Courses

 For period 1, students in the ESW programme have to take two compulsory programme-wide courses (GEO4-4401 and GEO4-4411). Please register for these courses in Osiris. The full programme is shown below and during the introduction days in September the details will be explained.   

Earth Surface and Water

Choose one course (7.5 EC):

• GEO4-4412 Statistics and Data Analysis in Physical Geography
• GEO4-1434 Principles of Groundwater Flow
• GEO4-4433 Advanced GIS for Geoscientists

Research Instruction Earth Surface and Water

Choose one course (7.5 EC):

• GEO4-1431 Field Research Instruction Geochemistry
• GEO4-1432 Environmental Hydrogeology
• GEO4-4418 Master Excursion Earth Surface and Water
• GEO4-4423 Climate Change. Hydrology and the Cryosphere

Plus seminars and career development activities. In addition to the above, please choose four more courses (30 EC) from the options listed above and/or the list below.

NB. Please check the information for the four study paths, to see which courses are suggested by each path.
 

• GEO4-4435 Morphodynamics of Tidal Systems
• GEO4-4436 River and Delta Systems
• GEO4-4441 Advanced Physical Hydrology
• GEO4-4442 Global Water Resources Under Change
• GEO4-1439 Aquatic and Environmental Geochemistry
• GEO4-6001 Quantitative Water Management
• GEO4-1443 Stable isotopes in Earth Sciences
• GEO4-1433 Hydrogeological Transport Phenomena
• GEO4-4408 Remote Sensing
• GEO4-4406 Land Surface Process Modelling
• GEO4-4434 Morphodynamics of Wave-dominated Coasts
• GEO4-4403 Coastal zone and river management
• GEO4-4409 Reconstructing Quaternary Environments
• GEO4-1421 Reactive Transport in the Hydrosphere
• GEO4-4425 Hazards and Risk Assessment

You can also choose a maximum of two courses (15 EC) from the full list of Earth Sciences elective courses, to bring your first year total up to 60 EC / eight courses.

Environmental Geochemistry focuses on the processes that control the functioning of natural environments at the Earth’s surface. These environments are linked by the hydrological cycle, and their chemistry is strongly influenced by biological activity. They are increasingly perturbed by human activity on local, regional and global scales. To be able to predict the consequences of that activity for Earth’s surface environments and to maintain and improve their quality, we need a scientific understanding of how biology, geochemistry, and hydrodynamics interact in these systems. This study path will train you to be a geochemist.

Suggested courses for this path:

• GEO4-1439 Aquatic and Environmental Geochemistry
• GEO4-6001 Quantitative Water Management
• GEO4-1443 Stable isotopes in Earth Sciences
• GEO4-1433 Hydrogeological Transport Phenomena
• GEO4-1421 Reactive Transport in the Hydrosphere

The study of hydrological processes near or on the Earth’s surface, such as the flow of fluids and transport of mass and energy in the subsurface. Hydrology focuses on the flow of water, nutrients and energy between the Earth’s surface and the subsoil and between the Earth’s surface and the atmosphere. It aims to quantify how rainfall is portioned into infiltration, evaporation and runoff, and how nutrients in the soil and the Earth’s surface are distributed across the landscape through surface runoff and groundwater flow. It also aims to provide a quantitative description of various processes affecting the movement of fluids and the spread of substances and thermal energy in soil and groundwater. This study path will train you to be a hydrologist.

Suggested courses for this path:

• GEO4-1433 Hydrogeological Transport Phenomena
• GEO4-1421 Reactive Transport in the Hydrosphere
• GEO4-4406 Land surface process modelling
• GEO4-4441 Advanced Physical Hydrology
• GEO4-4442 Global Water Resources Under Change

The study of processes and phenomena that determine the morphodynamic behaviour of coastal and river systems and their interface. The focus can be on coasts or rivers, or both. This study path will train you to be a physical geographer or a specialist morphodynamics.

Suggested courses for this path:

• GEO4-4436 River and Delta Systems
• GEO4-4435 Morphodynamics of Tidal Systems
• GEO4-4434 Morphodynamics of Wave-dominated Coasts
• GEO4-4403 Coastal zone and river management
• GEO4-4409 Reconstructing Quaternary Environments

The study of physical processes and phenomena in and on the Earth’s surface, as a required basisfor research into soil erosion, flash flooding, mass movement (slides and flows), land-use changes and land-cover deterioration. The focus is on applications of hydrology and geostatistics using spatio-temporal, GIS-based models. This study path will train you to be a physical geographer or a pecialist geohazards / remote sensing.

Suggested courses for this path:

• GEO4-4408 Remote Sensing
• GEO4-4406 Land Surface Process Modelling
• GEO4-4425 Hazards and Risk Assessment
• GEO4-4441 Advanced Physical Hydrology
• GEO4-4442 Global Water Resources Under Change