Physical Geography (Master's)

Starting time: Welcome meeting at The Faculty of Social Sciences Wednesday 14 August 10:00 in Egget at the Student center.

Programme: Here you can find the programme for the opening week.

Checklist for new students: Follow the steps in our checklist to make sure you are on track.

We offer a wide range of Master’s projects related to topics such as:

• Glaciers 
• Natural hazards (floods, storminess, avalanches, etc.) 
• Sea-level changes 
• Hydrology and groundwater 
• Periglacial processes and features 
• Caves and landscape development 

You will acquire relevant skills for your Master’s project.

Examples of methods:

• Practical, field-based methods, such as sediment coring and geomorphological mapping.  
• Survey techniques, such as echo sounding and unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs).  
• Laboratory techniques, such as sediment analysis.  
• Computer-based analyses, such as GIS, LiDAR and remote sensing.  

After completing your Master’s programme, you will know how to:  

• Design a research project and collect relevant field data to reconstruct terrestrial climate and environmental changes.    
• Interpret data and discuss potential causes of terrestrial climate- and environmental changes.

Master’s students are an important part of the department’s social and work environment, and you will be integrated into the activities and courses of the larger group of geography Master’s students at the Department of Geography. 

This study programme offers a variety of activities, such as labs, seminar groups, field trips, lectures and workshops, where you will get to work with fellow students and staff members.    

You will conduct fieldwork as part of your Master’s degree, typically two to four weeks in August before your third semester.  

When you start working on your Master’s thesis, you will be presented with different available Master’s projects related to ongoing research in physical geography in Norway. You will be assigned a supervisor and will have regular meetings with them throughout the Master’s programme.

Our graduates are qualified to work in various positions in the labour market, such as local and regional planning and management, GIS and cartographic consultancy, teaching and research.   

As a geographer, you will:   

• Build bridges between the natural and social sciences  
• Possess both theoretical and practical skills  
• Be experienced in conducting fieldwork  
• Collaborate effectively in a team  
• Demonstrate proficiency in report writing.  

Graduates can also continue their education by pursuing a PhD.

Students with citizenship from countries outside the EU/EEA/Switzerland must pay tuition fees. Some applicants may be exempted from this rule.

To apply for the Master’s Programme in Physical Geography you need a Bachelor's degree of 3-4 years’ duration, or an equivalent educational background. The degree must include at least 1.5 years (80-90 ECTS) of full-time studies in geography, including 1 year (60 ECTS) in physical geography or related disciplines (e.g. quaternary geology, cartography, GIS, climatology, hydrology). A background focused on processes in landscapes influenced by glaciation (30 ECTS), or remote sensing applied in Physical Geography (30 ECTS), is a requirement. 

The application must include a motivation letter (maximum one page) to clarify your background, and thematic and methodological interest in the Master’s project. Applicants with an interest in past climatic, geomorphological and environmental reconstructions (e.g. related to glaciers, hydrology, sea level, wind) from glacierised regions of the last Ice Age and present interglacial (the Holocene) will be prioritised. 

Follow these links to find the general entry requirements and guidelines on how to apply:

Citizens from outside the European Union/EEA/EFTA (1 December)
Application procedurefor students from outside EU

Citizens from within the European Union/EEA/EFTA (1 March)
Application procedure for students from EU

Nordic citizens and applicants residing in Norway (15 April)
Application procedure for students residing in Norway

All applicants with citizenship from outside the EU/EEA must pay tuition fees.

Teaching language: English

The program covers two academic years (four semesters) and starts in the autumn. You have two semesters to write your Master’s thesis (60 ECTS).   

First semester 

GEO308 – Theory of Science and Research Design for Geographers (10 ECTS) 

GEO310 – Writing Course and Project Description (10 ECTS) 

GEO313 – Field and Laboratory Methods in Physical Geography (10 ECTS) 

Milestone 1: Presentation of project description in December 

Second semester 

This semester, you can choose where to study, depending on the theme of the Master’s project. You can either follow courses at the Department of Geography, the Department of Earth Sciences or UNIS on Svalbard, or as an exchange student at one of our partner Erasmus universities.    

GEO316 – Practical Skills in Remote Sensing and Spatial Analysis (10 ECTS)

GEO317 – Special Topics in Geography (10 ECTS)

GEO341 – Master Level Field Course in Physical Geography (10 ECTS)

Milestone 2: Presentation of theory, research design and fieldwork plans in April/May 

Third semester

You carry out fieldwork and write your Master’s thesis (GEO350)  

Milestone 3: Poster presentation of data, main findings and methodology in October 

Fourth semester

You complete your Master’s thesis (GEO350, 60 ECTS)  

Most Master’s students in Physical Geography attend courses at UNIS, the University Centre at Svalbard in their second semester.   

You can also spend the second semester as an Erasmus exchange student in Iceland, Wales, Germany or Poland.  

The application deadline is 1 September (15 October for UNIS). 

See recommended exchange agreements

Graduates can also continue their education by pursuing a​​​​​​​ PhD.

Study plan for Master's Programme in Physical Geography