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Allgemeine Hinweise zum Bachelor Geographie

General information

Each department or professorship of geography is responsible for teaching for an entire semester; the departments are supported by the methods of data processing and statistics.

All courses of the respective semester are coordinated with each other and are mainly covered by the staff of the respective professorship. The examinations are spread over the semester.

1st semester: Human geography and statistics

2nd semester: Geoecology and geodata analysis

3rd semester: Digital geography

4th semester: Sustainable landscape development

In the 3rd and 4th semesters, you also choose a subject supplement from the fields of geosciences, soil science, geo-botany, computer science, law, business administration, economics, political science or sociology.

In the 5th semester, students specialize in the individual subject areas of their choice in the form of project studies. It is also possible to choose a further subject supplement or to complete a semester abroad.

The final year of study also includes the large field exercise. It is mandatory for all students in the Bachelor's degree program in Geography with 180 CP and elective in the partial Bachelor's degree program with 120 CP. The seminar is often offered in winter and the field exercise in summer; different options are available depending on the destination and group size.
In the 6th semester, a special teaching program with intensive method training prepares students for the final examinations and the Bachelor's thesis.

A professional internship is mandatory and can be completed during the semester; it should be completed by the end of the 6th semester at the latest.

Stages in the study program

There are several important stages on the way through your studies. We recommend the recommended study plan to all students!

Basics: Digital Geography II - Geodata Analysis

The module is offered in the 2nd semester and is a mandatory requirement for the Sustainable Landscape Development modules in the 4th semester. The DG II module must be completed in full in order to register for NaLa I and NaLa II. It is not possible to take these two modules in parallel; it is therefore strongly recommended not to delay this module until later!

Basics: Exercises in the field, laboratory and on the PC

Some modules include exercises, for example in the field, in the laboratory or on the PC. In order to ensure learning success and to give all students the opportunity to gain their own practical experience, the exercise groups are kept as small as possible. This makes it necessary to carry out some exercises during the lecture-free period. (You should therefore plan your semester break carefully - you may have to plan a week or two for a field or laboratory exercise!

Specialized supplement and project studies

In the Bachelor Geography 180 CP, a subject supplement in the interdisciplinary area must be chosen in the 3rd and 4th semester. There are 8 different supplementary areas, of which at least ONE area must be taken. In this area (“Fachliche Ergänzung I”) 10 CP must be completed.

If you would like to deepen the interdisciplinary orientation of your studies, you can choose another supplementary area in the 5th and 6th semesters and complete a further 10 CP. The so-called “Fachliche Ergänzung II” replaces one of the two modules “Projektstudium I” or “Projektstudium II”.

There are therefore two options for earning a total of 20 CP:

Variant A: Project Studies I (10 CP) and Project Studies II (10 CP).

Variant B: Project Studies I or Project Studies II (10 CP) and Subject Supplement II (10 CP)

In the partial Bachelor's degree in Geography 120 CP, no subject supplement is provided because the interdisciplinary orientation is achieved by choosing the minor subject with 60 CP.

However, it is also possible to substitute project studies by choosing the module “Large field exercise”.

There are therefore two options for earning a total of 20 CP:

Variant A: Project Studies I (10 CP) and Project Studies II (10 CP).

Variant B: Project Studies I or Project Studies II (10 CP) and Field Exercise (10 CP)

Internship

You should start looking for an internship from the 4th semester onwards. Although the module is recommended for the 6th semester in the course of study, it is advisable to apply for internships early on. An internship can also be completed abroad. Please read more about internships here.

Major field exercise

The major field exercises are planned for the long term and are often announced a year in advance. You can start looking for information on the field exercises that are relevant for you in the 5th semester as of the 3rd semester.

Registrations for the field exercises are managed centrally by the Geo study office. Of course, all lecturers always strive to keep the costs for the field exercises as low as possible - but each student must make a personal contribution. The financial costs vary depending on the destination. Plan your personal budget in advance so that you can cover the travel costs!

Specialization in geographical work

This module is a special teaching program with intensive method training, which is designed differently depending on the subject area. This module is therefore closely linked to the final module (Bachelor's thesis) and the implementation of the courses and consultations are individual for each subject area. Module registration in the Löwenportal is the same for everyone. On StudIP, however, there is a separate course for each subject area. It is important that you register in StudIP for the course in the subject area in which you will be writing your Bachelor's thesis.

The coursework in this module is the same for everyone: Participation in the Geographical Colloquium. Do not start attending the colloquium in the last semester, but start early. We recommend attending the colloquium from the 4th semester onwards. You can re-register for the course “Geographical Colloquium” in StudIP every semester so that you do not miss any information. Module registration in the Löwenportal is only necessary in the 6th semester.

Final module - Bachelor thesis

In the subject groups

Preparation for the Bachelor's thesis takes place mainly in the module Specialization in Geographical Work. Nevertheless, you must actively approach the individual subject groups/professorships and “register” for the thesis there. The subject groups have published information on their homepages about the procedure for registering for theses, see Human Geography, Geoecology, Sustainable Landscape Development, Digital Geography. If you have any questions, please contact the secretary of the respective department.

At the Examination Office

You will receive the form for the legally binding registration of the Bachelor's thesis from the Examinations Office after the admission requirements have been determined. In the Bachelor 180 CP, 150 CP must be proven and in the partial Bachelor 120 CP, 90 CP must be proven in the subfield of Geography.
Please refer to this form (=written form) for further details: The topic of the thesis and the names of the two examiners are entered. The examination board determines the date of the topic issue and the examination office then calculates the submission deadline.

Creation of certificates and final documents

Once you have completed all your coursework, you will receive your certificate and the official graduation documents (transcript of records) from the Examinations Office.

It is advisable to create a new TAN number block in the Löwenportal in good time before officially completing your studies so that you can also create documents and certificates in the Löwenportal using the self-service function after completing your studies.

Festive farewell

A festive farewell for our graduates is planned every year. The date is always the first Friday in July on the afternoon of the Long Night of Science. All those who graduated between April of the previous year and April of the current year are invited to attend.

The ceremony is always held when at least 20 people have registered for it.

Questions and Answers (Q&A)

Here you will find a list of questions that have been received by the study office in connection with the Geography Bachelor's degree programs (B.Sc. 120 CP and B.Sc. 180 CP) and whose answers are of general interest.

The list of questions will be updated as necessary and the answers are based on the current state of information. Changes are not excluded.

What requirements do I need to study geography?

The main requirement for studying geography is an interest in the subject as you know it from school or, more generally, in human-environment relationships.

This includes some scientific basics (chemistry, physics, biology), which are needed to analyze soil, water and plant samples. But social science basics (social studies, ethics, economics) are also relevant for the human geography side of geography, for example to conduct surveys and analyze the answers. For the evaluation of data - regardless of the field - it is always helpful if you have a good understanding of numbers and can work with a PC (spreadsheet).

If you still have deficits in individual areas at the beginning of your studies, there is always the option of attending subject-specific basic lectures in neighboring disciplines and closing the gaps through self-study.

The requirement for admission at our university is a recognized university entrance qualification (HZB; usually Abitur).

Qualified professionals without a higher education entrance qualification can obtain a university entrance qualification for this degree course after proving themselves in a trial course or through an assessment test.

Both Bachelor's degree programs are currently admission-restricted (with NC). Decisions on NC restrictions are subject to change - please check the following for the latest information:

Geographie (Bachelor - 180 LP)

Geographie (Bachelor - 120 LP)

Why is there this special order of specialist disciplines, what are the advantages?

Since the Bologna reforms, the number of examinations has increased significantly, especially at the end of the lecture period. We have noticed the following problem in the past:

• Students took more courses in one semester than necessary out of fear of falling behind later in their studies or not being able to complete a semester abroad.
• Students took more exams than necessary in one semester, especially in the first semester.
• Learning several sub-disciplines at the same time often led to confusion regarding the different methods, competencies and traditions of the various subject areas in geography.

The consequences of this were:

• high course drop-out rates (not rarely over 50%),
• little understanding of the differences between various scientific approaches and working methods, which was a major challenge, particularly for the supervision of final theses,
• “Bulimia learning”: many students had neither understood nor internalized the subject matter,
• drop-outs.

To counteract these developments, the first four semesters of our Bachelor's program are offered in a more structured form. The core elements of this are:

• Each professorship in Geography takes responsibility for teaching for a whole semester. The examinations are spread out over the semester and sometimes take place during lectures.
• Students learn each sub-discipline in one go without being distracted by other courses. Teachers know exactly what material students are currently studying. Repetitions and feedback loops during the semester ensure that what has been learned has been understood and is retained.

What opportunities can I use for studying abroad?

MLU's International Office provides detailed information about opportunities abroad. The Institute of Geosciences and Geography has partnerships with various research institutions worldwide. The easiest way to spend a semester abroad is to apply for an ERASMUS scholarship. You can find detailed information about this here. We generally recommend a semester abroad in the 5th semester. Preparations should be made at least one year in advance.

Which modules can I have recognized for my studies abroad?

Almost all modules are suitable for being replaced by equivalent achievements abroad. The credit points must be at least the same; however, several modules can also be combined. And the work completed abroad must be assessed; conversion tables are used if the assessment scales differ.

Special regulations apply to the internship module - it cannot be replaced by coursework. However, an internship abroad is also possible.

The module “Vertiefung geographisches Arbeiten” should not be replaced by modules abroad, but should actually be completed here in conjunction with the Bachelor's thesis. If the Bachelor's thesis is written abroad, special arrangements can be made in consultation with the supervisor.

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