Physical and Environmental Geography (Master's)

You will learn to design a research project, collect field data, and analyze relevant data to reconstruct and discuss possible causes of climate, environmental, vegetation, and landscape changes. Throughout the program, you will acquire relevant skills through fieldwork, lab work, and theoretical courses. What you learn depends on the topic, but examples include:

• Mapping soil types and vegetation, as well as coring in lakes and peatlands
• Various laboratory methods such as sediment analysis
• Data analysis related to GIS, LIDAR, drones, remote sensing, sonar, and hydrological time series

We offer master's projects related to topics such as:

• Glaciers
• Natural hazards
• Sea level changes
• Hydrology and groundwater
• Frost processes
• Caves and landscape development
• Natural forests and peatlands
• Vegetation and landscape changes
• Biodiversity
• Disturbances in human-impacted environments
• Urban ecology

Master’s students are part of the academic environment at the Department of Geography. In the first year, you take courses (60 ECTS) that provide broader knowledge and methodological skills in physical and environmental geography, and you develop a project description for your master’s thesis. Activities include lectures, seminars, lab work, and field courses where you meet staff and fellow students.

In the second year, you work independently under supervision on your master’s thesis (60 ECTS). During the first weeks of the program, you will be introduced to current research projects in physical and environmental geography. Once you have chosen a project, you will be assigned a supervisor who will guide you throughout the program.

Fieldwork is essential, and you will spend 2–4 weeks in the field during the summer between the second and third semester.

Physical and environmental geographers have a broad job market in both public and private sectors due to the wide scope and practical approach of the discipline. Geographers may work as planners or case officers in municipalities, county administrations, directorates, and other government agencies such as the Norwegian Mapping Authority, the Norwegian Public Roads Administration, and the Norwegian Water Resources and Energy Directorate (NVE). Other career paths include consultancy in the private sector, teaching, or research at colleges, universities, or research institutes.

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

Admission requirements:
To apply for the master's programme in Physical and Environmental 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 and environmental geography or related disciplines (e.g., quaternary geology, cartography, GIS, remote sensing, climatology, hydrology, vegetation and landscape changes).

Background focused on either processes in landscapes influenced by glaciation (30 ECTS) or remote sensing applied in Physical and/or Environmental Geography (30 ECTS) is recommended.

You also need to document general entry requirements:

• Average grade of minimum C (equivalent to Norwegian grade C)
• Proficiency in English
• Letter of motivation to explain your background and your thematic and methodological interests for your master's project.

Applicants with an interest in past and present climatic, geomorphological, and environmental reconstructions (e.g., related to glaciers, hydrology, sea level, wind, as well as vegetation and landscape changes) from glacierized regions of the last ice age and the present interglacial (the Holocene) will be prioritized.

Recommended previous knowledge

Applicants with only basic knowledge in physical geography may take the following bachelor-level courses in physical and environmental geography at the Department of Geography, or similar, to qualify for admission to the master's programme in Physical and Environmental Geography:

• GEO204 Quantitative methods (5 ECTS)
• GEO212 Terrestrial Climate and Environmental Changes (15 ECTS)
• GEO291 Field Course in Physical and Environmental Geography (10 ECTS)

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

• Applicants with citizenship from outside EU/EEA and Switzerland: 1 December
• Applicants with citizenship from EU/EEA and Switzerland: 1 March
• Applicants residing in Norway and Nordic citizens: 15 April

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 

In the second semester, students may study at UNIS in Svalbard or at universities abroad through Erasmus+. We offer guidance on exchange opportunities, and students may replace courses with equivalent ones from partner institutions. All exchange studies must be pre-approved by the Department of Geography.

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 Physical and Environmental Geography