Applied Geography B.Sc.
Key Info
Basic Information
- Degree:
- Bachelor of Science
- Start of Studies:
- Winter Semester
- Standard Period of Studies:
- 6 semesters
- ECTS Credits:
- 180Mehr Informationen
What does that mean?
ECTS are credit points that measure the workload of one's studies.
- Language:
- German
Admission Requirements
-
Abitur or equivalent HZB
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What does that mean?
General higher education entrance qualification (Abitur), subject specific university entrance qualification, or an equally recognized university entrance qualification (HZB)
-
Proficiency in German
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What does that mean?
You must provide documentation of your language skills for the language of instruction at the time of enrollment. Exam regulations govern the details. You can find an overview of what skills you will typically need under Language Skills in the course of study description.
Admission to First Semester
- restricted
NC for WS 2013
Admission to Higher Semesters
- open
No NC for WS 2013
Enrollment Requirements
-
SelfAssessment
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SelfAssessment
RWTH Aachen self assessments are online advising processes for deciding what to study. Participation in one (rarely two) of these self assessments is mandatory. You can find which self assessment you need to take for this subject in the course of study description under "Prerequisites". You will need to show proof of participation in a subject specific self assessment in order to enroll (not to apply). You can print out the participation certificate yourself.
Dates and Deadlines
Geography deals with the surface of the earth in its spatial differentiation and human activities in their physical and social environment. It records and explains the factors and processes, that determine that structure and dynamics of natural, economic, and social spatial systems. These phenomena and processes are analyzed both individually and together, i.e. in their context as components of human-environment systems with complex interactions. Physical geography concentrates primarily on natural science research approaches and methods, and anthropogeography works from an economic-social science perspective.
Degree Content
At the RWTH Aachen Division of Geoscience and Geography, the central fundamentals of a modern geographic education are taught in the Master and Bachelor courses of study. A specialization is possible by choosing one of the available minors within the Applied Geography B.Sc., as well as in the subsequent M.Sc. course of study in either Applied Geography or Economic Geography. The Geography B.A. in the Faculty of Arts and Humanities offers a stronger social science focus, through the combination owith another social science or economic subject.
Goals
Studies should primarily impart skills, that make science-technical and social-economic knowledge applicable depending on the spatial context. Students should thus be enabled to aquire qualifications at various disciplinary and spatial levels, that correspond to scientific and application demands. A high level of interdisciplinarity serves as the prerequisite for complex problem perception.
Bachelor Course of Study Layout
Basic subject knowledge of geography as a whole (and a minor) is taught during the first year. Field exercises and excursions supplement this material. In the second year, the emphasis is on methodical fundamentals (primarily in the B.Sc.). The third year offers the possibility to immerse oneself in physical geography, urban and population geography, or commercial geography (primariyl in the B.Sc.). A Bachelor thesis concludes a student's studies in the 6th semester. Through the course of their studies, students must complete an at least one month internship.
Minors
Furthermore, RWTH Aachen's focus on science, technology, and engineering, offers a broad spectrum of possible minors as fields of specialization, that would not be available at other universities of this kind. Minors in the B.Sc. and M.Sc. courses of study can be chosen from a multitude of neighboring disciplines: Waste Management and Environmental Technology, Business Administration, Geologie, Computer Science, Mathematics, Mineral Resources Supply from Industrialized Countries, Urban Water Management, Urban Planning , Transportation and Spatial Planning, and Economics. The selection varies depending on the course of study.
Areas of Study
In Physcial Geography
- Analysis of abiotic (geoecological) structures and functions of landscapes and currents in ecosystesms of differing dimensions
- Analysis of current and previous forms and processes of the earth and its surface
- Natural or nearly natural bodies of water and their development potential
- Analysis of urban and regional climates, impacts of climate variability on the economy and environment
In Cultural Geography (Population and Urban Geography)
- Human behavior against the backdrop of culture specific values, norms, and ideals
- Within population geography: the spatial divisions and structures of the population, the components and causes of demographic change and migration, as well as their effects on cities and regions
- Within urban geography: urban structures and processes under the influence of cultural, socioeconomic, demographic, and political-planning conditions, in a local, regional, and global perspective
In Economic Geography
- Structures and functions of economic spaces, their economic potential, and their valorization possibilities
- Evaluation of industrial and agricultural production originating elsewhere, and their services
- Change and dynamics of economic spaces as the result of technical development and political influence
In Methodical Training
- Cartographic outline methods and geostatistical processes
- Geographic information systems (GIS), visualization and presentation of geographic issues and processes
- Geoscientific remote sensing methods
- Survey and evaluation of empirical data within projects and field exercises
Prerequisites
Enrollment Prerequisite
RWTH "Georessources and Materials Technology" Self Assessment
Career Prospects
Career fields are numerous and the occupational outlook is high due to the practical and quantitative orientation of the course of study. Graduates are active both domestically and abroad in the following fields:
- Companies in private industry: site management, marketing, coordination activities, PR activities, controlling, consulting, editorial office activities, IT managment, media companies, environmental protection/consulting, telecommunications, city management, real estate, finance, traffic management, cross-border coordination, EU-oriented consulting responsibilities, tourism, and recreation
- Public administration: spatial and urban planning, regional development and management, environmental management, nature conservation planning, neighborhood and city management, economic promotion, GIS supported planning and coordination activities, development assistance,international authorities
- Self-employment: The vocational qualification offers good possibilities for under taking self-employment activities, e.g. in consulting offices or service enterprises as an external contractor for the professional fields listed above.
Master's Degree Prospects
RWTH Aachen offers two further Master courses of study:
Examination Regulations
Exam regulations regulate academic goals, the course of study layout, and exam procedures. The appendix to the regulations contains the description of the modules, from which the course of study is composed.
Faculty
The Bachelor course of study Applied Geography is offered by the Division of Earth Sciences and Geography in the Faculty of Georesources and Materials Engineering.