What's included?
Multidisciplinary perspectives on the environment and sustainability
This two-year Master’s degree programme combines natural and social sciences, focusing on multidisciplinary knowledge and skills, and has two specialisations: 1) Environment, Politics, and Global Development; 2) Ecosystem Management, Biodiversity and Climate Change. Some courses are common to both specialisations, including the final Master’s dissertation, courses on research methods applied to Environmental Science, as well as courses on environmental planning and on environmental risks. It is possible to receive a one-year Master’s degree, completing a 15-credit dissertation in the second semester.
The specialisation in Environment, Politics, and Global Development draws attention to factors that include complex interactions and justice in global governance and decision-making. An important part of this specialisation trains you to communicate complex scientific arguments in ways that are adapted to different audiences.
Ecosystem Management, Biodiversity and Climate Change targets ecosystem-based, multidimensional approaches that include the ecological, social, and economic aspects of resilient and sustainable social-ecological systems. There is a focus on understanding the role of ecosystem services in planning and decision-making for sustainable governance, the role of the EU in contemporary environmental governance, and implementing the UN’s global sustainability goals.
Please check the semester overview for the specialisation you are interested in:
Course design
Most courses on the programme are based around lectures and seminars given by researchers and guest lecturers from the university and external organisations. Group projects have members from different disciplines and are presented orally and in writing, developing international and interdisciplinary communication skills.
Theoretical models and empirical data are brought together in a hands-on manner, using pressing environmental and sustainability issues as examples. There is an emphasis on integrative and reflective discussion. The final semester of the programme focuses on the production of a 30-credit dissertation.
