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At a time of significant change in our environment and natural resource base, there is a need for geographers who have a deep understanding the of the dynamic interrelations between human behavior, nature, and society.
Welcome to the Master's Programme in Geography!
Here you can find the programme for the opening week.
You can find more information about what you need to know and do before the semester starts on the page “Start of semester”
Questions? Contact the Student Information Centre.
In the Master's programme in Geography, you will immerse yourself in current societal challenges and gain advanced knowledge in topics such as:
In addition to theoretical knowledge of the discipline of geography obtained through coursework, you will benefit from the planning and implementation of fieldwork, collecting field data and undertaking data analysis, and presenting your findings in a variety of academic formats. Depending on the subfield of geographical study that you choose, you will receive specialized training and supervision in either natural science or social science methods.
At the Department of Geography, you get to learn and develop in an academic environment where both natural, environmental and human geographers are strongly represented. This provides a unique interdisciplinary environment. As a master's student, you get access to a reading room at the department, and you get 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 do your fieldwork in Norway or abroad, at the end of the first year of study/start of the second academic year. Depending on what your thesis work requires, you will need to use 4-8 weeks on your fieldwork.
Typical jobs for geographers include urban planning, regional development and environmental management within the public and private sectors. Many also work in organisations or NGOs, at home and abroad.
Geographers have an interdisciplinary background that makes them suitable for working in teams with people from different professional backgrounds. They have good methodological training and are effective at problem-solving and writing good reports. These skills can be applied in a variety of contexts.
Students with citizenship from countries outside the EU/EEA/Switzerland must pay tuition fees. Some applicants may be exempted from this rule.
Bachelor's degree or equivalent degree with 80-100 ECTS specialization in geography, within the master programme specialization you are applying for admission to.
External bachelor's degrees that qualify:
Other bachelor's degrees may qualify if you have 80-100 credits in geography or equivalents and a difference in the field of study you are applying for.
You must have an average grade of at least C in your desired specialization of geography. The teaching language in all courses in this study programme is English, and proficiency in English is a requirement. The only exception is the course GEO328 Planlegging og samfunn (Planning and society), where the teaching language is Norwegian and proficiency in Norwegian is a requirement.
With higher education entrance qualification, either on the basis of Norwegian upper secondary school or otherwise, you cover the language requirements in both Norwegian and English for this study programme.
Follow these links to find the general entry requirements and guidelines on how to apply:
Teaching language: Norwegian and English
This is a two-year, full-time study programme that begins in August. The first year consists of coursework, where you complete 60 ECTS credits. In the second year, you write a master's thesis of 60 ECTS credits based on fieldwork and independent study.
You can choose between the following areas of study, based on your bachelor's degree:
Physical geography
Environmental and landscape geography
Human geography
Semester 1
GEO308 – Theory of Science and Research Design for Geographers (10 ECTS)
GEO310 – Writing Course and Project Description (10 ECTS)
A course in theory or method for your field of study:
GEO313 – Field and Laboratory Methods in Physical Geography (10 ECTS)
GEO328 – Planning and Place development (the teaching language is Norwegian)(10 ECTS)
GEO330 – Theories of Sustainable Land Use (10 ECTS)
Milestone 1: Presentation of project description
Semester 2
Course in theory and methodology at UiB, UNIS or exchange:
GEO306 – Methods in Human Geography (10 ECTS)
GEO316 – Practical Skills in Remote Sensing and Spatial analysis (10 ECTS)
GEO317 – Special Topics in Geography (10 ECTS)
GEO324 – Human Geographies of Adaptation to Climate Change (10 ECTS)
GEO337 – Discourses, Politics and People: Critical Perspectives on Environmental Governance (10 ECTS)
GEO341 – Master Level Field Course in Physical Geography (10 ECTS)
Milestone 2: Presentation of theory, research design and plans for fieldwork
Semester 3 and 4
GEO350 – Master's Thesis in Geography (60 ECTS)
See ongoing and past master projects.
Milestone 3: Poster presentation of data, findings and methodology
Submission in the 4th semester
During your studies, you can choose to go on exchange to Iceland, Netherlands, UK, Sweden, or Germany, amongst other options. Exchange studies are usually completed in the second semester.
With a master's degree in geography, you can apply for admission to the research programme
and take a doctoral degree (PhD).
A study plan is a formal document between you as a student and the University of Bergen. The study plan must provide a clear framework for the study, describe the learning goals you will achieve and how the study is structured.