Geology, M.Sc.

Overview

The strong emphasis on research is a major benefit of the programme. Besides enhancing your knowledge and skills in numerous specialised courses, including a field-mapping course, you will conduct your own master’s thesis project within a research team (professor, postdoc, PhD-student) and at the same time develop the important scientific skills, such as reporting and presenting, that you’ll need in your future career. 

This is an initial Master's programme and can be followed on a full-time or part-time basis.

Programme outline

The master’s programme offers 4 different majors:

• Geodynamics and Georesources: rock-forming processes and mineral distributions in the subsurface (organised by KU Leuven)
• Surface Processes and Paleoenvironments: the interaction between the geosphere, hydrosphere, atmosphere and biosphere (organised by KU Leuven)
• Basins and Orogens: the processes steering the genesis and evolution of sedimentary basins and the surrounding areas (organised by Ghent University)
• Groundwater and Mineral Resources: hydrogeological and pedological characteristics and processes with a focus on the fundamental and applied aspects of soils and groundwater (organised by Ghent University)

Strengths

• The programme is firmly rooted in the research of the Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences (KU Leuven) and the Department of Geology (Ghent University). Both departments continuously develop and maintain innovative and widely recognised research programmes on both the fundamental and applied aspects of geoscience.
• The programme offers optional courses on a wide variety of topics, from environmental law to volcanology. This allows you to shape your own profile according to your interests.
• The KU Leuven has a strong exchange programme (Erasmus) with top universities in Europe and around the world.

Career perspectives

As a Master in Geology you may be involved in development, research or as a manager in industry or as a freelance expert. In consultancy, you are most likely to work in environmental geology, hydrogeology or geotechnology. In industry, you will be involved in exploration, exploitation and the treatment of natural resources. 

In governmental agencies and research institutions, you may be responsible for the inventory, management, research and sustainable use of the subsurface with respect to tackling environmental issues.

If you dream of pursuing an academic career, your next step may be embarking on a PhD-project in Leuven, Ghent, or elsewhere.

The Master of Geology is offered at KU Leuven.

Questions about student life in Belgium, life at KU Leuven or more information about a specific course? Chat with our students: www.kuleuven/be/chatwithourstudents.