Geotechnics and Geohazards

Each year, natural catastrophes due to geological hazards cause countless deaths and extensive damage to the environment and infrastructure worldwide. Geohazards include land-slides, rockslides, avalanches, earthquakes and tsunamis. In 2001, more than 25 000 people lost their lives in different types of natural catastrophes, while material damage was estimated at USD 300 billion. Many lives could be saved and enormous destruction avoided if people knew more about geohazards forecasting and prevention.

The Geotechnical Division at NTNU, together with the International Centre for Geohazards (ICG), works on assessment, prevention and mitigation of geohazards, including risks associated with landslides and mass transport in soil and rock due to rainfall, flooding, earthquakes and human intervention.

The MSc programme in Geotechnics and Geohazards (geo-related natural disasters) is a two year long Master`s degree programme taught in English at NTNU. It aims to provide technical-scientific insight into the phenomena connected with geohazards, and focuses on properties of soil and geotechnical materials, field exploration, field measurements, laboratory testing, computer simulations, risk evaluations and practical design skills needed for engineering solutions to geohazards and geotechnical challenges.