Understanding Earth
Explore the principles of the Geosciences and the links between the different Earth processes and parts of the Earth system!
← Back to courses- CIVIS focus area
- Climate, environment and energy
- Open to
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- Bachelor's
- Master's
- PhD candidates/ students
- PhD candidates/ students
- Field of studies
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- Environment & Agriculture
- Natural Sciences and Mathematics
- Social Science and humanities
- Environmental sciences, Urbanism, Geography
- Type
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- Blended Intensive Programmes (BIP)
- Course dates
- 27 April - 18 June 2026
- Apply by
- 30 October 2025 Apply now
The course covers climate, climate change, plate tectonics, rock-forming processes, geobiology, volcanoes, earthquakes, surface processes (glacial, river, wind, and hillslope environments), climate, water cycle, and ocean circulation. It is based on the course book "Understanding Earth" by John Grotzinger and Thomas H Jordan.
The course consists of an online part (virtual mobility) and a field part (physical mobility).
Main topics addressed
The course will focus on the following thematic areas:
- Plate tectonics
- Climate
- Volcanism
- Earthquakes
- Rocks forming processes
- Surface processes
- Geobiology
Learning outcomes
After the completion of the course, students are expected to:
- Explain basic geoscientific principles especially of relevance to climate and environment,
- Interpret past climates and environments from landscapes, sediments and rocks
- Engage in academic discussions concerning past climates and environments, and about geological processes
- Reflect over the meanings of human and geologic timescales, and
- Communicate their knowledge to a transdisciplinary audience.
| Dates: 27 April - 18 June 2026 | Total workload: 159 hours |
| Format: Blended | ECTS: 6* |
| Location: Stockholm, Sweden | Language: English (B2) |
| Contact: alasdair.skelton@geo.su.se |
*recognition of ECTS depends on your home university
Physical mobility
The 5-day physical mobility will be held near Stockholm on the islands of Utö and Nåttarö in the Stockholm Archipelago from April 27th to May 1st, 2026.
In this spectacular natural laboratory, we will work on multiple timescales, exploring a 2-billion-year legacy of volcanism, early life and the rise of oxygen on Earth, in a landscape that was been shaped both by the ice sheets that once covered northern Europe, and by the humans who came afterwards. While in the field, you will find out how geologists read about the past by studying rocks, sediments and landforms. Together, we will reflect on the importance of understanding the past when we face challenges of the future.
Virtual part
The virtual part will be running from 4th May to 18th June, 2026.
It comprises online learning material (recorded lectures, quizzes) as well as online instructor-led discussions:
This part of the course is based on the excellent book "Understanding Earth" by John Grotzinger and Thomas H Jordan. You will read this book, watch pre-recorded lectures which bring its contents to life, and meet with your instructors each week to reflect on what you have learned and why it is important from the perspectives of your own discipline and the disciplines of the other scholars with whom you will be studying.
The online part of the course consists of 7 paired sessions (reading material, pre-recorded lectures, online quizzes and an instructor-led online discussion). Online discussions are held from 18:00 – 20:00 CEST according to the following schedule. These discussions are an obligatory part of the course.
- May 7th: Earth system and plate tectonics
- May 14th: Rock-forming processes and volcanoes
- May 21st: Rock-forming processes and earthquakes
- May 28th: Climate and humans
- June 4th: Water and ice
- June 11th: Surface processes
- June 18th: Planetary history and geobiology
Assessment
Students will be assessed based on the following:
- The physical part will be assessed based on a field report (weighted 20%)
- The virtual part will be assessed based on online quizzes (weighted 80%)
The programme is open to Bachelor's, Master's and PhD students enrolled in CIVIS member universities from all academic backgrounds.
An experience/academic backround in Geoscience, Climate, Transdisciplinarity, Fieldwork is highly appreciated.
Proficiency in English (minimum B2 level) is required, as the course will be conducted in English and implies active participation from all students.
NB: Visiting Students - Erasmus Funding Eligibility
To be eligible for your selected CIVIS programme, you must be a fully enrolled student at your CIVIS home university at the time you will be undertaking the programme. Applications for this course are only available for the 11 CIVIS member universities in Europe.
Partner universities:
- Eberhard Karls Universität Tübingen (Germany)
- Stockholm University (Sweden)
- National and Kapodistrian University of Athens (Greece)
- University of Glasgow (UK)
Professors
- Alasdair Skelton, Professor of Geochemistry and Petrology at Stockholm University
- Niki Evelpidou, Professor of Geomorphology and Geoinformatics at National and Kapodistrian University of Athens
- Todd Ehlers, Professor of Geology at University of Glasgow
- Christophe Glotzbach, Researcher at University of Tübingen
Send your application by filling in the online application form by 30 October 2025, and also including:
- CV
- Motivation letter
- Level of English (according to CEFR)
Students' applications will be evaluated based on the CV, the motivation letter and the level of English.
Selection will be made on the basis of the order in which fully complete application are received.
GDPR Consent
The CIVIS alliance and its member universities will treat the information you provide with respect. Please refer to our privacy policy for more information on our privacy practices. By applying to this course, you agree that we may process your information in accordance with these terms.