Miljövetenskap med naturvetenskaplig inriktning, masterprogram

Environmental science is a young field of science that deals with the human impacts on nature, cultural heritage and human health. Environmental science studies the threats to our common future on Earth, but also the opportunities that these challenges create.

This environmental science master program deals with environmental problems at different spatial (local to global) and temporal (the past, present and future) scales and has the ambition to cross both academic and national boundaries. The program is interdisciplinary with a strong basis in natural sciences, but it also includes significant elements of technology and social sciences.

The idea is to study environmental issues from three different perspectives:

1. the knowledge of the causes and nature of different types of anthropogenic impacts and environmental problems is deepened;
2. the environmental problems are analyzed from many different perspectives, e.g. time trends, severity, geographical extent (local, regional or global), economic aspects and so forth;
3. many different types of mitigation possibilities are studied thoroughly, such as new technology solutions, design and implementation of international agreement, company strategies and policy making at different levels of society.

The students thus gain in-depth knowledge and competence regarding all aspects of environmental problems (causes, emissions, impacts and mitigation measures), and how those aspects interact.

Contents

1) The program begins by a set of two common 7.5 hec mandatory courses:

• Global change problem, analysis, measures (ES2613)
• Resource efficiency energy, material flows and ecosystem services (ES2614)

2) Each student then deepens her/his competence in fundamental and/or applied environmental science by choosing a number of advanced courses in environmental science.

Depending on background, the student may want to take fundamental advanced courses in, for example, Atmospheric Chemistry (KEM170) 15 hec, Energy and Environment (ES2417) 15 hec, Plant Ecophysiology in a Global Change Perspective (BIO506) 15 hec, or Chemical Risk Assessment (ES2413) 15 hec. Examples of courses in applied environmental science, emplying modern environmental tools, are Environmental Management Systems (ES2611) 15 hec, Environmental Impact Assessment (ES2419) 7.5 hec and Environmental Economics (including policy instruments) (basic level course) (ES1601) 15 hec.

3) At the end of the program, the students are gathered in two mandatory courses:

• Advanced Environmental Methodology (ES2616) 15 hec
• Examination course (ES2500) 30 hec.

Alternatively, the student may choose to take the Advanced Environmental Methodology course already during the first year in order to take a 60 hec Examination course during the entire second year.

Career area

The program prepares the students for a career as an environmental expert in both business and public sectors as well as a career as PhD student in Environmental science. Career opportunities of course depend on the students choice of non-mandatory courses.