Master's student at GEO: an overview

Shortly after you start the master’s program in geosciences, you must submit the master’s agreement. Your master’s agreement clarifies the rights and obligations for you as a student and is a contract between the student, supervisor, and department.

You fill out the master’s agreement in consultation with your main supervisor. The completed and signed agreement must be submitted to the study administration for approval by the program board by October 1st if starting in the fall semester, or by March 1st if starting in the spring semester.

Template for the master’s agreement in Norwegian can be found here: Masteravtale GEO - norsk
Template for the master’s agreement in English can be found here: Masteragreement GEO - English

Photo:

V. Dimmen

As a master’s student, you will become part of a larger research project in academia, and you will get to participate in exciting research. Your supervisor may have certain requirements and expectations of you, and it can be difficult to know what is expected.

Therefore, we have compiled some points in this short document to give students and supervisors a simple overview of what we expect from you as a master’s student and what you can expect from your supervisor(s). Read through the document carefully and feel free to bring it to your first meeting with your supervisor for a clarification of expectations.

Before you leave for field work, you must familiarize with UiB's guidelines for health, environment and safety (HSE) at field, cruises and group travels for both students and employees at the UiB. 

GEO's routines and safety rules you will find here.  

Routines for participants of field courses, field work and cruises at UiB

Travel related reimbursment

If you have been on an cruise/fieldwork in connection with your master’s work or have other reimbursements to claim, you must submit a travel expense report through the BetalMeg solution to UiB. Contact the study administration to find out how to fix this for your case.

If you have an employment contract (e.g., as a teaching assistant), you will already have access to the BetalMeg solution, but be aware that you must change the “project number” when you submit the travel expense report. You will get the project number from your supervisor.

If you do not have access to BetalMeg, this must be set up before you can submit a travel expense report - contact the study administration. It is advisable to request access to BetalMeg before the start of the trip and submit the travel expense report as soon as the trip is over.

Add documentation when you submit the travel expense report about the purpouse of the travel and who has approved the expenses (e.g., e-mail from supervisor?).

Photo:

V. Dimmen

For the master’s program in geosciences, you will be assigned or shape a master’s project with your supervisor already at the start of the first semester of the program. The master’s thesis is worth 60 credits and should document the master’s project, thus representing the research component of the master’s study. The master’s thesis is usually the student’s first opportunity for independent, scientific authorship. 

Here you find a short set of guidelines of how a master's thesis in Earth sciences can be written.

After you have submitted a master’s thesis at the Department of Earth Science, the thesis will be evaluated by an examination committee consisting of one internal and one external examiner, and you will present your findings in a public presentation at the department. The supervisor is responsible for assembling the examination committee and setting the date for the presentation, while the study administration books the venue and ensures all documentation is in order. Master’s presentations are announced in the department’s calendar: GEO calendar.

The presentation should last about 30 minutes, and the audience can ask questions when you are finished. After the presentation and potential questions from the audience, the examination committee will ask questions and discuss the thesis with you in a closed meeting. The discussion usually lasts 0.5-1 hour. When the discussion is over, you will leave the room while the examiners discuss the final grade. Once they agree, you will be invited back into the room, and your grade will be announced.

Your supervisor is usually present for both the presentation and the following examination.

In neccessary, the entire master’s examination can be conducted digitally via Zoom. It is also possible to conduct the examination with the external examiner participating digitally if they cannot be present.

 Here you can see which criteria your Master's theses are evaluated on.

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V. Dimmen

The student welfare committee for students at GEO (Geovitenskapelig fagutvalg) - organizes Master's office seats, teaching and learning environment. Contact (email): fagutvalg@geo.uib.no, Facebook.

• Mjøllnir (Facebook) - social fellowship for geology students
• Seismologen (Facebook) - social fellowship for geophysics students

iEarth (with student representatives and a student welfare organizartion (the iEarth students): SFU iEarth (Centre for exellent teahing in Earth sciences): GeOracle, Teacher's and student's retreat, education development

The department board (with student representatives) - approves GEOs budgets and accounting and decides on GEOs strategic choices. 

The programme committee (with student representatives) - make the decisions on our study programs, application for leaves, extensions and course changes (amongst other thisngs).

Follow GEO UiB on Facebook and Instragram (@uibgeo)!

Resources outside GEO

Rules and procedures at the Faculty of Mathematics and Sciences. 

Student life at our faculty. 

Sammen - the student welfare orgnization: housing, health care, gyms, courses, social arrangements etc.