Human Geography and Sustainable Development (Master's)

In the Master's programme in Human Geography and Sustainable Development, you will gain advanced knowledge in topics such as:

• Green restructuring of industries, in both urban and rural areas
• Urban and rural governance and planning
• Climate change adaptation/mitigation, environmental degradation, and natural hazards
• Global development, conflict, and migration
• Natural resource management, land use, and environmental governance

You will develop your skills in critical thinking, analysis and academic writing. You will have the opportunity to conduct fieldwork abroad or in Norway. You will learn how to plan and carry out collection and analysis of empirical data to form the basis for your Master’s thesis.  

You will learn how to write a research report within given time and resource limits.

At the Department of Geography, you will join an academic environment where both physical and human geographers are strongly represented, offering a unique interdisciplinary setting. As a master's student, you get access to a reading room at the department, and close contact with fellow students and professionals. Our social environment is informal and international.

The programme has teaching in the form of lectures, seminar groups, laboratory and practical exercises, field courses and fieldwork. In addition, you must leave plenty of time for self-study and writing of the master's thesis.

You can conduct your fieldwork in Norway or abroad at the end of the first year. It usually lasts 4–8 weeks, and you complete your 60 ECTS thesis in the second year.

Typical jobs for human geographers include urban and local planning, regional development and environmental management within the public and private sectors. Many also work in organizations or NGOs, at home and abroad. Others have a career in consulting, research, or in the education sector.

Geographers have an interdisciplinary background that makes them suitable for working in teams with people from different professional backgrounds. They have rigorous methodological training and are effective at problem solving and report writing.

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

Teaching language: English

In the first year of the program, you take one compulsory course and five theory and method courses, including at least two theory courses and one method course (total of 60 ECTS). You may apply for credit transfer for courses from other departments or institutions. 

After completing the coursework in the first and second semesters, you will conduct fieldwork for your master’s project. The third and fourth semesters are dedicated to any necessary lab work and writing the master’s thesis (GEO350), with the submission deadline on June 1 in the fourth semester. 

First Semester 

Compulsory course: 

GEO319 – Theory of Science and Research Design for Physical and Environmental Geographers (10 ECTS) 

Choose two courses: 

GEO313 – Field and Laboratory Methods in Physical Geography (10 ECTS)  
GEO318 –  Hydrology, Groundwater and Water-Related Geohazards (10 ECTS)  
GEO330 – Theories of Sustainable Land Use (10 ECTS)  

Milestone 1: Presentation of project description in December. 

 
Second Semester 

Choose three courses: 

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)  
Courses at UNIS, the Department of Earth Science, the Department of Biological Sciences, or other institutions may be approved in advance by the Department of Geography. 

Milestone 2: Presentation of theory, research design and fieldwork plans in 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 November. 

 
Fourth semester 

You complete your Master’s thesis (GEO350, 60 ECTS). Submission deadline: 1st June. 

Study plan for students admitted to the programme before 2026  

During your studies, you can choose to go on exchange studies to Iceland, Netherlands, UK, Sweden, or Germany, amongst other options. Exchange studies are usually completed in the second semester. 

The application deadline is 25 August in the first semester.

See exchange agreements

With a master's degree in geography, you can apply for admission to the research programme and take a doctoral degree (PhD). You can also become a teacher if you have 60 credits in a teaching subject that UiB offers didactics in and take a year of PPU.

Study plan for Master's Programme in Human Geography and Sustainable Development