Master of Science in Geography

  Admission requirements | Study programme | Assets | Career prospects| Registration fee | More information | Application

Fact sheet

The Master's

The Master of Geography is a two-year advanced study programme jointly organized by KU Leuven and the Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB). This interuniversity Master’s programme offers comprehensive training in approaches to social geographical and/or natural geographical phenomena: it aims to provide a deeper understanding of geographical problems and methods, knowledge of theoretical debates within the discipline and practical training in the use of geographical techniques.

The overall aim of the programme is to train geographers to play an active role in contemporary society. Since teaching is research-based, KU Leuven and VUB have joined forces to create this joint degree programme, taught in English and offering two majors:

• Environmental Change
• Space and Society

Admission requirements

To the definitive admission requirements
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Study programme

The full programme comprises 120 credits. In addition to core courses (45 credits), students take the compulsory courses within their chosen major (15 credits) as well as a number of specialised electives within the same field (minimum 30 credits). The remaining 30 credits are allocated to the Master’s thesis. Courses are taught at KU Leuven’s Arenberg Campus in Heverlee and at the VUB campus in Etterbeek. A joint degree will be awarded upon the successful completion of the programme.

To a detailed overview of the programme

Assets

The Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences at KU Leuven and the Department of Geography at VUB jointly offer a highly competitive degree programme firmly rooted in current research at both universities. Both departments continuously develop and maintain innovative and internationally recognized research programmes on fundamental and applied aspects of the geosciences, covering a wide range of spatial and temporal scales. These generally involve international collaborative efforts, and both departments participate in various international research networks.

Master’s students can obviously benefit from this strong emphasis on research in carrying out their own research projects. By being part of a professional research team, students are presented with the best opportunity to learn and develop scientific skills. In many cases, students spend a couple of months abroad for fieldwork and data collection within the framework of their Master's thesis.

Career prospects

Geographers study the interaction between human societies and their environments, characterize the resulting regions and localities and analyze the spatial distributions and processes of particular natural and human phenomena. Being equally a natural science and a social science equipped with geographical information and scientific techniques, geography integrates the physical and human environments. Thus, geographers have long applied integrated and multidisciplinary approaches to solve real-world problems on all spatial scales - from the local to the global.

There is a growing demand for qualified professionals in the field of geosciences. As a graduate of this interuniversity Master of Geography programme, your skills will be highly sought after by surveying companies, mapping agencies, service and utility providers and public entities, as well as by international and national administrations dealing with urban and rural land-use planning, disaster management, environmental conservation and management. Graduates considering a career in research or education can pursue a PhD after completing this Master’s programme.

Registration fee

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Motivated and talented international students, interested in participating in an international master programme of the Faculty of Science of the KU Leuven are invited to apply for a scholarship.

More information

Visit this programme's website. If you have other questions, contact:

Administrative Office (KU Leuven)
tel. + 32 16 32 14 01

Application