Geology is the science of the origins, composition, and evolution of the Earth over 5 billion years, and the processes that change the Earth and form the foundation for our existence.
Geology-Geoscience is a research- and field-based MSc programme concerned with geological materials, processes, and structures, as well as the study of Earth's history and of life on Earth.
The programme is offered in English.
To apply for admission to the master's programme, you must be enrolled in or have completed either a qualifying bachelor's programme or another relevant Danish or foreign degree programme which is deemed relevant.
You apply for admission through the application portal.
Below you can read more about the admission requirements for the programme including which documents you must upload along with your application.
You must meet a number of admission requirements, to apply for the master’s programme. You can read about the various admission requirements below:
With a Bachelor's degree in
you are granted legal right of admission and guaranteed a place on the Master’s programme in Geology-Geoscience if you apply in time to begin within 3 years of the completion of your Bachelor’s degree.
You meet all academic requirements if you hold one of the degrees listed below. Learn about when and how to apply. Note, however, that you still need to document that you meet the programme's language requirements.
If you have a Bachelor’s degree other than those listed above, you must submit additional documentation along with your application so we can evaluate whether or not you meet the admission requirements. Learn about when and how to apply.
If you have a Bachelor's degree, Professional Bachelor's degree or equivalent from Danish or international universities you are qualified for admission if your programme includes the following:
We may also admit applicants who, after an individual academic assessment, are deemed to possess educational qualifications equivalent to those required above.
When we assess whether you meet the admission requirements for the Master's degree program, Danish legislation only allows us to assess your Bachelor's degree. Consequently, you cannot study supplementary courses between Bachelor's and Master's degree programs in order to meet the admission requirements.
If you have passed courses/projects before you complete the qualifying Bachelor's degree, these can be included in the assessment, even though they are not part of the Bachelor's degree program.
You are required to document that you fulfil the language requirement English B, unless you have a legal right of admission to the programme you are applying for.
Please note that you must have the documentation ready by the application deadline.
Application deadline for Danish applicants and applicants from within the EU, EEA and Switzerland.
Open for applications from 16 January. You will receive a reply by 15 May.
Application deadline for applicants from outside the EU, EEA and Switzerland.
Open for applications from 15 November. You will receive a reply by 13 March.
Find information about available places on the study programme, as well as the distribution of students admitted last year.
| Admission statistics Geology-Geoscience 2026 | |
|---|---|
| Available study places | 45* |
| Admission statistics Geology-Geoscience 2025 | |
|---|---|
| Admitted (of which have start in February) | 40 (2) |
| Admission distribution (legal right/other) | 78% / 22% |
| Applicants | 78 |
| Age average | 26 |
| Nationality (dk/international) | 78% / 22% |
* The student intake for the programme is capped. The number of available places applies to the academic year 2026/27.
Read about capping of study programmes in relation to available study places (in Danish)
Students with a legal right of admission are always admitted. In the table above, you can see the distribution between legal right of admission applicants and other applicants for the most recent admission.
What is a legal right of admission and how long does it apply?
If there are more qualified applicants than the available study places, after applicants with legal right of admission are allocated, applicants will be prioritised according to the following criteria:
Choose the category below that fits you and read more about how to apply for admission. You will also find information about application deadlines and documentation on the websites.
Bachelor's degree with legal right of admission
Bachelor’s degree from Denmark
Bachelor’s degree from Denmark
Starting in 2028, you can apply for focused 1-year master’s degrees, 2-year master’s degrees, and several new types of degrees for working professionals, combining study and relevant work.
The new master’s opportunities are relevant for you if you wish to apply for a master’s degree from 2028.
To apply for a master’s degree, you must apply before the application deadlines.
| Application deadline | Applicants | Study start |
|---|---|---|
| 15 January at 23:59 | Applicants with citizenship outside the EU, EEA, and Switzerland | September |
| 1 March at 23:59 | Applicants with citizenship within EU, EEA, and Switzerland (incl. applicants with legal right of admission) | September |
| 15 October at 23:59 | Applicants with legal right of admission | February |
In addition, there are other deadlines you should be aware of. Including the deadline for accepting your study place.
If you are a citizen of a country outside the EU, EEA, or Switzerland, you must pay the application deposit and tuition fee.
If you want to apply for admission to a master’s degree or to apply for re-admission, study change, transfer, or re-enrolment at the University of Copenhagen, you must apply through the application portal.
Once you have submitted your application, you can follow the application in the application portal.
See the guide to the application portal
Read more about applying for re-admission, study change, transfer, and re-enrolment
Your bachelor’s degree is the basis for assessing if you meet the admission requirements for the master’s degree.
In the curriculum you can see how many ECTS credits from other courses can be included in addition to your bachelor’s degree. These courses must be completed before you complete the bachelor’s degree. Courses completed between your bachelor’s and master’s degree cannot be included in the assessment.
Geology-Geoscience is a versatile programme, where you'll be joining excursions and field trips in Denmark and abroad. You get an introduction to a range of academic disciplines, as well as methods and concepts within the field of geology.
You will also be working in the lab and on your laptop, analysing the results you've collected in the field. At the same time you train your skills to communicate the results both orally and in writing.
The entire second year of the programme you work on your Master’s thesis. Examples of topics for recent MSc theses are:
Do you want to turn theory into experience or explore the world while you study?
As part of your programme, you can use some of your elective courses to gain hands-on or international experience by doing an project in practice or choosing to study abroad.
Compulsory courses: 15 ECTS
Restricted elective courses: 30 ECTS
Elective courses: 15 ECTS
Thesis: 60 ECTS
One block each year equals nine weeks of study and 15 ECTS. The table is primarily for guidance and may be subject to revision.
| Block 1 | Block 2 | Block 3 | Block 4 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aqueous Geochemistry | Restricted elective | Restricted elective | Restricted elective |
| Climates of the Past | Restricted elective | Elective course | Elective course |
| Block 1 | Block 2 | Block 3 | Block 4 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Thesis | |||
Choose your restricted elective courses from the list below. Click on each course for a detailed description.
If you are more interested in the academic content, regulations, and examination requirements, you should consult the curriculum, which serves as the legal foundation for the programme.
There is both a curriculum specific to each degree programme and a general curriculum that applies across the faculty.
Please note that curricula are often revised annually. Any new versions will be published no later than during the spring semester.
Upon completion of the master’s programme, you will obtain the title Master of Science in Geology-Geoscience.
Formation and evolution of the Earth, geological materials, processes and structures, and the study of the history of the Earth and of life on Earth within a temporal framework are the key subject areas of the programme.
Through the MSc programme you will:
An MSc in Geology gives you a world of opportunities for employment with many interesting and different socially relevant assignments in Denmark and abroad. Most types of jobs involve fieldwork, analyses and the dissemination of findings.
Public sector jobs are typically in regional/municipal/public authorities, government research institutes like the Geological Survey of Denmark and Greenland (GEUS), Risø National Laboratory and the Danish Meteorological Institute (DMI), or at universities and other institutions of higher education.
In industry, jobs are spread out across many different sectors. The largest private sector job sources are energy companies, construction companies and consulting engineering firms.
An increasing number of geologists from Denmark find work abroad in connection with environmental development work and consulting, and at universities and other research institutions.
High quality education in English, a flexible study structure, excellent facilities, an international study environment, attractive and green campus areas, and the opportunity to experience life in Copenhagen, the cool capital of Denmark. These are some of the qualities about studying at Faculty of Science (SCIENCE) at University of Copenhagen that you can expect.
Throughout the year, various social activities are arranged for all SCIENCE students and for international students specifically. These activities include:
Students live in residence halls outside campus or share a flat in the Copenhagen area. You will find that the relatively small size of Copenhagen makes it easy to get around, even by bike.
The Geology programme is primarily based at City Campus.
The university's City Campus consists of several locations in the heart of Copenhagen. The Geography and Geology programmes have their own building, so you will become part of a community atmosphere where people get to know each other well. Right nearby you'll find parks like King's Garden, and The Botanical Garden, as well as The Natural History Museum of Denmark, and many other urban attractions of central Copenhagen.
What is student life like across the rest of the University of Copenhagen?
Find out where you can live, get more information about student grants (SU), student jobs, student discounts, and all the many other things that are part of student life.
Teaching takes place at City Campus - located between the lakes and the Botanical Garden, close to Nørreport Station.
At City Campus, you will find degree programmes within social sciences, health sciences, and natural sciences.
Our student guidance are ready to assist you with answers to your questions about:
You can find answers to questions most often asked by potential students in the FAQ. Read the FAQ
Check out the guide to the application porIn case of technical problems, contact IT-support:
Mail: it-service@adm.ku.dk
Tel: +45 35 32 32 32
