GEO4420 – Glaciology
Course description
Schedule, syllabus and examination date
Course content
The course provides an in-depth overview of glaciers with a focus on the processes related to glacier mass balance, ice motion and glacier instabilities, and the response of glaciers to climate change.
Learning outcome
After completing the course, you will
- have gained an understanding of the physics of glaciers, in particular glacier mass balance, ice dynamics and hydrology
- be able to analyze and interpret glaciological data
- have gained experience in modelling glacier behaviour
- be able to examine and discuss glaciological topics critically
- be able to communicate glaciological research in written and oral form effectively
Admission to the course
Students admitted at UiO must apply for courses in Studentweb. Students enrolled in other master's degree programmes can, on application, be admitted to the course if this is cleared by their own study programme.
Nordic citizens and applicants residing in the Nordic countries may apply to take this course as a single course student.
If you are not already enrolled as a student at UiO, please see our information about admission requirements and procedures for international applicants.
Formal prerequisite knowledge
Recommended previous knowledge
GEO2210 – Geomorphology or other bachelor's level courses in glaciology
Overlapping courses
- 10 credits overlap with GEO9420 – Glaciology.
- 5 credits overlap with AG-325.
- 5 credits overlap with AG-825.
Teaching
Teaching consists of lectures, computing labs and seminars including student presentations. The presentation (oral and written) will count towards the final grade.
There will be up to 5 days of mandatory excursion.
Attendance at the first lecture is compulsory. Students who fail to meet are considered to have withdrawn from the course unless they have previously given notice to the Student administration (studieinfo@geo.uio.no).
We reserve the right to change the teaching form and examination of the course in semesters where 5 or fewer students have been admitted.
To attend the field trip / excursion it is required that you have passed the following HSE training:
General information about excursions at the Department of Geosciences
As the teaching involves laboratory and/or fieldwork, you should consider taking out a separate travel and personal risk insurance. Read about your insurance coverage as a student.
Cost of taking the course
Participation in the excursion is mandatory. The excursion has a fee of NOK 150 per day (if accommodation).
Examination
- Written and oral presentations of the glaciological project work count 30% towards the final grade.
- A final oral examination counts 70% towards the final grade.
- Both the presentation of the prescribed topic and the final examination must be passed separately to pass the course.
If more than 8 students are admitted for the course, the final examination may be held as a written examination.
It is possible to take the exam up to 3 times. If you withdraw from the exam after the deadline or during the exam, this will be counted as an examination attempt.
It will also be counted as one of the three attempts to sit the exam for this course if you sit the exam for the following course:
Examination support material
Language of examination
Courses taught in English will only offer the exam paper in English.
You may write your examination paper in Norwegian, Swedish, Danish or English.
Grading scale
Grades are awarded on a scale from A to F, where A is the best grade and F is a fail. Read more about the grading system.
Resit an examination
Students who can document a valid reason for absence from the regular examination are offered a postponed examination at the beginning of the next semester.
Re-scheduled examinations are not offered to students who withdraw during, or did not pass, the original examination.
More about examinations at UiO
- Use of sources and citations
- Special exam arrangements due to individual needs
- Withdrawal from an exam
- Illness at exams / postponed exams
- Explanation of grades and appeals
- Resitting an exam
- Cheating/attempted cheating
You will find further guides and resources at the web page on examinations at UiO.