About us

Welcome to the Chair of Geology of the Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences.

The Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences is a scientific institution of the School of Geosciences of the Ludwig-Maximilians University of Munich (LMU). We are also part of the Munich GeoCenter, an established network of research and teaching.

For those interested in studying geology, we offer a joint program (LMU and TUM) for a Bachelor Degree in Geosciences, and an internationally competitive Master Degree Program in Geology. Our Master Program is entirely in English and allows specialization in a range of topics. We place great emphasis on a judicious combination of modern quantiative skills and traditional field mapping and rock identification skills.

The faculty’s research expertise is directly reflected in the curriculum, with key focus areas including Active Tectonics and Earthquake Studies, Global Geology and Stratigraphy, Earth Surface Processes, Geological Remote Sensing, Natural Hazards, Economic Geology of Mineral Resources, and Exploration Geology.

We offer unique field opportunities in analogue and digital geological mapping across a range of spatial scales and climatic regions—including some remote and challenging environments—providing students with hands-on experience in diverse geological settings. Students may opt to enhance their laboratory skills in our Geological Laboratory facility.

The new Master's degree program in Geology will launch in Fall 2026, with international applications opening in December 2025.

Panoramic view of the Kaibab monocline and "Powell's great unconformity" exposed at the easternmost portion of the Grand Canyon, at Desert View Point. The photo was taken during the 2010 West USA geological field school of the University of Munich (September 2010, © A. Friedrich).