Take a leading role in change management and sustainable development All types of workplaces and sectors of society will have to transition to a sustainable way of working, and will thus require people with specialised knowledge and skills in sustainable development – municipalities, public authorities, cultural organisations or NGOs, for example. As a graduate of this programme, you are qualified to work with change management and reviews/enquiries, in administration or development, as a consultant or strategist. This degree programme not only provides links between theory and practice, but also interdisciplinary knowledge and skills in communicating sustainability solutions – things that are essential in working life. Potential job titles include: sustainability strategist, sustainability manager, project manager and process leader in sustainability projects or processes, sustainability educator, or sustainability consultant. The programme is also an excellent foundation for progression to a doctoral degree, as this is an area in which there is an urgent need for more research.

Theory and practice in strategic work on sustainable development This programme covers four semesters of full-time study and focuses on economic, societal, cultural and ecological sustainability. You will examine how organisations work on sustainability from individual, organisational and network perspectives, and how change can be created in destructive societal structures and organisations to promote more sustainability. You will also investigate the role of leadership in these issues and in the transformation to a sustainable society, as well as how a changing view of leadership can create greater space for change and trust in organisations. The programme also covers how the UN’s Global Goals can be used as a strategic tool in work on sustainable development from individual, local, national and international perspectives. Sustainable Development from an Individual Organisation and Network Perspective (7.5 credits), Environmental Economics (7.5 credits), Leadership and Sustainability (7.5 credits), Subject Specialisation (7.5 credits) Qualitative Research Methods (7.5 credits), Quantitative Research Methods (7.5 credits), Subject Specialisation (15 credits) Challenge-driven Project Management for Sustainable Development (15 credits), Sustainability Reporting and Communication (7.5 credits), Individual Study Course - Sustainable Development (7.5 credits) Master's dissertation in subject specialisation focusing on sustainability (30 credits) Course design The various courses require differing amounts of time on campus, but teaching during the first year is more traditional with lectures, seminars and written examinations. You will also make contacts with the surrounding community that you plan and conduct yourself. The third semester is more practical, with courses in challenge-driven project management and communication, as well as an individual study course and optional courses. You can also choose to study this semester at another university, either in Sweden or abroad; going on a placement may also be possible. The fourth semester is when you will write your Master’s dissertation, and this involves a number of seminars and supervisory meetings. The programme also includes guest lectures, study visits, challenges from public bodies, business and civic society.

Pressing need for critical and creative solutions in sustainable development If people, globally, are to live more sustainably, we need to be able to think critically and creatively, to dare to become agents of change and adopt a holistic perspective on knowledge and on society, and to understand complex links between different phenomena. Leadership is therefore vital to this societal transformation. Due to cooperation with multiple subjects in the social sciences, the courses on this Master’s programme are continually developing, the aim being for you to gain nuanced and reflective knowledge of complex societal and ecological phenomena. One theme that runs through this programme is the use of new perspectives and creative problem formulations to meet the challenges that arise in the transformation to a sustainable society. The programme thus provides in-depth knowledge of your chosen specialisation, as well as an understanding of how it relates to fields of knowledge and traditions found in other scholarly subject areas and the field of sustainable societal development. Additionally, the programme is specifically designed to provide an opportunity to study a semester at another university in Sweden or abroad.