BIOS3070 – Biogeochemistry
Course description
Schedule, syllabus and examination date
Course content
The global environment is tightly linked to the global cycles of carbon and other key elements like nitrogen, phosphorus and iron. These elements are also closely related to the hydrological cycle as well as biological production, diversity and ecosystem services, and chemical properties of the environment. The course will focus on couplings between biological, geological and chemical processes, on the interactions between climate and the environment, and human impacts on these processes.
Learning outcome
After completing the course, you will:
- Have knowledge about the development of the biosphere on Earth and the major biogeochemical interactions in air, land and water.
- Have knowledge about the biogeochemical cycles of carbon, nitrogen, phosphorus, sulphur and mercury.
- Be able to explain the major processes governing these cycles
- Provide examples on how these cycles are linked
- Be able to explain why and how the biogeochemical system is changing
- Explain how climate and biogeochemical processes mutually interacts
- Have obtained skills in calculation of chemical speciation by use of a speciation programme
- Be able to perform simple mass balance calculations
Admission to the course
Students admitted at UiO must?apply for courses?in Studentweb. Students enrolled in other Master's Degree Programmes can, on application, be admitted to the course if this is cleared by their own study programme.
Nordic citizens and applicants residing in the Nordic countries may?apply to take this course as a single course student.
If you are not already enrolled as a student at UiO, please see our information about admission requirements and procedures for international applicants.
The courses BIOS3070 and BIOS4070 have joint admission. Students are ranked by the following criteria:
1. Bachelor?s programme students at the Department of Biosciences, Department of Chemistry and Department of Geosciences, as well as master?s programme students at the MN Faculty who have the course approved in their study plan.
2. Other programme students.
3. Single course students and exchange students.
Applicants are ranked by number of credits within each group; all applicants within the 1st group are ranked before applicants in the 2nd group etc. For students who have equal number of credits within one group, admission is determined by random selection.
Special admission requirements
In addition to fulfilling the?Higher Education Entrance Qualification, applicants have to meet the following special admission requirements:
- Mathematics R1 (or Mathematics S1 and S2)
And in addition one of these:
- Mathematics R2
- Physics (1+2)
- Chemistry (1+2)
- Biology (1+2)
- Information technology (1+2)
- Geosciences (1+2)
- Technology and theories of research (1+2)
Mathematics R2 was a requirement up until and including the study year 2021/2022, as part of a trial arrangement. From and including the study year 2022/2023, Mathematics R2 is no longer a requirement.
The special admission requirements may also be covered by?equivalent studies from Norwegian upper secondary school or by other equivalent studies?(in Norwegian).
Formal prerequisite knowledge
Following?course must taken before the first excursion:
Recommended previous knowledge
Basic knowledge in chemistry and ecology
Overlapping courses
- 10 credits overlap with BIOS4070 – Biogeochemistry.
- 10 credits overlap with KJM3070 – Biogeochemistry (continued).
- 10 credits overlap with GEO3070 – Biogeochemistry (continued).
- 10 credits overlap with KJM4070 – Biogeochemistry (continued).
Teaching
Lectures
Colloquium
Mandatory computer lab/field work/field excursion
Mandatory submissions
Mandatory course work must be approved before the student can attend the exam.?
Attendance is mandatory for the first lecture. This also applies for those on the waiting list. You will lose your seat on the course if notice is not given to the student administration studieinfo@ibv.uio.no prior to the first lecture.
As?the?teaching involves laboratory and/or field work, you should consider taking out a separate travel and personal risk insurance.?Read about your insurance cover as a student.
Approved mandatory course work is valid for 3 years.
A student who has completed compulsory instruction and coursework and has had these approved, is not entitled to repeat that instruction and coursework. A student who has been admitted to a course, but who has not completed compulsory instruction and coursework or had these approved, is entitled to repeat that instruction and coursework, depending on available capacity.
Examination
Final written exam which counts 100% towards the final grade.
This course has mandatory course work that must be approved before you can sit the finale exam.
It will also be counted as one of the three attempts to sit the exam for this course, if you sit the exam for one of the following courses: BIOS4070 – Biogeochemistry, KJM3070 – Biogeochemistry (continued), KJM4070 – Biogeochemistry (continued) and GEO3070 – Biogeochemistry (continued)
Examination support material
No examination support material is allowed.
Language of examination
You may write your examination paper in Norwegian, Swedish, Danish or English.
Grading scale
Grades are awarded on a scale from A to F, where A is the best grade and F is a fail. Read more about the grading system.
Resit an examination
This course offers both postponed and resit of examination. Read more:
More about examinations at UiO
- Use of sources and citations
- Special exam arrangements due to individual needs
- Withdrawal from an exam
- Illness at exams / postponed exams
- Explanation of grades and appeals
- Resitting an exam
- Cheating/attempted cheating
You will find further guides and resources at the web page on examinations at UiO.