Bachelor of Science in Earth Sciences in a Changing World
BSc
DURATION
3 years
LANGUAGES
English
PACE
Full time
APPLICATION DEADLINE
EARLIEST START DATE
TUITION FEES
PLN 16,000 / per year
STUDY FORMAT
On-Campus
Key Summary
About: The Bachelor of Science in Earth Sciences in a Changing World program offers an in-depth exploration of the Earth's systems and how they interact with climate change and human activity.
Students engage in hands-on learning and scientific inquiry, preparing them for real-world environmental challenges.
This program emphasizes critical thinking and problem-solving skills through a comprehensive curriculum.
Career Outcomes: Graduates can pursue various career paths, including roles in environmental consulting, conservation, research, and education.
Opportunities exist in both government agencies and private sectors, as well as in academia.
This degree equips students with the knowledge necessary for effective climate action and sustainability efforts.
Earth Sciences in a Changing World is an undergraduate interdisciplinary program that offers a rigorous international and comparative perspective on the contemporary global system. Its mission is to foster creative thinking about complex global problems and to equip students with the analytical tools and cross-cultural understanding to guide them in that process. The main goal of the program is to provide basic knowledge in geography, geology, and anthropogenic transformations in the environment and their impact on the lives of local communities and global change. Students gain the ability to observe and interpret phenomena and conduct basic analytical work both individually and teamwork. They also develop adaptability to changing socio-economic environments, civic responsibility, and independence.
The Faculty of Geography and Geology was established in 2017. It is one of the youngest faculties at the oldest Polish university, which, drawing on tradition, uses modern solutions. It was granted the category A by the Ministry of Science and Higher Education. Programs conducted at the Faculty have been leading in rankings prepared by the Education Foundation “Perspektywy” for many years.
Research conducted by scientists from the Faculty of Geography and Geology uses the potential of geographic and geological sciences by addressing the current problems, dilemmas of our civilization, and the needs of modern humans. The areas of interest of research projects are, i.e. the human impact on the environment, artificial intelligence, sustainable development, or the study of Mars.
The Faculty of Geography and Geology is located at the Campus of the 600th Anniversary of the JU Revival. The Faculty consists of two institutes: the Institute of Geography and Spatial Management and the Institute of Geological Sciences. Classes are taught in the Faculty’s buildings using cutting-edge research and didactic infrastructure (i.e., specialized labs and analysis equipment labs) and in the form of field activities in Poland and abroad.
In the program curriculum, you may find information about the subjects you will attend while studying this program. The program indicates which subjects are scheduled for each semester of the studies, which are mandatory, which belong to the group of elective subjects (so-called optional subjects), which of them end with an exam, and which do not. Each subject in such a program curriculum has its syllabus, which is a description of what students learn within the scope of that subject.
Semester 1
- Cultural heritage and development
- Energy sources
- Geoethics
- Introduction to Chemistry
- Meteorology and climatology
- Minerals of selected geological environments
- Physical geology
- Foreign language
- Health and Safety Training
- History of life
- Medical geology
- Scientific information acquisition
- Topography application in field trips
Semester 2
- Anthropocene
- Dynamic geology field trips
- Geomorphology
- Global social and economic issues
- Hydrology and Hydrogeology
- Introduction to GIS, Cartography, and Remote Sensing
- Industrial technologies and their environmental impact
- Soil science and soil survey
- The Earth-Life system evolution through time
- Foreign language
- Geological mapping
- Geotourism
- Geological project
- Green Economy (GE) in Cities and Regions
- Protection of geodiversity
Semester 3
- Environmental Geochemistry
- Methods of mineralogical and chemical analyses
- Petrology and evolution of the lithosphere
- Statistics in Earth Sciences
- Foreign language
- Physical Education
- Biotic response to environmental changes in modern and fossil ecosystems
- Introduction to remote sensing
- Mass extinctions in the Earth's history
- The Baltic Sea Region – Nature and Man
Semester 4
- Geochemistry
- Geohazards and risk management
- Geological field trips: ore deposits, historical mining, anthropopression
- Introduction to Economic Geography
- Legal aspects of environmental protection
- Foreign language
- Physical Education
- Evolution of urban structures and milieus
- Exploitation of deposits: Social, economic, and ethical issues
- Geography Seminar Series
- GIS for Urban Policy and Practice
- Introduction to Atmospheric Sciences
- Isotopes in the studies of environmental pollution
- Principles of Glaciology
- Techniques and technologies in environmental protection
- Transport and land use
Semester 5
- Climate changes in the past and the future perspective
- Geology of mineral resources
- Licencjat (Bachelor) degree seminar
- Licencjat (Bachelor) degree laboratory
- Sedimentary environments and processes of sedimentation
- Urban, rural, and population geography
- Global environmental change
- Knowledge-Based Economy and Society from Local and Regional Perspective
- Practicals in ore geology – evaporates
- Practicals in ore geology – Zn-Pb ores
- Soil erosion and conservation
Semester 6
- Landscape ecology
- Licencjat (Bachelor) degree seminar
- Licencjat (Bachelor) degree laboratory
- Novel materials and raw materials in the future
- Air pollution: Contemporary challenge
- Environmental Management
- Environmental mineralogy
- Fossil fuels
- Role of education in environmental protection and sustainable development implementation
- Soil, water, and natural resources protection
- Solid waste management
- Strategies of adaptation to climate change
- Sustainable development in raw materials management
- Volunteer project
Rankings, Distinctions, Accreditations
Scientific Category A in the main discipline of Earth and Environmental Sciences was awarded to the Jagiellonian University in Kraków by the decision of the Minister of Education and Science.
The graduate of Earth Sciences in a Changing World program has good preparation in the field of geography and geology and the ability to identify and describe the anthropogenic changes that occur in the environment. A graduate can assess the natural, social, and economic impacts of natural and anthropogenic changes in the environment. Additionally, has mastered the basic methods of environmental management and principles of sustainable development. The graduate can independently observe, interpret, and predict phenomena, suggest a positive solution, and prepare expertise.
Studies can be undertaken by people who hold:
- Polish Matura (2005–2024)
- Polish maturity certificate (issued up until 2005)
- International Baccalaureate
- European Baccalaureate
- International secondary education document: another document entitling its holder to undertake first- or long-cycle studies in its country of issue.