General description

One earth – many worlds: Die Erde und ihre vielfältigen Lebenswelten stehen im Zentrum des Geographiestudiums an der Universität Zürich. Wie spielen Menschen und Umwelt zusammen? Welche Beziehungen gibt es zwischen Mensch und Raum? Globaler Wandel, Neoliberalisierung, virtuelle Welten, Umweltveränderungen und Urbanisierung sind Herausforderungen, welche die Geographie bewegen. In Zürich forschen Geographinnen und Geographen zu gesellschaftlich aktuellen Themen in der Schweiz und im globalen Süden, im Hochgebirge, in grossstädtischen Metropolen und im Cyberspace.
Die besondere Stärke der Geographie ist es, dass sie natur-, sozial- und informatikwissenschaftliche Ansätze kombiniert. Geographinnen und Geographen arbeiten in interdisziplinären Netzwerken und formulieren Lösungen für aktuelle Probleme. In einer immer stärker vernetzten und beschleunigten Welt übernehmen Geographinnen und Geographen gesellschaftliche Verantwortung und thematisieren neben den Chancen auch die Schattenseiten globaler Veränderungen.
Das Masterstudium baut auf dem Bachelorstudium auf und ermöglicht den Studierenden, ihre Fähigkeiten und Interessen weiter zu vertiefen. Das Geographische Institut bietet folgende Vertiefungen im Master-Studienprogramm Geographie an (Beschreibung siehe in den jeweiligen Vertiefungen):
General Geography
Physical Geography
Human Geography
Remote Sensing
Geographic Information Science and Systems
Das Studienprogramm Master of Science (MSc) mit der Vertiefung in Fernerkundung beschäftigt sich mit der Erfassung von Landoberflächenprozessen mithilfe von stationären Sensoren oder Satelliten- und Luftbildern. Im Zentrum stehen die Kartierung und Modellierung der Erdoberfläche aufgrund ihrer Eigenschaften.

Admission requirements

For general Informations on Application see: https://www.uzh.ch/cmsssl/en/studies/application; More Informations in regulations and admission requirements of the program of study.

Branch of studies

Geography

Educational goals

This mono study program offers an in-depth subject-specific focus and guides students towards applied research. Students learn to apply theories, methods and approaches from certain fields in Geography to problems in research and practice, and to critically classify and reflect on these. Students are able to defend a position on a scientific basis and to critically reflect on and defend their own research results within a scientific discussion.

Career possibilities

Geography graduates have promising employment opportunities thanks to their comprehensive education and are particularly sought-after where teamwork and interdisciplinary cooperation are required. Possible employment for graduates include positions in planning, architectural or engineering firms, industrial companies and in the private service industry as well as in non-profit organizations, in public administration and in the educational system. The Master’s degree in Geography with a specialization in remote sensing also opens up opportunities at research institutes, the European Space Agency (ESA) and remote sensing companies.

ECTS credits

90 ECTS Credits

Program structure

A General Education module and excursions are compulsory. Minimum five restricted- optional modules (30 ECTS credits) from a defined list of modules must be chosen, of which three must focus on Remote Sensing (18 ECTS credits). A Master's research project in Remote Sensing, combined with seminars and colloquia (30 or 60 ECTS credits) and a Master's exam (2 ECTS credits) form a central
component of the education of Master's students.
The general education module “Geography.Matters.”, the Master’s thesis in Geography (30 or 60 ECTS credits) and the Master’s exam (2 ECTS credits) are compulsory in this study program. Furthermore, core elective modules and elective modules are selected according to the chosen emphasis. Further information can be accessed on the website of the Department of Geography.
Major/Minor-Combinations

Part-time studies

Part-time study is possible, but not recommended and may not exceed the maximum duration of study. In special cases, an extension may be granted on application. The maximum duration of study is six semesters from the onset of studies. The standard period of study for the Master’s degree is three semesters. A precise plan for part-time study is essential and students are advised to discuss this in detail with the Academic Advisory Service.

Major/minor subject combinations

The Master's study program in Geography 90 can be taken as a single major or be combined with a minor study program 30 at Master's level.

Examination and assessment regulations

The student's achievement is assessed at the end of each module.
Achievements are graded on a scale from 1 to 6, whereby 6 denotes the highest grade of achievement and 1 the lowest. A grade below 4 is insufficient.
Achievements can also be graded with 'passed' or 'failed'.