English > Studying at SCIENCE > Full degree MSc Degrees (in english) > MSc Programmes > Geology-Geoscience

Geology is the science of the origins, composition and evolution of the Earth over 5 billion years, and the processes that change the Earth and form the foundation for our existence. As a graduate student in geology and geoscience, you will combine geological science with new knowledge and new methods within areas such as biology, physics, chemistry, nanotechnology, ecology, climatology and archaeology to build a holistic picture of the Earth's structure and evolution, providing you with an overview of our natural conditions of life. An MSc in Geology and Geoscience gives you a wide variety of job opportunities in both Denmark and abroad.

• Academic focus
• Content of the programme
• Master's thesis project
• Career opportunities
• Admission requirements
• Tuition fees and application
• Need to know more?

Academic focus

Through the MSc programme, you will specialise in the area of geology which you find most interesting. Depending on your interests, your academic focus can vary, but may include:

• Solving selected basic problems in the geological sciences - within a wide variety of disciplines and methods and with the world as your playing field.
• Principles and methods in the exploration for and exploitation of raw materials: mineral raw materials, oil and gas.
• Hydrogeology - groundwater exploration and exploitation, water supply, pollution prevention.
• The origins, evolution and future of life; climate change.
• Research in natural and industrial materials and their technological applications.

Content of the programme

As a graduate student, you will specialise in an area of geology of your own choosing. The programme offers a high degree of freedom to choose among topics and courses, and within certain frameworks you can compose your course of study. You may also follow courses offered through other programmes, participate in conferences, study abroad and much more.

Through the MSc programme you will:

• Gain broad knowledge of the main areas within geology and geoscience as well as obtain specialist knowledge within a specified area of the discipline (track).
• Acquire experience working with geology in the field and the laboratory within a specified area of geology and geoscience.
• Learn to analyse a geological problem, set up a working model, collect and analyse geological data and prepare a professionally sound and detailed scientific report (Master's thesis).
• Achieve relevant skills within IT, dissemination and communication and learn to express yourself and communicate geological topics in both Danish and English. Some of the teaching is in English.

Structure

One block is nine weeks and counts as 15 ECTS credit points. Most of the courses equal 7.5 ECTS credit points, so you can follow two in each block.

You can choose between four specialisation tracks:

• Deep Earth and Earth Materials
• Climate Archives
• Sedimentary Basins
• Water Resources

Each track consists of a mandatory ‘track basic course' that gives you an overview of the selected area of geology, a field course or a laboratory course and, finally, a ‘track project' that serves as the beginning of the Master's thesis (totalling 30 ECTS credit points). Furthermore, you will have the opportunity to follow a number of specialisation courses, depending on the topic and type of thesis.

The course of study concludes with a Master's thesis, which is a large scientific written paper to be defended orally. You can write an experiment-based thesis equalling 60 ECTS credit points or a theoretical thesis equalling 30 ECTS credit points. An experiment-based thesis is larger because it usually includes field work, collection of samples and subsequent laboratory work. A theoretical thesis is based more on existing literature.

Master's thesis project

Examples of topics for recent MSc theses are:

• Vulcanological and geochemical survey of Boa Vista, Cape Verde Islands
• Geochemical study of Storø gold mineralisation, West Greenland
• Study of ground-water exchange to and from lakes using tracer tests
• Evolution of the birds after the Cretaceous-Tertiary Boundary
• Sedimentological analysis of the Balka sandstone on Bornholm
• Geological evolution and hydrocarbon potential in the Danish part of the south-western Baltic Sea

Career opportunities

An MSc in Geology gives you a world of opportunities for employment with many interesting and different socially relevant assignments in Denmark and abroad. Most types of jobs involve fieldwork, analyses and the dissemination of findings.

Public sector jobs are typically in regional/municipal/public authorities, government research institutes like the Geological Survey of Denmark and Greenland (GEUS), Risø National Laboratory and the Danish Meteorological Institute (DMI), or at universities and other institutions of higher education.

In industry, jobs are spread out across many different sectors. The largest private sector job sources are oil companies, construction companies and consulting engineering firms.

An increasing number of geologists from Denmark find work abroad in connection with environmental development work and consulting in the mining and oil industries, and at universities and other research institutions.

Admission requirements 

The admission requirements are described in §4 of the curriculum.

Tuition fees and application

You can find information about tuition fees and how to apply for the programme under Admission.

Need to know more?

If you have further questions, you are welcome to contact the international coordinator (go to top of page).