ABOUT US

The Department of Geology is the oldest geology department in the country. It was founded in Singapore in 1956 and relocated to the Kuala Lumpur Campus in 1960. From its modest beginning with only 4 academic staff and 2 final-year students in 1962, the Department has expanded and evolved into a multidisciplinary department, committed to the development of academic excellence in teaching and research.

Each year, the Department accepts about 60 undergraduates for their 3-year BSc Degree in Geology and Applied Geology. As an integral part of the undergraduates’ education, the Department carries out fieldwork training in various part of the country. To ensure that our undergraduate programme is at par with the rest of the educational programmes in the developed nations, the Department has a panel of international geoscientists who are acknowledged experts in their respective fields to review the Department’s programmes regularly.

The Department has been actively engaged in postgraduate research. Currently we have more than 15 local and foreign postgraduate students. The field of research being pursued ranges from fundamental geology to more applied fields such as geophysics, geochemistry, hydrology and petroleum geology.

In line with the Department’s pursuit of educational excellence, the facilities are continuously being upgraded. In 1998, a new wing was built to house new laboratories and lecturer offices. We have a library with a comprehensive collection of geological books, and a range of modern and sophisticated equipment to aid in our teaching, research and consultancy work. The Department also houses a Geological Museum showcasing diverse collection of geological items ranging from common rocks and fossils found in Malaysia to rarely found tektites and replicas of skulls.

The Department is also the hub for the exchange, discussion and dissemination of geological knowledge in the country and the region. It houses the Secretariat of the Geological Society of Malaysia (GSM) and Institute Geology Malaysia (IGM). GSM is a body that actively organizes workshops, seminars, conferences and fieldworks to promote geology both regionally and internationally while IGM is formed to improve the professional practice of geology.

Through the academic staff and alumni, the Department have established a good rapport with the petroleum, mining and engineering industries as well as with other universities (local and foreign), relevant government bodies such as the Mineral and Geoscience Department of Malaysia and international agencies like UNESCO. Apart from excellent career opportunities for our graduates, these efforts and contacts have opened up avenues for joint research, funding, industrial training and consultancy work for our staff and students.