The Master's Programme in Geology and Geophysics trains you to address pressing questions concerning our home planet's evolution, its role as the source of raw materials needed by modern civilisation, and environmental issues.
Key questions include:
Upon completion of the programme, you will have gained expertise in a number of scientific and professional skills, including, depending on your specialist option:
Advanced studies in geology and geophysics (100 cr)
Other studies (20 cr)
More detailed information about degree structure and scope of the degree.
Most of the teaching is given in English, except some of the Hydrogeology and Environmental geology courses are taught in Finnish. You can also take exams in Finnish or Swedish in courses taught in English, and you can write your Master’s thesis in English, Finnish or Swedish.
Studies are planned to be taken in two years. The MSc thesis work is scheduled so that all projects start with the Conducting scientific research (CSR) course, which is organized annually in the spring semester (periods 3 and 4). The CSR is suggested to be taken in the spring of the first study year.
The compulsory internship is usually taken in the summer between the first and second study years and the Scientific engagement course is planned to be done over the course of the entire two years. Otherwise the order of taking the courses is free, but subject to availability and may contain interdependent pre-requisite requirements. Most important courses that form pre-requisites for other courses are usually organised annually.
Check out courses from the online course catalogue at the University of Helsinki.
The University of Helsinki also offers Finnish courses for international students.
As a student in the Master’s programme, you will be expected to write a thesis. The goal of the Master’s thesis is to enable you to study an area of interest to you within your specialist option, and to help you develop research skills such as scientific writing, literature review, and advanced knowledge in your area of study. The thesis typically includes a review of current literature and experiments or analysis of geological or geophysical data. You will write your thesis independently, under the supervision of one or more faculty members in your specialist option.
Below is a list of recent MSc theses of the degree programme. You can find them in the University of Helsinki's Helda service by searching with the name of the author.
Starting from 01/2023.
Suoknuuti Rudi-Matti. 2023. Maaperän rakenne ja geologinen kehityshistoria Haaralamminkankaan pohjavesialueella Oulankajokilaaksossa – lähtökohta hydrostratigrafiseen ja hydrogeologiseen mallinnukseen. Supervisors: Kirsti Korkka-Niemi and Seija Kultti
Maunu Liisa. 2023. The geochemical and petrological variability of the oceanic crust and upper mantle in the Macquarie Island ophiolite. Supervisors: Christoph Beier and Adam Abersteiner.
Tuikka Leevi. 2023. Continent-continent collisions in the Paleoproterozoic: exploring the effects of convergence obliquity and temperature on orogenesis. Supervisor: David Whipp.
Lehtovuori Aki. 2023. Petrography and olivine chemistry of chondrules in the Bjurböle L/LL4 meteorite. Supervisors: Arto Luttinen and Sanni Turunen.
Railo Sohvi. 2023. Piilevät mikropaleontologisena proksina ja niiden vuodenaikainen sukkessio jääpeitteisellä Itämerellä. Supervisors: Kaarina Weckström ja Maija Heikkilä.
Sandell Mia. 2023. Body size reductionin mammals; how are the teeth getting along? Supervisors: Miikka Tallavaara, Jukka Jernvall and Otto Stenberg.
Sihto Juha. 2023. I Salpausselän alueen ja Hyvinkäänkylän harjun pohjavesien virtaussuunnat ja ruhjevyöhykkeiden vaikutukset niihin. Supervisors: Kirsti Korkka-Niemi, Annika Åberg and Susanne Åberg.
Wiberg Meri. 2023. Mineralogical method for determining heat conductivity and heat capacity of the Finnish bedrock: Comparison of mineralogical and in situ methods of measuring thermal conductivity and heat capacity of different rock types. Supervisors: Teppo Arola, Jonathan Pownall and David Whipp.
Kolehmainen Kauri. 2023. Three-dimensional crustal and upper mantle P-wave velocity model and Moho map of Finland constructed by kriging interpolation. Supervisor: Timo Tiira
Lumppio Toni. 2023. Mineralogy of cobalt in the Talvivaara (Terrafame) black-shale hosted Ni-Zn-Cu-Co deposit Supervisors: Petri Peltonen and Joel Jokelainen.
Erhovaara Suvi. 2023. Carbon accumulation and peat geochemistry in the Puukkosuo fen during the Holocene. Supervisors: Seija Kultti and Niina Kuosmanen.
Nuutinen Janna. 2023. Methane distribution in porewater and water column in a boreal Lake Pääjärvi– introducing and comparing two porewater sampling methods. Supervisors: Seija Kultti and Tom Jilbert.
Salmi Rebekka. 2023. Orgaanisen hiilen määrä ja alkuperä Perämeren rannikkosedimenteissä. Supervisor: Maija Heikkilä.
Tolonen Miika. 2023. Structural analysis of Suur-Pellinki, Porvoo, using Structure-from-Motion photogrammetry. Supervisor: Jonathan Pownall.
Wikström Jani 2023. Retention of sediment and nutrients in cultivated mineral soil and organic soil catchments on two-stage channels in southern Finland. Supervisors: Tom Jilbert and Kaisa Västilä.
Starting from 01/2022.
Starting from 01/2021.
Starting from 01/2020.
Starting from 01/2019.
After completing a Master of Science degree you will be eligible to apply for postgraduate studies leading to a Doctoral or Licentiate degree in Geology or Geophysics.
More information about doctoral education at the University of Helsinki.
In the Master's Programme in Geology and Geophysics, Debanhi Jimenez Reyes can combine her passion for mathematics and geology by researching geophysical processes that affect populations around the world. One of the pleasant surprises at the University of Helsinki has been the encompassing and multidisciplinary manner of teaching.
Read the article: “I want to make cities safer by studying seismic waves”
Check out the students' and teachers' posts in the joint blog of the degree programmes in Geosciences (MSc Programme in Geology and Geophysics and BSc Programme in Geosciences). It's a mix of posts in English and in Finnish.
Read the blog: Geoscience Education at the University of Helsinki.
Student life and especially the student organisation culture is exceptionally rich and diverse in Finland. Also at the University of Helsinki, more than 250 student organisations operate within the Student Union of the University of Helsinki (HYY), ranging from faculty and subject organisations to political and societal organisations, and from choirs and orchestras to sports and game clubs. Their activities include anniversary celebrations, academic dinner parties, cultural events, get-togethers and excursions.
As a student and member of the Student Union (HYY), you are entitled to many benefits and services. For example, affordable student housing, low-cost sports services and student-priced meals. You also get numerous discounts, for example on public transport fees across the country.
Read more about student life, services and benefits when studying at the University of Helsinki.
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