Geosciences (M. Sc.)

Competence profile of the Master's degree programme in Geosciences at Leibniz University

The Master's degree programme in Geosciences is research-oriented, continues the Bachelor's degree programme and thus serves to deepen both advanced technical and methodological-analytical skills.

The curricular structure of the degree programme is designed in such a way that it builds on the knowledge and skills acquired at Bachelor's level and significantly deepens and/or expands them. When imparting knowledge, great importance is attached to being able to both define and interpret the theories, special features, limits, terminology and doctrines of the chosen field of study.

The concept of the degree programme allows students to choose their own specialisation, which also corresponds to the research focus of the working groups involved in the degree programme. There is the option of studying one of four different specialisations (majors), which are then shown on the certificate:

•     Soil/Water
•     Sedimentary systems and tectonics
•     Applied geology and geophysics
•     Mineralogy/Geochemistry

In addition, the research priorities offer many opportunities to develop the ability, particularly required of geoscientists, to think across disciplines and in different scales and time periods (relationships between weathering, erosion, sedimentation, neotectonics, soil development, deposit formation, geodesy, GIS, geochemistry, petrology). The structure of the curriculum effectively supports the formation of specialisations in three ways: (1) the option of selecting relevant modules from the complete catalogue, (2) the option of selecting individually adapted project modules, (3) the option of tackling a suitable master's thesis in the respective specialisation. This concept offers students the opportunity to be integrated into a working group and the associated research focus relatively early on, which is extremely beneficial for the long-term impact of the training. In addition, students have practically no compulsory modules (with the exception of a seminar module) to take, and from the outset, in addition to acquiring the desired interdisciplinary knowledge, they can concentrate fully on their chosen geoscientific specialisation.
Overall, particular emphasis is placed on a high level of professional qualification in both the theoretical and practical areas of applied, analytical and technical methods, in order to optimally prepare graduates to work on issues in both the geoscience and materials science fields. Accordingly, graduates possess professional knowledge of their discipline, the methodological approaches and mutual relationships with neighbouring disciplines.
In addition, the modular structure of the curriculum enables the integrative teaching of key competencies. Self-organisation and social skills, in particular working in a team, are emphasised during the internships/Master's thesis. Through seminar work and writing the Master's thesis in an appropriate scientific environment, graduates are also able to work, document and communicate in scientific sub-disciplines. A broad deepening of knowledge through the free choice of specialisation options, specialisation in a geoscientific focus and entry into a research-oriented master's thesis form the basis for a professional geoscientific working foundation that also promotes the graduates' ability to work independently in the professional field.