Human Geography

A graduate in Human Geography has the competences to work at a high scientific and application-oriented level with state-of-the-art knowledge on advanced social, economic and development theories. The graduate will understand globalization processes and their geographical implications from local to global scales and in spatial planning.

Knowledge about:

  • Theoretical approaches to human geography and key conceptualisations of space and place including social, economic and development geography as well as humanenvironment interactions and spatial planning. There is a possibility to focus on the Global North or the Global South.
  • Globalisation processes and their geographical implications from local to global scales including the dynamics of global value chains, transformation of cities, regions and landscapes, migration, urbanisation, rural-urban connections and land use change.
  • The relationship between environmental change and human activity including resilience, vulnerability and adaptive processes.
  • The social, political and economic processes and drivers of the location, distribution and growth of human activity
  • The role of uneven geographical development including its implications for urban and regional development as well as rural and urban livelihoods.
  • Spatial planning including governance and policy networks.

Skills in/to: 

  • Design and perform studies and research projects within the field of human geography
  • Present theoretical arguments, conduct theoretical and empirical assessments and use the appropriate theories, methods and data to perform scientific analyses.
  • Select appropriate quantitative and qualitative methodologies for problem-based research.
  • Plan and perform field work and projects.
  • Compile and analyse complex data from a variety of sources.
  • Communicate results of research and projects orally and in writing

Competences in/to:

  • Work at a high scientific and application-oriented level with a broad range of theoretical and methodological approaches to human geography
  • Work with interdisciplinary dimensions of human geographical processes and their impacts and spatial aspects at different scales.
  • Work, individually and in teams, with complex problems by organizing them into manageable projects.
  • Work in and understand the implications of cross-cultural contexts.

The programme can be structured in two ways, depending on the size of your thesis (45 or 60 ECTS):

Programme structure (thesis: 45 ECTS)

Compulsory courses: 15 ECTS
Restricted elective courses: 45 ECTS – see list of courses below
Elective courses: 15 ECTS
Thesis: 45 ECTS

Block 1 Block 2 Block 3 Block 4
Year 1 Environment, Society and Development Transformation of Cities and Landscapes: Globalisation and Local Strategies Restricted elective course Restricted elective course
Restricted elective course Restricted elective course Elective course Elective course
Year 2 Restricted elective course Thesis
Restricted elective course

Programme structure (thesis: 60 ECTS)

Compulsory courses: 15 ECTS
Restricted elective courses: 30 ECTS – see list of courses below
Elective courses: 15 ECTS
Thesis: 60 ECTS

Block 1 Block 2 Block 3 Block 4
Year 1 Environment, Society and Development Transformation of Cities and Landscapes: Globalisation and Local Strategies Restricted elective course Restricted elective course
Restricted elective course Restricted elective course Elective course Elective course
Year 2 Thesis

Restricted elective courses

Choose your restricted elective courses from the lists below. Click on each course for a detailed description.
NB: The list is based on the academic year 2020/2021 and is therefore only indicative. The final list of restricted elective courses in the academic year 2021/2022 is ready in spring 2021.

You are obliged to choose courses worth at least 15 ECTS from this list:

Choose your remaining courses from this list: