Individual study plan

The Bern-Fribourg Master Curriculum allows for considerable freedom in the choice of courses and thesis topics. You will therefore require some personal guidance, and so the first step in beginning a Master Degree is to contact a lecturer in the preferred Specialty (Module B) - somebody who might be able to supervise the Master thesis (Module D). This should be done well before the beginning of the first semester of study (so that important courses in the first weeks of semester are not missed owing to lack of planning). The lecturers in the five different Specialties are listed in the respective descriptions. Alternatively, you can obtain helpful information from the Coordinators of the Specialty.

Once a potential Thesis Supervisor has been found, you should arrange for a personal interview. The aim of this meeting is to create an individual study plan that satisfies your interests and aims, but that also makes sense from practical, academic and professional points of view. The template for this plan is the "Datasheet", in which details of the candidate, the list of courses and important deadlines are noted. Along with the choice of courses and thesis topic, questions such as your career aspirations and your source of funding for the 2 years of study will be discussed. The completed “Data Sheet” is then forwarded before Friday September 3th, but preferably earlier by email to .

A three-member Advisory Committee will be drawn together from the pool of lecturers, including the Thesis Supervisor. The Committee will review and approve your Individual Study Plan. During the course of the 2-year curriculum, the Committee will provide advice if any changes have to be made to the plan, and it will serve as a forum to discuss problems or new opportunities.

Once the list of courses is planned in the Datasheet, you must register for each course. MOST IMPORTANTLY, towards the end of the semester, you must register separately for each examination (see "Regulations").

University of Bern | Institute of Geological Sciences | Baltzerstrasse 1+3 | CH-3012 Bern |
Tel.: +41 (0)31 631 87 61 | Fax: +41 (0)31 631 48 43 |

University of Fribourg | Dépt. Géosciences ; Ch. du Musée 6 - Pérolles ; CH-1700 Fribourg |
Tel:  +41 (0)26 300 89 70 ; Fax: +41 (0)26 300 97 42 |