities/eveningclasseshttp://www3.imperial.ac.uk/humanities/eveningclasses/timetable/timetableskhttp://www3.imperial.ac.uk/portal/page/portallive/0FDF9D27F2DB43D0E0440003BACD13A5http://www3.imperial.ac.uk/humanities/englishlanguagesupport/classesduringtermtime/generalenglishclasseshttp://www.arels.org.uk/http://www3.imperial.ac.uk/humanities/englishlanguagesupport


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Chaplains and Faith Advisors

The Chaplaincy has links with representatives of many of the major world religions. These

representatives are either Chaplains working with students across London or act as Faith Advisors to

the Chaplaincy. All can provide advice on matters relating to their own religious tradition and are

willing to see individuals either directly or when referred by the Chaplaincy.

http://www3.imperial.ac.uk/chaplaincy/resources/chaplains

Student Counseling Service

The Student Counselling Service offers short-term counselling to all registered students of Imperial

College London. It is free and confidential. Counsellors are available at the South Kensington,

Hammersmith and Silwood Park Campuses.

For more information:http://www3.imperial.ac.uk/counselling

Wardens

Wardens are responsible for the wellbeing of all residents of Imperial halls

They are on call every evening and all weekend to sensitively handle any emergencies

Wardens act as your first port of call for help and support for any matters relating to life in halls

Wardens are in charge of making sure the hall environment is conducive to study

Wardens promote social life by providing entertainment and social activities to help you to settle

in, get to know one another and have fun in halls

The Wardening Team

Wardens- There is a warden in charge of running each hall. Wardens all work at Imperial during the

day, so they will quickly become familiar faces.

Assistant WardensSometimes an assistant warden supports the warden, helping with the day-to-

day management and administration of the hall, ensuring that there is always someone available to

help.

Subwardens- These are usually PhD students. They also assist the Warden in the running of the

Halls, and play a big part in planning social activities as well as providing pastoral care.

Hall Seniors- These are Imperial undergraduate students who loved halls so much they decided to

come back for another year. They organise events, answer questions and ensure that settling in and

having fun in your first year is as easy as possible.

Hall CommitteeMade up of current students living within the Hall of Residence, Hall Committees

help plan social events and work with the wardening team to resolve any issues arising.
http://www3.imperial.ac.uk/chaplaincy/resources/chaplainshttp://www3.imperial.ac.uk/chaplaincy/resources/chaplainshttp://www3.imperial.ac.uk/counsellinghttp://www3.imperial.ac.uk/counsellinghttp://www3.imperial.ac.uk/counsellinghttp://www3.imperial.ac.uk/counsellinghttp://www3.imperial.ac.uk/chaplaincy/resources/chaplains


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London Nightline

London Nightline is a confidential listening, support and practical information service for students in

London. We are open from 6pm to 8am every night of term.

You can talk to us about anything - big or small - in complete confidence. We won't judge you or tellyou how to run your life: we'll simply listen to whatever is on your mind.

All our volunteers are students themselves, who have undergone extensive training and who

understand that university life in London isn't always plain sailing.

Email:[email protected]

Tel: 0207 631 0101
mailto:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]


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**These notes are important; please keep them for reference**

1. GENERAL

These notes are to guide you in your work during the year. They are not intended to be acomprehensive account of course requirements, but to cover topics which are frequently thesubject of students questions. The Registry will contact you separately concerning other mattersrelated to your attendance at the College. You are advised to keep all the papers you are sent(including these) in a special file as you will need to refer to them throughout the course.

2. STAFF AND THEIR RESPONSIBILITIES

The M.Sc. Course in Engineering Geologyis one of a number of M.Sc. courses in Geotechnics

provided by the College; the others are Soil Mechanics, Soil Mechanics and EnvironmentalGeotechnics, Soil Mechanics and Engineering Seismology, and Soil Mechanics and BusinessManagement. The Course is taught by a number of staff and those most concerned withEngineering Geology are listed below, together with a brief description of their general dutieswithin the Department:

ENGINEERING GEOLOGYDr. Clark H. Fenton (Senior Lecturer):Responsible for the research and teaching in EngineeringGeology. Teaches on the M.Sc. course in Engineering Geology and also the Engineering Geologyand Engineering Seismology modules on the other Geotechnics M.Sc. courses. SupervisesEngineering Geology Ph.D. students and is Course Director for the M.Sc. in Engineering Geology.

Dr. Richard Ghail (Lecturer): Teaches on the MSc course in Engineering Geology.

Other Visitors: Professional engineering geologists and engineers from industry participate in anumber of the shorter courses including Engineering Geophysics and Master Classes in ProfessionalPractice.

SOIL MECHANICSProf. George Dounias (Visiting Professor): Teaches a short course in dam construction and also leadsthe majority of the field trip to Greece.

Prof. Richard J. Jardine (Professor of Geomechanics): Lectures in Laboratory and Field Techniques,Geotechnical Processes, and Foundation Engineering.

Dr. Stavroula Kontoe (Lecturer): Responsible for the Geohazards module. Teaches the course onslopes. Dr. Kontoe is also the Course Director for the Soil Mechanics MSc.

Dr. Catherine O Sullivan (Reader): Teaches part of the course on Foundation Engineering. She alsoprovides lectures and tutorials in mathematics as part of the Basic Competences module.

Dr. Jamie R. Standing (Senior Lecturer): Provides the course in Basic Soil Mechanics andGeotechnical Processes. He also provides lectures and tutorials in mechanics as part of the Basic

Competences module.


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Dr David Taborda (Lecturer): Lectures in Soil Mechanics and Mathematics

Dr. Way Way Sim (Lecturer): Lectures in foundation engineering. She also runs the Lab sessions(with assistance from PhD students).

Dr. Lidija Zdravkovic (Reader):Contributes to the course in Soil Mechanics and GeotechnicalProcesses.

Prof. David Potts (Professor of Geotechnical Engineering and Head of Geotechnics Section):Does notcurrently teach on the Engineering Geology course, however, you are likely to encounter him duringseminars, colloquia and other Section activities.

ENVIRONMENTAL GEOTECHNICSDr. Adrian Butler (Reader): Responsible for the course of Hydrogeology for Contaminated Land.

Dr. Chris Cheeseman(Senior Lecturer): Responsible for the course of Waste Management & Landfill

Engineering.

Dr Russell Jones (Visiting Lecturer):Teaches on the course Waste Management & LandfillEngineering.

GEOHAZARDSDr Peter Stafford (Senior Lecturer): Lectures in Geohazards and Hazard Assessment.

SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENTDr James Keirstead (Lecturer):Lectures in Sustainable Development

PRACTICAL WORKMr. Steve Ackerley. Research Officer responsible for practical work in Engineering Geologyconducted in the Laboratories and assisting experimental research: provides technical support forresearch students.

Mr Graham Keefe. Laboratory Supervisor.

Mr Alan Bolsher. Laboratory & Workshop Technician.

Mr Duncan Parker. Laboratory & Workshop Technician

ADMINISTRATIONMs Sue Feller,Secretary responsible for the MSc in Engineering Geology, is arguably the mostimportant person in the Geotechnics Section. Be nice to her as she will provide invaluableassistance throughout the coming year. Sue also deals with general and administrative mattersconcerning students on the MSc courses in Soil Mechanics and Environmental Geotechnics.

Ms Fionnuala Ni Dhonnabhain, Manager of the Departments General Office, can answer almost allquestions concerning College Regulations and Procedures (and a lot more besides). If Fionnualadoesnt know the answer, then the answer is probably not worth knowing! If Fionnuala isunavailable Tina Mikellides or Stephen Hullock, also in the General Office, can assist with generalenquiries.


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3. CONTACT WITH STAFF

Students are encouraged to take full advantage of all formal and informal contacts with the variousmembers of staff. The main opportunities are:

Direct discussion and questioning after (if the question can wait, not during) lectures, andduring and after practical, field and coursework classes, seminars and tutorials.

Individual discussions on particular questions with members of staff responsible for theappropriate course: times for these are best arranged in advance with individual membersof staff.

Individual discussions with members of staff on broader issues of course planning and thelike.

Detailed discussions of dissertations (referred to later) with individual staff membersappointed as supervisors.

There are no set times to see staff, but students should avoid periods when staff are preparing for

their other teaching, research, and administrative duties. It is important to realise that the group ofstaff with whom you are working are involved in teaching other courses and have responsibilitiesother than those associated with the MSc course that you attend. If possible email the relevantmember(s) of staff to arrange a suitable time to meet.

As a rule of thumb a two-minute-question will be answered on the spot. Most members of staff(but not all!) have a open door policy. If you have a quick question then knock before entering,quickly and politely state your question and hey presto, you should get an answer (but not alwaysthe answer you may want!). In general if an office door is closed it means the member of staff is eitherbusyor not there. In this instance, or if you have a question that cannot be stated/answered underthe two-minute rule, then email the member of staff requesting a meeting; remember to mention

what the nature of your enquiry is!

The Senior Postgraduate Tutor provides an additional contact, outside the Engineering Geologycourse, for MSc students seeking personal advice. In general the Senior Postgraduate Tutor shouldnot be approached directly until the particular problem has first been discussed with theappropriate staff member and/or Dr. Fenton.

All students are urged to make full use of their opportunities for contacts with staff and this pointcannot be stressed too strongly. To help students and staff get to know each other better, a fieldtrip will be organised for the weekend period 13thto 14thOctober;please NOTE these dates andkeep them free.

4. RESEARCH IN ENGINEERING GEOLOGY

You may find the research personnel in Engineering Geology can help you with your studies andtheir names and research subjects are listed below:

ine N Bhreasail: Micromechanics of Permafrost Thaw

Jeong Min Han: Seismic Hazard Assessment in Intraplate Settings: PSHA for the KoreanPeninsula

Carlos Urena: Strengthening of Marl Soils Using Industrial Waste Products (currently at


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University of Granada, Spain)

In addition to these research students you will also see a larger group of research students in SoilMechanics. All the research students form one research school in Geotechnics.

5. GENERAL PROGRAMME

Most morning lecture sessions start at 09.00 and run until 12:00. The use of these time slots is atthe discretion of the individual lecturer and can be formal lectures, a mix of lectures and tutorials, orpractical lab sessions. Please refer to the individual module descriptions and time table updates.Classes in the afternoon usually commence at 14.00, but some laboratory classes may start at adifferent time. Formal tuition normally ends at 17.00 (although occasionally some classes will runon until 18.00). You will find that the course of lectures, related coursework and laboratory classesis intensive. The formal teaching hours are rather longer in the Autumn term than in the Spring andSummer terms, and much effort will be expended in keeping up-to-date. Students can become

worried when they fall behind with their work and such problems, when they arise, should bediscussed with the staff to avoid anxiety. Problems of one sort or another often arise and you willfind the members of staff experienced in dealing with them.

You are provided with a timetable for each term at the start of the year. Please note that certainitems are subject to change, sometimes at short notice. Such changes will be generallycommunicated by email and through the class reps. It is important that you check your Collegeemail accounts regularly for any announcements and updates.

6. FIELDWORK

There are four compulsory elements of fieldwork in the course:

o Two weekend field trips in the Autumn term, the first on 13th to 14th October tosoutheast England to consider Processes and Products and the other on 26th to

27th October to southwest England to consider Design and Analysis.o A study tour following the degree exams, lasting about one week and visiting a

country in continental Europe (this year Greece).o A 2-3 day field project in England involving evaluation of ground conditions for

either an underground excavation or an offshore development

There may also be a number of elective field visits:

o About 2-3 half day visits to professional establishments and local sites underconstruction as and when appropriate.

o Independent fieldwork in connection with the preparation of a dissertation.

The total cost of all the fieldwork is likely to be in the order of 1,000.

Where possible, arrangements for fieldwork are made well in advance and adequate notice is given,but it is difficult to timetable the 1-day site visits where construction or investigation is in progressand, in certain cases, limited notice may need to be given.


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6.1 Field Safety

By its very nature fieldwork involves a number of potential hazards. Department led field trips willhave identified these hazards as part of a Fieldwork Risk Assessment (RA). You are required to readany RA documentation prior to commencing fieldwork. If you are not happy with aspects of the RA

or identify any additional hazards, then you should bring these to the attention of the field triporganiser.

Prior to all field trips you will have to attend a safety briefing and sign a register to indicate yourunderstanding and acceptance of the risks involved. Having done so, you will be fully covered byCollege insurance for the duration of the trip.

During allfieldwork you will wear mandatory safety equipment at all times, unless otherwiseinstructed by the field trip leader. The minimum required field safety equipment will be steel toe-capped boots (lace-up, not rigger style boots) and a hard hat. You will be provided with a hard hat,however you are expected to provide your own safety footwear. Please note, that you will also be

required to wear your safety boots during laboratory classes. Additional safety equipment, such ashigh vis. Vests, safety glasses, gloves, etc., will be distributed as necessary. If you turn up for a fieldtrip without the appropriate safety equipment you will be sent home and automatically fail thatelement of the course. There will be no exceptions.

If you have to carry out fieldwork as part of your dissertation work, then you will be required to fill ina College Fieldwork Risk Assessment form. Prior to developing your RA, you should discuss thedetails of your proposed field programme with Dr. Fenton, the Department Fieldwork SafetyCoordinator.

6.2 Personal Field Equipment

Geologists are expected to have their own personal field equipment; this includes, but is not limitedto, a geological hammer, hand lenses and pen knife. If you do not already have these items, thennow is the time to acquire them; you will need them for the remainder of your professional life! Youwill be provided with a field notebook at the start of the course; this yellow notebook will be theonly means by which field notes will be accepted for marking (See document on Field Notes).Please note, you will also be provided with a standard hard backed laboratory notebook at the sametime. Again, this will be the only means by which laboratory

Any other specialised field equipment will be provided by the Department whenever necessary.

7. REGISTRATION

All students must register with the College in October. Adequate instructions will be sent to youfrom the Registry concerning your registration at the start of the first term; if you have anyuncertainties about the procedure you should contact Dr. Fenton or Ms Fionnuala Ni Dhonnabhainin the Department General Office (located on the ground floor of the Skempton Building).


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8. BASIS OF EXAMINATION

The award of the M.Sc. is based upon satisfactory completion of eachof the following:

8.1 Attending the course in full, including allfield trips.8.2 A written examination, totalling 18 hours and involving five papers (Qualitative {1 paper},

Quantitative {3 papers}, Practical {1 paper}), taken during a three week period at the end ofApril until mid-May.

8.3 Coursework, based upon the presentation (both written and oral) of results and submissionof laboratory reports, worked practical examples and reports and notebooks from field tripsattended.

8.4 A dissertation on some aspect of Engineering Geology. This normally involves field and/orlaboratory work, followed by analysis and the writing of a dissertation. The complete

dissertation (two copies) must be submitted by the last Friday in August.

Further details are given in a separate document entitled "Basis on which your MSc will beawarded."

9. COURSEWORK

Coursework consists of Exercises and Laboratory Work, and will be set by a number of teachingstaff; you are expected to complete it. The Board of Examiners attach great importance to thisaspect of the course and will withhold the award of a degree from any candidate whose

coursework is incomplete. All coursework must be submitted by the deadline set by individualtutorsor by the final in the absence of such a deadline. Most tutors will specify an earlier date forthe submission of work, so that the exercise may form an integral part of the teaching in theirsubject and such dates should be observed. Coursework that is submitted late will receive a markof zero! For example, much of the laboratory work will have to be presented within a few days ofthe laboratory class. If you foresee a legitimate delay in returning coursework, you should approachthe tutor concerned and discuss the problem with them prior to the coursework deadline.

Most coursework, in particular that specifically for Engineering Geology, will be marked andreturned to you in a timely manner (normallywithin a couple of weeks of submission). You will begiven detailed comments that you are expected to use to improve subsequent coursework

submissions. It is important that you retain ALLitems of coursework and resubmit these at the endof the course; the external examiners commonly wish to review all students work, in particular inthe cases of borderline students.

Coursework will consist of both individual and group projects. In both you are expected tocollaborate with your colleagues in tackling the problems and formulating your answers. Inindividual coursework exercises you will be marked on your own written submission or oralpresentation (or both). For group presentations and reports everyone in the group will be assigneda collective mark. A discretionary increment may be applied, either positively or negatively forexceptionally good or bad performance, respectively, by an individual within a group.

The basis upon which your work will be marked is explained in the Guide to Marking that follows:


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Guide to MARKING QUALITATIVE QUESTIONS for the MSc in ENGINEERING

GEOLOGY at Imperial College

DistinctionPass

80-100

%

Could not do better in the time available. Would be excellent in practice. Considers all important facts, identifies problems and interprets results

correctly. Presents the data well. Can be left to themselves.

70-79 %

Identifies the basic facts and problems. Some shortcomings in the rounding off of problems and interpretation

of outcomes. Presents the data well. Needs little guidance but does need some.

MeritPass

60-69 %

Identifies key elements and their relevance and spots most of theproblems.

Misses full extent of problems and in the use of these data in theirsolution.

Can present data well. Competent in practice under direction rather than supervision.

Pass

50-59 %

Identifies most of the key elements and appreciates the range ofproblems associated with them.

Some important points are missed. Shortcomings more through omission than commission,

Competent in practice but will need supervision.50%: pass/fail threshold

Fail

40-49 %

Understands the problems in general but not in their particulars. Perceives some of the relevant facts but misses important parts. Has some idea of what to do with them but is vague and imprecise. Would need careful attention in practice and some tuition.

30-39 % Understands basic nature of the problem to be solved and can point

towards the right solution but does not know what to do to solve it.

20-29 %

Cannot really identify the problem with clarity. Can only restate facts, partially digested in a form appropriate to the

problem. Cannot work with the data.

10-19 %

Little idea of what the problems are, but some idea. Does not know what to do, including where to obtain help. Essentially incompetent left to themselves. Basically wrong.

0-9 % Has little of relevance to offer. Dangerously wrong.


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10. LABORATORY WORK

A programme of laboratory work is included in the Course and has been designed to help youappreciate the lectures in Soil and Rock Mechanics. These practical sessions will provide you withan opportunity to study the mechanical methods of laboratory testing, to become familiar with the

basic standard laboratory tests of strength, deformation and permeability, and to appreciate thegeotechnical behaviour of rocks and soils. Each person will be expected to present their results infront of the whole class soon after the practical is complete. This means that, in many cases, youwill have to plot the results while tests are being performed (a good habit to learn) and to write thetest report within 24 hours of completing the work. Short, succinct reports are required: there is atendency for late reports to be over-long. Your laboratory work will be assessed using the samebasis as your coursework.

See note 6.1 concerning safety equipment; you are required to wear steel toe-capped boots in theSoil Mechanics teaching laboratory sessions. Also refer to note 6.2; you are required to record alllaboratory data in the hard backed notebook provided.

11. DISSERTATION

The MSc Dissertation is intended to provide an opportunity, within the limited time of the MSccourse, for personal development of a specific topic. In general, an appropriate project shouldprovide the opportunity for reviewing relevant literature, gaining experience in relevant field studiesand laboratory testing, and analysing geological and geotechnical information. In practice all of thiscannot always be achieved but remains an ideal. These notes are intended to assist you in theforward planning of your work.

11.1 The choice of topic is essentially your own, but you will be guided and advised by Dr.Fenton. If you have no ideas, a variety of topics will be suggested to you. We have anumber of companies who are interested in engaging M.Sc. students for project work (e.g.,Mott MacDonald, Atkins, RPS, etc.,) and a limited number of laboratory based researchprojects where you could work with a Ph.D. researcher if you wish.

11.2 You should have discussed possible topics with the staff by early December2012,and thiswill enable your choice to be confirmed before the start of the Christmas vacation.

11.3 During the Christmas vacation, you should start your literature review and by the start ofthe Spring term prepare a programme of work for completion of the project. Try to arrangeobtain aerial photographs, maps, etc., as soon as possible; they take time to obtain and

orders should be placed beforeChristmas.11.4 Arrange your Easter vacation so that further work on the dissertation may be completed.

The main programme of work will be conducted in June and July following the examinationperiod, but before then ensure that you know how to gain access to, and operate, thevarious analytical tools you wish to use such as computers and laboratory equipment. Thisshould be done before the end of April,to prevent delays over the period when we examinethe undergraduates and later when we are not in College. Write as much text as practicableand start drafting the diagrams.

11.5 Following the exams, review carefully your programme of work so that a sensible timetableexists for fieldwork and for finishing any testing and analysis that has to be completed. Aspecial Project Week has been designed for Term 3 to help you cope with the sorts of

problems which commonly occur during Project work. The standard of work required willbe explained during this week.


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11.6 Your research results will be presented in three forms, each of which will be marked and gotowards the final assessed mark for your dissertation. These are: i) a written report (thesis);ii) a research poster presentation; and iii) a brief oral presentation. The poster and oralpresentations will be given approximately one week prior to the deadline for the submissionof your dissertation (see below).

11.7 Submit onespiral-bound copy plus a digital (Adobe Acrobat format on CD) copy of yourdissertation to Dr. Fenton bythe last Friday in August. Details concerning format, style,etc., will be distributed at a later date.

12. OUTSIDE MEETINGS

You will find that there are a considerable number of technical meetings held in London which arerelated to both Engineering Geology and Soil Mechanics more broadly based subjects in geologyand civil engineering. The main meetings are included in your timetable. In particular, yourattention is drawn to meetings at the:

Geological Society of London Society, Burlington House, Piccadilly, London W1. (Meetingsof the Engineering Group and Hydrogeology Group). See:http://www.geolsoc.org.uk/gsl/eventsfor events listings.

Institution of Civil Engineers, 1 Great George Street, London SW1. (Meetings of BritishGeotechnical Society, British Tunnelling Society, and Society for Earthquake and CivilEngineering Dynamics). See:http://www.ice.org.uk/news_events/newsevents_events.aspfor events listings.

You are strongly recommended to attend the meetings of these Groups. If you are not a Member of

either the Society or the Institution, then attend as a guest of someone who is.

You will be reminded of the more important meetings by email. Relevant meetings notices will alsobe posted on the Engineering Geology Notice Board.

13. CAREERS

Notices of job opportunities are posted on the notice board for Engineering Geology. The Collegehas its own professional Careers Advisory Service and organises a number of Careers Fairs andcompany interviewing schemes, as well as being able to provide a more general careers advice

service. The Geotechnics Section is the beneficiary from a number of industrial sponsors. Membersof our Industrial Bursary group hold several events during the year where they meet students,usually over drinks and nibbles. These events are an opportunity for you to meet potentialemployers; do not miss them.

14. CONCLUSION

This course involves an intensive programme of advanced training and the staff are concerned toensure that you obtain the maximum benefit from your time at Imperial College. Three factors willinfluence your response to the course:
http://www.geolsoc.org.uk/gsl/eventshttp://www.geolsoc.org.uk/gsl/eventshttp://www.ice.org.uk/news_events/newsevents_events.asphttp://www.ice.org.uk/news_events/newsevents_events.asphttp://www.ice.org.uk/news_events/newsevents_events.asphttp://www.geolsoc.org.uk/gsl/events


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M.Sc. ENGINEERING GEOLOGY

**These notes are important - please keep them for reference**

BASIS UPON WHICH YOUR M.Sc. WILL BE AWARDED 2012-2013

It is most important for you to appreciate the basis on which your M.Sc. will be awarded; thesenotes explain this and the Regulations which govern the degree. You must attend the course:Thissounds obvious, but absences do occur for personal and other reasons. You are obliged to inform usif difficulties arise which necessitate your absence for more than three days. Failure to attend thecourse can result in a request from the Board of Examiners for you to re-take part of the course, thisbeing justified on the grounds that the examinations cannot adequately cover all aspects of the

course of training provided. There is no substitute for attendance.

1. You must complete the coursework:Each item of coursework must be completedbefore the deadline specified and be to a satisfactory standard. Students have been

denied their M.Sc. because they have not fulfilled this requirement, even though

they have passed their examinations. The Board of Examiners believes there is no

excuse for failure of coursework since unsatisfactory work can always be corrected

and re-submitted in discussion with the tutor concerned, and prior to the deadline

specified by the Regulations (27th

August 2010). There is a tendency to neglect

coursework and to help prevent this, some aspects of the coursework will be

assessed by presentations given shortly after the work is due to be completed. The

following is a list of the coursework which must be completed by every student:

Basic Competences for Engineering Geology (Various exercises)Engineering Geology Coursework (A number of major exercises/reports)Professional Practice in Engineering Geology (PowerPoint files used in presentations)Laboratory practical work (At least two reports and presentations)Hydrogeology coursework (Tutorial exercises)Soil Mechanics tutorial sheetsRock Mechanics tutorial sheetsCase Histories in Engineering Geology (PowerPoint slides and handouts)Field Trips (Reports, notebooks and presentation materials)

2. You must pass the exams:There are five exams held in late April to mid-May.

EGIwill test your qualitative knowledge of the course as a whole.

EGII will test your quantitative knowledge of geology relevant to engineering: you will haveto identify specimens, interpret geological maps and borehole logs, draw cross-sections,use stereographic projections, write reports from lab results, etc.

EGIIIwill test your quantitative knowledge of soil mechanics, and hydrogeology, relevant toengineering geology: you will have to resolve forces, calculate effective stress, draw and use

flow nets, calculate groundwater flow rates, quantify settlements, use stability charts, etc.EGIVwill test your quantitative knowledge of engineering rock mechanics, landfill


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engineering and your ability to use case histories in engineering geology.

NOTE: You will not take EGIV if you are following the options Engineering Geology &Business Management, or Engineering Geology & SustainableDevelopment. Each of these options has their own examination procedure,

which will be explained by the option leader (Dr Robert Noland for BusinessManagement and Professor David Fisk for Sustainable Development). Youwill take these exams in place of EGIIC. This means you will still have totake, and pass, EGI, EGII, EGIII and EGV.

EGVis a six-hour practical that will involve providing the solution to a real problem usingraw data; you will be expected to interpret geological and geotechnical data, to collate thisinformation and to recommend appropriate action.

The pass mark for Examinations is 50%; Distinction is 70% or better. The College has alsointroduced an additional pass category, Merit Pass, for marks of 60% to 69.9%. To obtain

any of these pass categories, the threshold marks must be obtained in all elements of thecourse. Examinations, if failed, can be re-taken individually. The Regulations permit onlyone re-sit and that is during the exams of the following year. The number of written paperswhich can be failed is two BUT the final decision remains at the discretion of the Board ofExaminers. They will consider the nature of the failures and the extent to which failures inone paper are compensated by passes elsewhere.

3. You must submit a satisfactory dissertation: Here, satisfactory does not refer to

size, but to quality. You will be expected to have demonstrated a competent grasp

of your subject and to submit a presentable dissertation. Attention mustbe given to

presentation - some students have not been awarded their M.Sc. because of careless

presentation, e.g., poor spelling, inadequate use of grammar, poorly drawn figures,captions or tables, etc. Your ability to behave as a professional is being assessed:

unprofessional work will not be accepted as suitable for the M.Sc.

4. The final result will be based on items 1 to 3 inclusive. The Exams, Coursework and

Dissertation are considered separately. Their marks are not added. You must pass

all three components and attend the course to gain your MSc. Candidates whose

performance is marginal may be invited to meet the External Examiner so that their

competence may be assessed, viva voce.

Exceptions:Both the University and the College are sympathetic to genuine difficulties which somestudents encounter during their course, and can often help, in many ways, a student in trouble. But,this can only be done if you report the difficulty when it occurs. It is absolutely essential to keep incontact with us and inform us of any adverse situations.

Marking: In accordance with College regulations, all submitted work which counts towards yourfinal degree award will be marked and then second marked by members of the GeotechnicsSection. This is to ensure consistency and fairness in the marking process.

Exam Board and External Examiners: All coursework, exam scripts and dissertation marks are

then reviewed by the exam board. The exam board comprises all of the academic members of staffin the Geotechnics Section, any other college academic staff members involved in teaching, and


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four external examiners. The external examiners are currently:

Professor Neil Dixon (University of Loughborough): Environmental Geotechnics Dr Scott Kieffer (Technical University of Graz): Engineering Geology Professor David Toll (University of Durham): Soil Mechanics

Dr Iain Tromans (Halcrow/CH2MHILL): Engineering Seismology


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SECTION 2 - GENERAL INFORMATION ON THE DEPARTMENT

How to Find Your Way around the Department

The Department is self-contained within the Skempton Building. Most of the teaching areas are tobe found on Levels 0, 1, 2, 3 and 6 with the exception of the teaching laboratories, which are located

on levels 0, 1 and 5.

Room bookings may be requested by e-mail [email protected] or in person at the General

Office.

Room Level Purpose

Teaching Room 060A 0 Lecturestutorialsexaminationspresentations

Teaching Room 060B 0 Lecturestutorialsexaminationspresentations

Teaching Room 060C 0 LecturestutorialsexaminationspresentationsLearning Centre 062 0 Lecturestutorialsexaminationspresentations

Teaching Room 064A 0 Lecturestutorialsexaminationspresentations

Teaching Room 064B 0 Lecturestutorialsexaminationspresentations

Laboratory Room 043 0 Hydrodynamics Laboratory

Teaching Room 163 1 Lecturestutorialsexaminationspresentations

Lecture Theatre 164 1 Lecturespresentationsseminars

Teaching Room 165 1 Lecturestutorialsexaminationspresentations

Laboratory Room 158 1 Structures Laboratory



Computing Lab 208 2 Computinglecturestutorials

Teaching Room 224 2 Lecturestutorialspresentationsseminars

Mezzanine Lab 240 2 WorkshopsLab Practicals Design Classes

Teaching Room 301 3 Lecturestutorialsexaminations - presentationsseminars

Teaching Room 307 3 Lecturestutorialsexaminations - presentationsseminars


Teaching Room 315 3 Lecturestutorialspresentations


Library 402 4 Study area

Reprographics Room 412 4 Printing & Binding facilities

Common Room 414 4 Staff & PhD Students only

Meeting Room 444 4 MeetingsPhD Examinationspresentationsseminars

Teaching Room 427 4 Lecturestutorialspresentationsseminars

Laboratory Room 509 5 Environmental Laboratory (Roger Perry)

Laboratory Room 528 5 Geotechnics Laboratory

Teaching Room 601 6 Lecturestutorialsmeetings - examinationspresentations
mailto:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]


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Please note that Room 060A-C, Learning Centre 062, 064A-B, 163, 164,165, 201, 207, 208 and 203

(which is located in the Mechanical Engineering Building) are shared faculty spaces known as

SKEM. In addition, there is a shared student area on level 2 known as BOSS.

Break out Student Space (BOSS)

The student break out space on Level 2 of the Skempton Building provides an informal study space

for engineering students, comprising PC/laptop benching, comfortable seating and meeting spaces.

The area is provided with drinking water, vending machines, copiers and a recycling station.

Safety

As a student at Imperial College you have the responsibility to ensure that you take reasonable care

of your own and others health and safety. This means that you must adopt safe working practices

and make proper use of any facilities provided. You must also comply with College Health and Safety

Policies, and co-operate with College Staff holding safety responsibilities.

In Civil & Environmental Engineering we try to ensure that all our staff and students work safely

which is not only better for ones health but also is cost -effective - having accidents costs money in

lost manpower and lost resources. Do not cut corners, always use the correct equipment for the job,

ensure you know what the hazards are and, if in doubt, seek advice.

If you have any queries regarding safety matters contact

Dr. Geoff Fowler - Departmental Safety Officer

Room: 415

Tel. no: 45973

Email: [email protected]

A copy of the Department Health & Safety Booklet can be found at the back of this handbook and on

the Blackboard UG Year Resources site.
mailto:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]


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Departmental Officers and Contact Details

Central Administration

Room Tel. No [email protected]

Head of Department

Professor Nick Buenfeld 442 45955 n.buenfeld

Departmental Operations Manager

Colin Kerr440A 46044 c.j.kerr

Technical Services Manager

Clive Hargreaves408 45993 c.hargreaves

General Office Manager

Fionnuala Donovan118 45929 f.donovan

Academic Administrator

Louise Green440B 46045 l.green

Tutor for Female Students

Dr Stavroula Kontoe535 45996 stavroula.kontoe

Disabilities Officer

Dr Lidija Zdrakovic532 46076 l.zdravkovic

Departmental Safety Officer

Dr Geoff Fowler415 45973 g.fowler

General Office

Stephen Hullock

Angela Frederick

118A45932

45931 cvgenoff

Liaison Librarian

Angela Goldfinch

LibrarianNicole Lau

Paul Harrop

Central

Library

403

403

48882

46007

46007

a.goldfinch

n.lau

p.harrop

MSc Cluster Directors


Structural Engineering

Dr Robert Vollum323 45992 r.vollum

Environmental Engineering

Professor Chris Cheeseman305 45971 c.cheeseman

Hydrology and Water Resources Management

Dr Neil McIntyre

303 46019 n.mcintyre

Engineering Geology for Ground Models

Dr Clark Fenton524 46080 c.fenton

Soil Mechanics

Dr Stavroula Kontoe535 45996 stavroula.kontoe

Transport

Dr Dan Graham605 46088 d.j.graham

Business Management

Ms Alison Ahearn321 45981 a.ahearn

Sustainable Development

Dr James Keirstead407 46010 j.keirstead


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Postgraduate and General Office

Your first point of contact in the Department for enquiries relating to your MSc will be yourCluster Administrator. The Postgraduate Office is primarily responsible for the processing ofapplications, central administration and supporting digital media.

Postgraduate Administration


Postgraduate Administrator

Fionnuala Donovan118 45929 f.donovan

Director of MSc Programme

Professor Bassam Izzuddin330 45985 b.izzuddin

Director of PhD Programme

Professor Chris Cheeseman305 45971 c.cheeseman

Postgraduate Tutor

Dr Ahmer Wadee443 46050 a.wadee

Cluster Administrators


EWRE

Judith Barritt230 45967 j.barritt

Fluid Mechanics

Rebecca Naessens328 45990 r.naessens

Geotechnics

Sue Feller529 46077 s.feller

Structures

Ruth Bello439 46040 r.bello

TransportJackie Sime

616 46100 j.sime

Laing ORourke Centre


Laing ORourke Centre Administrator

Alexandra Williams437 45995 alexandra.williams

Director of Laing ORourke Centre

Professor David Fisk436 46109 d.fisk

MSc Cluster Director

Dr Christian Onof410 46006 c.onof


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Careers Education, Information and Guidance

The Department encourages you to take early advantage of the careers education, information and

guidance available from the following sources:

1. The professional skills development programme run by the Graduate School of Engineering and

Physical Sciences (Graduate Schools):http://www3.imperial.ac.uk/graduateschools/.

2. College Careers Advisory Service (Level 5, Sherfield Building):

http://www.imperial.ac.uk/careers/,with which you can book for: Careers appointments, Quick

query sessions, Employer-led skills workshops, Mock interviews (with a Careers Adviser), Mock

interview sessions (with a graduate employer), Psychometric testing, Practice aptitude test

sessions, personality questionnaires. You can also register to receive weekly bulletins of one of

ten types of job vacancies (E-vacancy Alerts) by e-mail. There is an advice facility especially for

Postgraduate students:http://www3.imperial.ac.uk/careers/pg

3. The College Careers Advisory Service website (http://www.imperial.ac.uk/careers/)also contains

information about how one can register for 'JobsLive'. This is an electronic portal through which

numerous job opportunities are advertised and through which you can obtain further

background information about the types of companies typically looking to employ Imperial

graduates. You are encouraged to register for this service.

4. Departmental Careers Adviser: Dr Peter Stafford, Room 405, Skempton

Building,[email protected].

5. Departmental careers website:http://www3.imperial.ac.uk/civilengineering/intranet-

accessible only from computers connected to the Departmental network.

6. Careers notice boards located on Level 4 (close to the Head of Department's office) also contains

hard copies of some of the postings placed on the intranet site.

7. A small library of careers and employer information is held by Dr Peter Stafford in Room 405.

8. Various careers presentations and careers fairs which occur throughout the autumn and spring

terms, including an Engineering Careers fair in October 2012further details from

http://www3.imperial.ac.uk/careers/ug/graduaterecruitment/programme

9. Your research project supervisor / personal tutor.

It should be noted that most major companies do the bulk of their recruitment during the autumn

term. While PhD graduates are generally treated differently to other types of students, it is worth

being aware of when the employers are most focused upon recruitment.

Dr P Stafford

Departmental Careers Adviser
http://www3.imperial.ac.uk/graduateschools/http://www3.imperial.ac.uk/graduateschools/http://www3.imperial.ac.uk/graduateschools/http://www.imperial.ac.uk/careers/http://www.imperial.ac.uk/careers/http://www3.imperial.ac.uk/careers/pghttp://www3.imperial.ac.uk/careers/pghttp://www.imperial.ac.uk/careers/http://www.imperial.ac.uk/careers/http://www.imperial.ac.uk/careers/mailto:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]://www3.imperial.ac.uk/civilengineering/intranethttp://www3.imperial.ac.uk/civilengineering/intranethttp://www3.imperial.ac.uk/civilengineering/intranethttp://www3.imperial.ac.uk/careers/ug/graduaterecruitment/programmehttp://www3.imperial.ac.uk/careers/ug/graduaterecruitment/programmehttp://www3.imperial.ac.uk/careers/ug/graduaterecruitment/programmehttp://www3.imperial.ac.uk/civilengineering/intranetmailto:[email protected]://www.imperial.ac.uk/careers/http://www3.imperial.ac.uk/careers/pghttp://www.imperial.ac.uk/careers/http://www3.imperial.ac.uk/graduateschools/


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Departmental Library

LibraryOpening hours:

MondayFriday 09.3017.00

The departmental library provides a quiet working area for all students and staff. The library holdsover 19,000 books and around 5,500 volumes of journals, including conference proceedings and

research reports. The hard copy collection of theses ended in 2009 and theses after this date maybe

available in electronic format on the Spiral database on the main, central library catalogue. There is

a large specialist printjournal collection as well as a collection of postgraduate and undergraduate

textbooks. The Central Library has multiple copies of textbooks available for loan.

The library website (www.imperial.ac.uk/library)also provides access to a wide range of electronic

resources. You can access hundreds of databases, thousands of electronic journals and an increasing

collection of electronic books. The majority of these resources can be fully accessed on- or off-

campus. Please ask library staff for more information about off-campus access.

Further information about the library and its services is available from the library staff and from the

library website:www.imperial.ac.uk/library

Other Useful Libraries in London

Institution of Civil Engineers Library

http://www.ice.org.uk/Information-resources/Library

The Library located at the Institution of Civil Engineers (ICE) has over 100,000 titles and is the largestresource in Civil Engineering in the world. A vast collection of books, journals, reports, DVSs and

images are available. Visitors are welcome by appointment or introduction from existing members.

Non-members without an appointment can access the Library for 10 per day (5 for students). The

Librarys contact details are as follows:

Institute of Civil Engineers Library

1 Great George Street, London, SW1P 3AA

Tel: 020 7665 2251

The Earth Sciences Library at the Natural History Museumwww.nhm.ac.uk/research-curation/library/earth-science-library

The Earth Sciences Library is located in the Natural History Museum on Cromwell Road in South

Kensington. The library is by appointment only to researchers. The collection is available for

reference only (i.e. items may not be borrowed). The Librarys contact details are as follows:

Earth Sciences Library

Natural History Museum, Cromwell Road, London, SW7 5BD

Tel: 020 7972 5476
http://www.imperial.ac.uk/libraryhttp://www.imperial.ac.uk/libraryhttp://www.imperial.ac.uk/libraryhttp://www.imperial.ac.uk/libraryhttp://www.imperial.ac.uk/libraryhttp://www.ice.org.uk/Information-resources/Libraryhttp://www.ice.org.uk/Information-resources/Libraryhttp://www.nhm.ac.uk/research-curation/library/earth-science-libraryhttp://www.nhm.ac.uk/research-curation/library/earth-science-libraryhttp://www.nhm.ac.uk/research-curation/library/earth-science-libraryhttp://www.ice.org.uk/Information-resources/Libraryhttp://www.imperial.ac.uk/libraryhttp://www.imperial.ac.uk/library


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College ID Cards

UG Freshers

If first year students register online and upload a suitable photo, their IDs will be prepared in

advance of them arriving and will be issued by their Hall of Residence during Freshers Weekend.

All other first time students

For students who have uploaded their photos and registered online, ID cards can be collected from

the General Office, Skempton Building on arrival. For those who have their photos taken on arrival,

the ID Card is normally available from the General Office in the Skempton Building within two days.

Re-registering or Writing-up (PhD Students)

Student cards automatically cancel at the end of their course. Students writing up their thesis at the

end of their research can apply to the Department for a 6 month Writing-up Period and receive new

cards to work until the end of this period.

If your college ID card is lost or stolen it must be reported immediately to the security office ontelephone ext. 58900 or 58920 so your card can be cancelled.

Replacing your college ID card is free the first time, but there will be a 10 charge each time after

that. This can be done at the Security Office in Sherfield.

For further information regarding your ID swipe card please go to

http://www3.imperial.ac.uk/facilitiesmanagement/security/services/idcard

Students Names

When submitting coursework or official forms within the Department and College can all students

please ensure they use their official name (i.e. the names that are used on college registers).

Nicknames and shortened names must not be used.

Access to Skempton Building

The Skempton building can be accessed from 07:00 23:00 daily. The main entrance requires the

use of your college ID card between the hours of 07:00 08:30 and 18:0023:00 Monday to Friday.

During weekends and vacations you will be required to use your college ID card each time you

enter/exit the building.

The building will be locked at 23:00every night, so please ensure you have left the building in good

time.

Remember to checkthat no one else enters with you without using their own college ID card
http://www3.imperial.ac.uk/facilitiesmanagement/security/services/idcardhttp://www3.imperial.ac.uk/facilitiesmanagement/security/services/idcardhttp://www3.imperial.ac.uk/facilitiesmanagement/security/services/idcard


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Lost Property

If you think you have lost something within the Department your first port of call should be the

General Office/ Reception. If it is not there you should check with the Security Office in Sherfield as it

may have been handed in there. (If an item is handed in with ID and email will be sent to the owner

immediately to inform them).

All items found within the Department (e.g. keys/phones/bags) should be handed into either the

General Office or Reception. All items found outside the Department should be handed into the

Security Office in Sherfield.

http://www3.imperial.ac.uk/facilitiesmanagement/security/services/lostandfoundproperty

Bicycles

Bicycles are notpermitted within the Department. This is college policy. The following link provides

information on suitable bicycle storage within the South Kensington Campus. Showering facilities are

available within the department and are located in the toilets on levels 0 and 3.

http://www3.imperial.ac.uk/facilitiesmanagement/security/bicycles

Back up of Data

Always back-up your files regularly as data may be lost for a numbe

Documents

MSc Geology Student Handbook