Master's Programme in Technology, Environment and Societal Change
Climate change, biodiversity loss and the required sustainability transformation bring new challenges to technological, economic, political, and social relations and circumstances.
There is a growing need to solve the sustainability crisis at the interface between people, technology, and the environment. Society and people depend on the functioning of many critical systems (such as energy, water, food, transportation, and digital infrastructures), which are in turn interdependent on natural ecosystems. Making these critical systems more sustainable, just and equitable for people and nature globally and locally is at the heart of this master’s programme.
As a social scientist with a strong multidisciplinary background, you will gain knowledge and a wide range of skills to analyse the social shaping of critical systems, related innovation policies and co-creation of services with citizens, and the many challenges and opportunities of sustainability transformation in such systems.
You can work in a variety of managerial and expert roles. Job titles may include corporate sustainability manager, public relations manager, sustainability consultant, environmental policy specialist, sustainability expert, policy officers, or environmental officers.
The programme also invites you to engage with entrepreneurs and associations, enabling you to build networks and learn from real-life cases.
What will you learn in the programme?
By graduation, you will have gained expertise in the functioning of systems critical to society, the economy, and our well-being. You will be able to analyse and address the sustainability challenges of these critical systems at the global and local levels. You will also have acquired knowledge to plan and develop the governance and cooperation of different public and private actors and organisations. A deep understanding of just sustainability transformation will be your strengths in the working life.
You will:
- acquire knowledge concerning critical systems (e.g. energy, food, water, digital infrastructure, and beyond) and related sustainability transformation;
- understand the governance of these critical systems;
- obtain skills to analyse social, political, environmental, economic, and technological dimensions of system transition at various scales (global, regional, national, local, household)
- apply innovative thinking and problem-solving to critical systems.
Degree structure and studies
The Master's Programme in Technology, Environment and Societal Change is a two-year programme. It leads to the degree of Master of Social Sciences, M.Soc.Sc., which is 120 ECTS credits.
The programme includes core, advanced specialisation, language and multidisciplinary studies on critical systems of society as well as a master’s thesis.
Career prospects
As a graduate of this programme, you will be able to understand the requirements of the sustainability transformation and the governance of various critical systems in transition processes.
The programme includes solution-oriented approaches and focuses on decision-making at global, national and local levels.
Possible jobs after graduation include corporate sustainability manager, public relations manager, sustainability consultant, environmental policy specialist, sustainability expert, policy officers, or environmental officers.
You will also have a firm basis for doctoral studies in the field of social sciences.
