Investigate the interaction between society and the environment from many perspectives: The Geography degree programme critically debates the current issues of society and the environment and investigates these issues in their geographical relationships, from a local to a global scale. The interdisciplinary nature of the Geography degree programme makes it particularly varied and exciting. Göttingen offers the possibility to create your own individual profile thanks to a large selection of modules from neighbouring disciplines and from the soft skills area.

Subject: Geography
Degree: Bachelor of Science (B.Sc.)
Standard period of study: 6 semesters
Start of programme: winter semester only
Language of the programme: German

Admission to the winter semester 2013/14:

• 1st subject semester: open admission (enrolment without previous application)


• 2nd to 6th subject semester: open admission (enrolment without previous application)


• International applicants (non-EU): open admission (application to International Student Services)

Course description
The goal of this programme is to convey to the students a basic knowledge of geography and to prepare them to enter a profession or continue their academic education within the frame of an M.A. programme. They will receive a bottom-up, broad and theoretically well-founded education on the basis of current geographic matters (scientific attitude and subject-specific abilities): scientific attitude in the professional practice means the objectification of processes (analysis, evaluation, planning). The programme therefore targets the following study goals (among others):
- methodological basic knowledge for theory building
- critical familiarity with the methodology and techniques of empirical research (data acquisition and data analysis, their statistical and electronic treatment and data generation)
- the ability to identify and evaluate target systems and target conflicts for spatial structures and developments
- application of scientific findings to design human living space
- the ability to convey scientific findings and practical experience to (groups of) people who are affected by spatial developments and/or have to make respective decisions
- the ability to discuss spatial development plans in team work, and to detect problems and devise plans to solve them, with colleagues as well as in an interdisciplinary context
- the ability to find and present solutions for spatial development plans within an appropriate time frame

The subject in Göttingen
The Institute for Geography consists of the five departments Physical Geography, Human Geography, Landscape Ecology, Cartography, and GIS and Remote Sensing, and the field of work Geography/Alpine Geomorphology.

Research foci
Physical Geography: Geomorphology, Climatology, Hydrology

Human Geography: Cultural Landscape Development, Regional Analysis, Urban Geography, Tourism Geography, Human Ecology, Geovisualization

Landscape Ecology: Resource Protection, Land Use Planning, with the main foci on soil, water and the balance of matter in view of anthropogenic influences

Cartography, GIS and Remote Sensing: Applied Remote Sensing, especially in Climatology, Soil Geography, and Plant Geography; IT system solutions for sustainable development of the earth

Geography/Alpine Geomorphology: Geography, Physical Geography, Traffic and Tourism of the Mountains (Alpine Ecology), Geomorphology, Glaciology, Periglacial Geomorphology, Climatology, Ice Age Research (Paleoclimatology), Philosophy of Science

Combinations of subjects
There is a wide variety of minor subject modules: Economics, Business Studies, Forest Botany, Forest Pedology, Forest Policy, History of Forests and Conservation, Geology, Botany, Biodiversity and Ecology, Environmental and Resource Economy, Politics, Ethnology, Law (for more detailed information, refer to the module catalogue in the programme rules and regulations).

Professions
University research, non-university research, private enterprise, public administration, IT, software development, landscaping, land use planning, town and country planning, conservation, GIS, remote sensing, tourism, consultancy (business and politics), journalism.