Earth Sciences

Applied Environmental Geosciences

This specialization offers a broad, applied programme focusing on the Earth’s surface, and broadens your knowledge of

• the (sub)recent geological record
• physical geography
• land-surface processes
• ocean and climate dynamics
• climate change, ecology
• the role of man in ‘System Earth’

The central themes are: Earth Systems and Sediments, Climate Change, Environmental Management and Policy, GeoTools and Techniques.

The Applied Environmental Geosciences programme of the first semester is broadly similar to the programme in Palaeoclimate and Geo-ecosystems. The AEG programme focusses on the impact of climate change on the natural environment and on society. The elective options during the second semester and second year allow you to explore your own interests and specialize for the labour market.

The Palaeoclimate and Geo-ecosystems programme has a stronger focus on individual research based on climate and geo-ecosystem archives such as marine/terrestrial sediment cores, speleothems and corals.

Structure of the two-year programme (120 ECTS)

The specialization in Applied Environmental Geosciences contains the following compulsory modules (84 ECTS):

Earth systems and Sediments (15 ECTS):

• Modern Geo-ecosystems (3 ECTS) 
• Sedimentary environments and climate archives (6 ECTS) 
• From source to sink (6 ECTS)

Climate Change (9 ECTS): 

• Modern climate systems (3 ECTS) 
• High resolution archives; climate on seasonal to centennial scale (6 ECTS)

GeoTools and Techniques (9 ECTS):

• Practical palaeoclimate change and its environmental impact (3 ECTS)
• Basics GIS (3 ECTS) 
• Excursion to Scotland (3 ECTS)

Research project (12 ECTS in fourth year; 12 ECTS in fifth year) (24 ECTS)
Master’s Thesis (27 ECTS)

The elective modules (which total 36 ECTS) enable the students to put together their own specialization alongside the compulsory modules of the Master’s programme. The following elective options are recommended but the student is free to choose between different Master’s programmes.

• Bodem en Milieu (3e jaar)
• Environmental management in river basins and coastal lowlands (6 ECTS)
• Regional hydrogeology and groundwater management (6 ECTS)
• Field course Netherlands (measurement techniques) (3 ECTS)
• Applied GIS (3 ECTS)

Course descriptions

Study guide with course descriptions

Master research projects

Staff members

• Prof. dr. Hans Renssen (climate modelling)
• Prof. dr. Jef Vandenberghe (geomorphology and landscape dynamics)
• Dr Sjoerd Bohncke (ecology and climate change)
• Dr Gerald Ganssen (marine geology and ocean acidification)
• Dr Simon Troelstra (marine geology)
• Dr Ronald van Balen (landscape evolution modelling)
• Dr Kay Beets (geochemistry and provenance)
• Dr Kees Kasse (climate and human impacts on river systems)
• Dr Frank Peeters (marine geology)
• Dr Maarten Prins (loess records and climate change)

Work placements and career perspectives

The external Master’s thesis (work placement) offers students the opportunity to focus on the labour market. The following list of companies and organizations gives an overview of possible contacts in the fields of applied geology, geotechnics, geoenvironment and geoarcheology to complete your thesis. 

• TNO, Geological Survey of the Netherlands
• CSO, Soil and Water consultancy
• EARTH, (geo)archeological landscape prospection
• RACM, geoarcheology
• ADC, archeobotany, paleoecology, landscape prospection
• Deltares (Geodelft)
• Royal Haskoning
• Natuurmonumenten , nature conservation and development
• ISRIC, soil conservation and land use
• Ingenieurbureau Fugro, geotechnics, geoenvironment
• IF technology, geothermal energy
• Rijkswaterstaat
• T&A survey
• MWH (soil, geotechnics, water and GIS)
• Others
  
  

Contact

Sjoerd Bohncke (e-mail: sjoerd.bohncke@falw.vu.nl, tel. +31 (0)20-5987348)
Kees Kasse (e-mail: kees.kasse@falw.vu.nl, tel. +31 (0)20-5987381)