Find the programme structure that fits your year of admission on your Study Information.
Programme Structure
When you enroll in the MSc programme in Environment and Development, you must choose between two different specialisations: In the Agriculture and Ecology-specialisation, your main academic focus lies within the field of natural sciences. In the Livelihoods and Governance-specialisation, your focus is on the field of social sciences. Read more about each specialisation at the bottom of the page.
In both specialisations, the programme consists of three compulsory courses, which introduce you to an interdisciplinary scientific approach to environmental resource challenges, particularly in lower income countries.
Furthermore, you follow both restricted elective (specific to each specialisation) and elective courses. The teaching methods varies between lectures, exercises, field work, and project work. You will be working both independently and in project groups.
You and your fellow students will participate in field work abroad. This might be, for example, the mountain areas of Thailand, where you collaborate with local students and educational institutions in a problem-based case study on resource use, agriculture, and livelihoods. You will also collect primary data in connection to your thesis.
Do a Project in Practice or Study Abroad
You may choose to use some of your elective or restricted elective courses to do a project in practice in collaboration with a company or an organisation. You can also choose to study abroad for one or two semesters or for a shorter period.
Master's Thesis
The programme is completed with a thesis, which takes approximately six months. Your title will be MSc in Environment and Development. The thesis requires a minimum of two months' field work. You decide the subject for your thesis.
Specialisations
On this specialisation your main focus will be on theories and interventions in relation to agricultural production and sustainable use of natural resources in the Global South.
You will be able to identify critical aspects of natural resource management in relation to food, fibre, feed, and fuel production, as well as describe patterns associated with their sustainable production. The learning approach is a combination of class-room and field-related experiences, including data collection in complex real-life situations.
Programme Overview
Compulsory courses: 30 ECTS
Restricted elective courses: 30 ECTS
Elective courses: 15 ECTS
Master's thesis: 45 ECTS
| Block 1 | Block 2 | Block 3 | Block 4 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year 1 |
Global Challenges in Environment and Development | Quantitative and Qualitative Methods in Environment and Development | Practicing Interdisciplinary Field Research on the Environment | Elective course |
| Restricted elective course | Restricted elective course | Elective course | ||
| Year 2 | Restricted elective course | Thesis | ||
| Restricted elective course | ||||
One block each year equals nine weeks of study and 15 ECTS.
Restricted Elective Courses
Choose your restricted elective courses from the list below. Click on each course for a detailed description.
- Plant Infection and Disease Management
- Tropical Crop Production
- Plant Nutrition and Soil Fertility
- Planning Interdisciplinary Research
- Tropical Forest Restoration
- Entrepreneurship and Innovation
- Agroforestry
- Applied Insect Ecology and Biological Control
- Applied Statistics
- Environmental Impact Assessment
- Project in Practice
You focus on people’s livelihoods and environmental resources, and the governance links between these.
The specialisation is oriented towards social science theories and concepts related to analysing and understanding challenges at the nexus of agriculture, livelihoods, and governance at local and household levels.
You will learn to master a range of quantitative and qualitative techniques and learn to analyse and interpret different forms of data to generate consistent conclusions. This includes the ability to apply principles, theories, and frameworks to case studies and engage in research and debates related to local development and environmental resource governance.
Your thesis must be based on at least two months of field work.
Programme Overview
Compulsory courses: 30 ECTS
Restricted elective courses: 30 ECTS
Elective courses: 15 ECTS
Master's thesis: 45 ECTS
| Block 1 | Block 2 | Block 3 | Block 4 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | Global Challenges in Environment and Development | Quantitative and Qualitative Methods in Environment and Development | Practicing Interdisciplinary Field Research on the Environment | Elective course |
| Restricted elective course | Restricted elective course | Elective course | ||
| Year 2 | Restricted elective course | Thesis | ||
| Restricted elective course | ||||
One block each year equals nine weeks of study or 15 ECTS.
Restricted Elective Courses
Choose your restricted elective courses from the list below. Click on each course for a detailed description.
- Applied Ethnobotany
- Political Ecology
- Land Use Transitions in the Global South
- Applied Econometrics
- Global Forests and People
- Planning Interdisciplinary Research
- People, Poverty and Environmental Change
- Participatory Natural Resource Governance
- Globalisation and Dynamics in Global Value Chains
- Environmental Justice
- Human Adaptation to Climate Change and Variability
- Rural-Urban Transformations in the Global South
- Agricultural Value Chains in Developing Countries
- Gender, Environment and Sustainable Development
- Impact Evaluation
- Working as a Consultant
- Project in Practice
Curriculum
Learn more about the programme in the Curriculum for MSc in Environment and Development.
Shared section of the curriculum for all programmes at the Faculty of SCIENCE.
Student Interviews
Read interviews with students from Environment and Development.