Physical Geography (Geography)

The Master's specialisation in Physical Geography aims at analysing the spatial extent of natural resources and the processes that shape and change the landscape. The core of the programme concerns the environmental problems arising from the use of resources such as water, soil and minerals.

Specialising in Physical Geography, you will be prepared to analyse environmental challenges. You will be able to participate and lead work at all organisational levels in relation to use, protection and planning of natural resources in a global context. The study programme integrates ecological understanding with fundamental understanding of the governing processes shaping resources of the Earth.

Studying Physical Geography you will work with questions like:

• How can we preserve our natural ressources?

• How do climate changes affect our nature and our environment?

• Which elements damage our ecosystem and how?

Field work

The study programme is characterised by laboratory work, relevant field work and excursions. During your studies, you have plenty of opportunity to experience field work as you get the possibility to go out in nature and collect data for your experiments and projects.

The Master's specialisation in Physical Geography consists of four semesters providing you with 30 ECTS each.

During your studies, you will build competencies enabling you to collect, analyse and visualise the data on natural resource occurrence, governing processes and human impacts that forms the basis for a conceptual resource model. You will learn to construct, calibrate and validate numerical resource models.

The semester structure is as follows:

1st semester: climate changes and natural ressources

During the 1st semester, you work with the deposits of natural ressources, and you investigate how natural ressources are affected by climate changes. Knowing how our climate affects our ressources, you are able to analyse the influence and the protection of natural ressources in relation to future climate changes

• Climate Change and Natural Resources (15 ECTS)

• Experimental Hydrology (5 ECTS)

• Environmental Soil Science and Geostatistics (5 ECTS)

• Global Ecological Processes (5 ECTS)

2nd semester: Land use and environment

Our production-like approach to nature means less variation in the landscape and fewer species of animals. In order to improve ecosystems, it is important to be able to identify the problems caused by the current types of production. During the 2nd semester, you will learn to identify and reduce these problems.

• Landscape, Land Use and the Environment (15 ECTS)

• Local Ecological Processes (5 ECTS)

• Choose between Freshwater Ecology and Danish Biotypes

• Choose between Hydrodynamics and Time Series Analysis of Environmental Flows and Marine Pollution

3rd semester: construct your own semester

You can choose to start your Master's thesis during this semester, or you can choose to study abroad or to conduct an internship in a relevant organisation.

4th semester: Master's thesis

During the 4th semester, you write your Master's thesis of 30 ECTS.

You can apply when you have a bachelor’s degree in geography or the like.Please make sure you send your application form and further documentation via post to the International Office by the required deadline.Furthermore please note the official language requirements for international students applying to Aalborg University are:IELTS (academic test): 6.5TOEFL (paper-based): 550TOEFL (computer-based): 230TOEFL (internet-based): 80Cambridge ESOL: C1 English Language Requirements IELTS band: 6.5 TOEFL paper-based test score : 550 TOEFL iBT® test: 80