Exkursionen

Infosheet Excursions (de)  (PDF, 81 KB)

Confirmation of Field Trips (de)

Submission of the Field Trip Confirmation 

 

This list of field trips provides an overview of elective modules and MSc core elective modules that include field trips. For modules requiring registration via OLAT, the links are updated regularly, and emails are typically sent out when the registration period begins. In addition to the field trip modules listed here, there are also external field trips, such as the Alumni Field Trips.

Some registration and field trip dates have not yet been announced. The list is being updated on a regular basis.

Spring Semester - Elective modules

Natural hazards and risks of the cryosphere and in high mountain.
Excursion visits Macugnaga (Italy), Saas and Matter valleys.

Module name: GEO 705 Macugnaga
ECTS: 2
Field trip led by: C. Huggel & H. Frey
Date: 27.06.2026 - 29.06.2026
Registration period: 23.03.2026 - 31.05.2026
Registration: OLAT
Remarks: Elective, 3 days

>Excursion to Sicily with a focus on Physical Geography: Landscape history, soils, agricultural land use, and natural hazards.
→ By booking this module, you confirm the following authorization clause:

Module name: GEO 708 Sicily Excursion – Diversity of Landscape, soils and land use
ECTS: 3
Field trip led by: M. Egli
Date: 07.06.2026 - 14.06.2026
Registration period: 
Registration: OLAT
Remarsk: Elective, 7 days

Exkursion Zentralschweiz (Meggerwald, Adligenswil; Bodenlehrpfad, Nassböden, Messungen in situ, Profilaufnahme) mit Schwerpunkt Physischer Geographie: Landschaftsgeschichte, Böden, agrarische Nutzung.

Module name: GEO 709 Soil formation
ECTS: 1
Field trip led by: M. Egli
Date: 21.05.2026
Registration period: see course catalogue (VVZ)
Registration: Module booking
Remarks: Elective, 1 day

Smartphone-geführte, selbständige Exkursionen zum Thema Wasser

Besuch der Einführungsveranstaltung obligatorisch. Selbständiger Besuch von zwei verschiedenen Exkursionen (halber Tag zu Fuss in Baden und ganzer Tag mit dem Velo oder per ÖV entlang der Juragewässerkorrektion, Raum Biel), geführt von der App Actionbound, an beliebigem Datum. Anschliessend zusätzliche Abgabe eines schriftlichen Leistungsnachweises.

Module name: GEO 710 Selbstgeführte Wasser-Exkursion in Baden und am Bielersee
ECTS: 1
Field trip led by: J. Seibert / F. Clerc
Date: arbitrary date
Registration period: see course catalogue (VVZ)
Registration: Module booking
Remarks: Elective, Any 2 days, guided by the Actionbound app, with written assessmenty

Spring Semester - MSc Core elective modules

This Module is focused on introducing field methods and their application for investigating processes in high mountain environments (glaciers, permafrost, geomorphology,...). Besides getting familiar with specific methods and field equipment (including ice-penetrating radar, temperature logging, melt measurements and modelling, geomorphological mapping, sampling strategies...) it conveys the development and practical aspects of field-project studies in high mountains areas. 

Module name: GEO 411  Field course High Mountain Processes
ECTS: 6
Field trip led by: A. Vieli
Date: 17.08.2026 - 21.08.2026
Registration period: see course catalogue (VVZ)
Registration: Module booking
Remarks: Lecture, Field trip (5 days)

Module GEO433 offers in-depth engagement with agriculture, food production and food consumption in our global times.

Module name: GEO 433 Global Economic Geographies of Agriculture and Food Systems
ECTS: 6
Field trip led by: C. Berndt
Date: 21.05.2026 -  22.05.2026
Registration period: see course catalogue (VVZ)
Registration: Module booking
Remarks: Lecture, Exercises, Field trip (2 days)

In diesem Kurs werden hydrologische Feldmesstechniken vorgestellt und angewendet. Mit diesen Messtechniken können verschiedene hydrologische Prozesse untersucht werden, beispielsweise die Schneehydrologie und die Abflussbildung. Die Planung und Analyse von Feldversuchen ist ein wichtiger Bestandteil der Lehrveranstaltung.

Module name: GEO 471 Hydrological field measurements and calculations
ECTS: 6
Field trip led by: I. v. Meerveld
Date: -
Registration period: see course catalogue (VVZ)
Registration: Module booking
Remarks: Lecture, Exercises, 4 Excursions

In this module, students will learn about approaches used in biogeochemistry and in situ surveys e.g. in research surveys or extension work. Students will select suitable methods from a variety of presented field and laboratory techniques to address open research questions. In the fall semester, lecturers will present the different methods and their use, and teams will prepare and defend a short project concept.

In the spring semester, teams will practice using techniques, and develop a project concept into a short research plan including all steps, from hypothesis statements through data collection to analysis, using an electronic notebook format and Python or R. They will then conduct 2-3 days of field work at the long-term observation site Lägeren (Baden) to perform measurements and collect plant and soil samples according to their project. In the following week, the obtained samples will be prepared and analyzed, followed by data evaluation and presentation of the results.

Module name: ESS 842 Analyzing the plant-soil system
ECTS: 6
Field trip led by: G. Wiesenberg
Date:  08.06.2026 - 12.06.2026 (Field trip); 15.06.2026 - 26.06.2026 (GeoLabs)
Registration period: see course catalogue (VVZ)
Registration: Module booking
Remarks: Exercises, Field trip (4 days)

Fall semester - Elective modules

This module gives a hands-on introduction into current topics of glacier and high mountain research. It is split in three parts: a preparatory session, a field excursion to Rhonegletscher, and project work. The field excursion provides the opportunity to take a closer look at processes on, within, under and in vicinity of the glacier. These processes include micro-structure of ice, ice deformation, glacier hydrology, glacier mass balance, long-term glacier changes and perglacial processes such as moraine formation/erosion, and proglacial lake and fluvial systems.

Module name: GEO 704 Rhonegletscher
ECTS: 1
Field trip led by: G. Wiesenberg
Date:  15.09.2026 - 16.09.2026
Registration period: until June 2026
Registration: OLAT
Remarks: Elective, 1/2 day preparation on campus, 1 day in the field

Smartphone-geführte, selbständige Exkursionen zum Thema Wasser. Selbständiger Besuch von zwei verschiedenen Exkursionen (halber Tag zu Fuss in Baden und ganzer Tag mit dem Velo oder per ÖV entlang der Juragewässerkorrektion, Raum Biel), geführt von der App Actionbound, an beliebigem Datum. Anschliessend zusätzliche Abgabe eines schriftlichen Leistungsnachweises. Alle Informationen werden in Form eines Syllabus und der Aufzeichnung einer Einführungsvorlesung zur Verfügung gestellt (keine Präsenzveranstaltung). .

Module name: GEO 710 Selbstgeführte Wasser-Exkursion in Baden und am Bielersee
ECTS: 1
Field trip led by: J. Seibert / F. Clerc
Date:arbitrary date
Registration period: see course catalogue (VVZ)
Registration: Module booking
Remarks: Elective, any 2 days, guided by the Actionbound app, with written assessment

The module focuses on the application of GIS and remote sensing for biodiversity monitoring in the Swiss National Park (SNP). It consists of a two-day field trip: on one day, a guided tour of the SNP is conducted, and on the second day, students work in groups on GIS and remote sensing projects. They then conduct further analyses in groups over a period of two months and subsequently write a scientific report summarizing their analyses and results. At the end of the module, the groups present their results in front of the class.

Excursion topics: Types of environmental monitoring; long-term monitoring in the SNP; landscape changes; the importance of spatial data for monitoring and nature conservation; remote sensing in monitoring and nature conservation (drone, aircraft, and satellite data); field mapping applications to support on-site data collection; wildlife ecology and wildlife monitoring (GPS collars, acoustic loggers, camera traps); management and presentation of monitoring data. Possible topics for group work include: satellite data for phenological monitoring; creation of biodiversity products using remote sensing data; habitat analysis using image spectroscopy or high-resolution aerial photographs; spatial analysis of drone-based anthill mapping; spatial analysis of current monitoring and research activities in the SNP.

Module name: GEO 715 App. of GIS in Prot. Areas
ECTS: 3
Field trip led by: M.Santos/ Christian Rossi
Date:01.10.2026 - 02.10.2026
Registration period: 01.06.2026, 10:00 Uhr - 31.07.2026
Registration: OLAT
Remarks: Elective, 3 seminars during the semester, Field trip (2 days), 2 lectures after the excursion

 

 

 

Das Modul besteht aus einer zweitägigen Exkursion in das Biosphärenreservat Engiadina Val Müstair (BEVM) und in den Schweizerischen Nationalpark, der die Kernzone des BEVM bildet. Folgende Themen werden dabei angesprochen:

Regionalentwicklung, Akzeptanz von Schutzgebieten durch die Bevölkerung, Wertvorstellungen, Vergrösserung des Perimeters sowie verschiedene Forschungen im Nationalpark und im Biosphärenreservat.

Neben dem Lesen einer Vorbereitungslektüre werden während der Exkursion Aufgaben gelöst, die in einem kurzen Bericht zusammengefasst werden..

Module name: GEO 721 Biosphärenreservat Engiadina Val Müstair
ECTS: 1
Field trip led by: N. Backhaus
Date:31.08.2026 - 01.09.2026
Registration period: from 13.04.2026
Registration: OLAT
Remarks: Elective, 2 days

Switzerland’s third largest urban agglomeration of Basel extends across Swiss borders into French and German territories, bringing with it unique opportunities and challenges in terms of urban planning, mobility, and governance in Basel as well as its adjacent towns and cities. Rather than approaching northwestern Switzerland’s tri-national, metropolitan region from its supposed center, this excursion interrogates how this this transborder condition and the cross-border initiatives that have sprung from it affects urban development and everyday life in the French town and agglomeration of Saint-Louis. Participants will learn about the region’s history of cross-border cooperation before exploring its effects on Saint-Louis’s urban form and fabric using field-based methods. Site visits will include the Euroairport, Quartier de la Gare de Saint-Louis, and various spaces at and along the French-Swiss border. While multiple initiatives and efforts have sought greater territorial cohesion in this tri-national space over the years, the field course emphasizes a critical interrogation of enduring challenges and urban asymmetries as they materialize in Saint-Louis in particular.

Module name: GEO 722 Transborder Urbanism: Situating Saint-Louis (FR)
ECTS: 3
Field trip led by: M. Larsen
Date:21.10.2026 - 23.10.2026
Registration period: 15.06.2026 - 01.08.2026
Registration: OLAT 
Remarks: 4 seminars during the semester (October), Field trip (3 days)

Includes a 1-day lab modeling part, and a 3-day field part (Lauterbrunnen). The maximum number of participants is limited to 20 people.

Module name:GEO 805 Field course Natural hazards and risk assessment 
ECTS: 3
Field trip led by: C. Huggel
Date:08.09.2026 - 11.09.2026
Registration period: from 13.04.2026, 12:00
Registration: OLAT
Remarks: (MSc) elective, 4 days of which 3 are in the field

Includes a 1-day lab modeling part, and a 3-day field part (Lauterbrunnen). The maximum number of participants is limited to 20 people.

Module name:GEO 992 Lernorte für Geographie und Geographiedidaktik
ECTS: 3
Field trip led by: I. Bauer
Date:Sep.-Dec., ind. dates of the excursion group
Registration period: see course catalogue (VVZ)
Registration: Module booking
Remarks: Seminar, Field trip

Fall Semester - BSc/MSc Core elective modules

Freiwillige Vertiefung in Physischer Geographie.

In dieser Lehrveranstaltung erhalten Sie Einblicke in die vielseitigen Aufgaben der angewandten Bodenkunde aus Forschung und Praxis in den Bereichen Altlasten, Agrar- und Forstsysteme, und aktuellen Forschungsprojekten zum System Boden-Pflanze im globalen Wandel.

Module nameGEO 342 Applied Soil Science
ECTS: 3
Field trip led by: M. Schmidt
Date:01.10.2026
Registration period: see course catalogue (VVZ)
Registration: Module booking
Remarks: Lecture, practical field work

The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are a collection of 17 global goals interacting with each other, which are designed to be the blueprint to achieve a better and more sustainable future for all. The 2030 Agenda for SDGs is adopted by all United Nations Member States.

Module name:GEO 344 Hydrological Processes
ECTS: 3
Field trip led by: I. v. Meerveld
Date:26.09.2026
Registration period: see course catalogue (VVZ)
Registration: Module booking
Remarks: Lecture, exercises, field measurements

Principles and techniques of numerical (Dendrochronology, radiocarbon, other cosmogenic nuclides, ...) and relative dating (weathering indices) of environmental archives are taught. Specific applications in geosciences such as geology, glaciology, hydrology and natural risks are discussed.

Module name: GEO 417 & 418 Field course Environmental Archives Sulden
ECTS: 6
Field trip led by: M. Egli
Date: TBA
Registration period: see course catalogue (VVZ)
Registration: Module booking
Remarks: Annual module, starting in the fall semester: intensive course in January, field trip in the spring semester

The seminar course GEO432.1 "Gender, Work and Space" invites students to engage in a critical debate around the inequalities encountered in today's cities. The course draws on a rich body of literature which includes feminist geography, deconstructing established binaries and categories, and Black and anti-racist scholarship. It discusses critiques of neoliberalism, capitalism and low-wage labour. Furthermore, it includes a guest lecture at the end of the semester.

Module name: GEO 432 Gender, Work and Space
ECTS: 3
Field trip led by: K. Schwiter
Date: likely 8.12.2026 - 19.12.2026
Registration period: see course catalogue (VVZ)
Registration: Module booking
Remarks: Lecture, exercises, Field trip (2 days)

This lecture series provides a comprehensive training in glacier mass balance measurements and analysis based on best practices of the World Glacier Monitoring Service. Although focused on glaciers, this course provides concepts and tools that are generally applicable to the monitoring of environmental variables. We introduce both glaciological and geodetic methods for assessing glacier mass balance and guide the participants through the full process from designing an observation concept, to glaciological point measurements in the field and the calculation of glacier-wide balances. Furthermore, we discuss the assessment of uncertainties in the context of validation and calibration of entire mass balance series and its relevance for regional and global mass balance analysis.

Module name:GEO 851 Field course Glacier Mass Balance Measurements and Analysis
ECTS: 3
Field trip led by: M. Zemp
Date: 18.09.2026 - 19.09.2026
Registration period: see course catalogue (VVZ)
Registration: Module booking
Remarks: 3 days

Please feel free to send any comments or information regarding additional excursions toteaching-support@geo.uzh.ch.