International Master's in Geophysics Karlsruhe Institute of Technology

The international Master's programme in Geophysics at KIT is research-oriented, has a strong focus on exploration and earthquake seismology as well as natural hazards and brings together theory and field experiments.

Students studying in the international Master's programme in Geophysics benefit from the strong expertise in exploration and earthquake seismology, for which the Geophysical Institute of KIT has been known worldwide for more than 50 years.

Compulsory courses cover a variety of aspects of earthquake seismology and seismics and can be combined with optional courses, field classes and summer schools or workshops to focus on individual interests.

This provides our students with the opportunity to cover the full range of geophysics from data acquisition to modelling, inversion and interpretation.

The programme is taught entirely in English.

In your first year, you will take part in compulsory courses covering topics of seismology, seismics, physics of seismic instruments, theory of seismic waves, and seismic modelling as well as inversion and tomography. Optional scientific courses include, among others, full-waveform inversion, seismic data processing, InSAR processing for earthquake source analysis, array techniques in seismology, 3D land seismics or courses on geological hazards and risk. You also have an opportunity to participate in lectures in the field (so-called in-situ lectures, see below), or choose electives from related scientific fields such as geology or geodesy.

A part of the study programme is related to soft skills and interdisciplinary qualifications where students can choose among different courses from the fields of languages, project management, scientific writing, presentation skills, or similar.

During your second year, you will be fully integrated in one of our research groups while working on your thesis in order to have an optimum preparation for your future work in science and industry.

Some time ago, the concept of in-situ lecturing was successfully established at KIT. In-situ lectures are taught at the place that is being studied, giving you the possibility to fully understand the physical dimensions and observe the whole range of parameters involved in the subject. Within the last years, in-situ lectures have led our students to the central Italian regions hit by earthquakes in the Apennines, deep into potash mines in Thuringia, to the Gotthard base tunnel, to seismically active regions in Germany and the Czech Republic, or to 3D active seismic experiments in the Upper Rhine Graben.

Sometimes, international summer schools and workshops are conducted (for instance in cooperation with Bandung Institute of Technology, Indonesia). Since KIT is part of the EUCOR universities, you can also choose lectures offered by our European partners (e.g. Strasbourg, France).

• Qualification for university entrance (e.g. Abitur, high school diploma, national test for university entrance, etc.)
• Bachelor's degree in one of the following subjects: geophysics, physics, mathematics, geosciences, mineralogy, geology, engineering sciences, or related subjects
  The Bachelor's degree has to be completed with a minimum of 180 ECTS points or within a regular period of study of at least three years. If the Bachelor's degree has not yet been conferred by the closing date for applications but will be completed before the registration, you can apply with a preliminary transcript of records.
• Profound knowledge of geophysics, mathematics and physics (usually a minimum of 36 credits in mathematics and physics combined and a minimum of 20 credits in geophysics during the Bachelor's studies)
  Missing credits in geophysics can be individually caught up during the first year. For immediate success, students without background in geophysics can take part in an interactive e-learning bridging course covering the most important topics from seismology and seismics.
• English language proficiency (see below)

For further details, take a look at the programme website.

Approx. 200 EUR per semester

Information about financial aid for international students: https://www.intl.kit.edu/istudies/12592.php

There is a large number of dorms for students in Karlsruhe. It is advised to apply early. Private accommodation can be found here. 

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KIT's campus lies on the Kaiserstraße, the main street of Karlsruhe, and it borders the Hardtwald Forest, a perfect place to take a leisurely stroll. The campus is almost 60 hectares in size. The proximity to Alsace and the mild climate of the Rhine River give the Baden metropolis an almost Mediterranean flair in the summer. Well known worldwide is the fan-like ground plan of the city, thanks to the Margrave Karl Wilhelm von Baden-Durlach. Founded in 1715, Karlsruhe is the second-largest city in the federal state of Baden-Württemberg.

It is also known as the "Residence of Justice", being the seat of Germany's two supreme courts (the Federal Constitutional Court and the Federal Supreme Court).

Karlsruhe lies in south-western Germany on the western edge of Baden-Württemberg, and it has about 300,000 residents. Located on the Rhine River, the city area borders the federal state of Rhineland-Palatinate in the north-west and the country of France in the west.

In Karlsruhe, welcoming new citizens has a special significance and tradition. This is reflected by the fact that the "Bürgerstiftung Karlsruhe" rewrote the original "Privilegienbrief" (Charter of Rights), with which the city's founder attracted new inhabitants. It was rewritten as the "Karlsruher Bürgerbrief" in 2015.

Karlsruhe enjoys many diverse leisure, culture, and sports options, which offer something for everyone. The city boasts a wide variety of cultural attractions, including the Baden State Theatre, numerous private theatres, cinemas, museums, and art galleries. "Das Fest", one of Germany's largest open-air festivals, takes place in Karlsruhe once a year.

The local economy is based on a well-developed structure of medium-sized businesses, particularly in forward-reaching technologies such as computer science, multimedia, control systems, energy technology, and environmental science as well as nanotechnology. Several major companies, among them Bosch, Siemens, Daimler AG, and Michelin, have production facilities in the region. Major research and development institutions (e.g. Fraunhofer Institute and the Intel research campus) are part of the reason why the innovative potential of this city and region is well known worldwide.