Masters Degrees in Climate & Climate Change, Netherlands

MSc Climate Studies

The question is no longer if our climate will change, but how will it change and how will we adapt to these changes? Adaption and mitigation to global warming, the greenhouse effect and climate change all form the basis of the Master Climate Studies programme at Wageningen University.

Students will gain a broad overview of climate change during this two-year programme. As changes and challenges crystallise, the demand for scientists able to understand and investigate them will rise. This master programme is specifically targeted at students who wish to focus on the scientific insights into climate change and on the social and economic implications of climate change in the broadest sense.

Programme summary

The MSc Climate Studies programme focuses on an improved understanding of climate change across the earth and its impact on ecosystems and society. The debate in science no longer revolves around whether our climate will change, but how it will change, how we can cope with the impact (adaptation), and how we can limit climate change in the long term (mitigation). These issues are important for the entire world and fuel a range of new challenges to natural and social sciences. Society needs answers to questions such as: How will climate change affect ecosystems and how will these in turn affect the climate system? What will the effect be on the availability of water and food? How will climate change issues set national and international political agendas? How will citizens, consumers, companies and other social actors respond to climate change? What will the economic costs be of the impact and measures related to climate change, and how will these costs be distributed globally? Will new social and economic opportunities emerge in the process of adaptation?

As these changes and challenges become ever more apparent, the demand for scientists who are able to understand and investigate them will rise. Wageningen University has therefore bundled expertise from several disciplines in a Master study programme specifically designed for students who wish to focus on the scientific insights into climate change and its implications for nature and society. Climate Studies does not only cover the most important geophysical and biogeochemical processes involved in climate change (the mechanisms), but it also covers the socio-economic aspects of causes and effects; as well as adaptation and mitigation as the main categories of societal response.

Specialisations

Climate Studies gives you a broad overview of climate-change related issues. You can specialise in a topic of your choice during your thesis research. We offer a wide range of thesis tracks:
• Meteorology
• Air Quality and Atmospheric Chemistry
• Hydrology and Quantitative Water Management
• Crop and Weed Ecology
• Nature Conservation and Plant Ecology
• Soil Biology and Biological Soil Quality
• Earth System Science
• Environmental System Analysis
• Integrated Water Management
• Environmental Economics and Natural Resources
• Environmental Policy

You future career

Graduates from this programme are well-equipped with the knowledge and skills to continue their academic training as a PhD student or to start a career as a scientific professional at universities, research institutes, and environmental and governmental organisations. Applied climate change researchers and experts are sought after by banks, insurance companies, construction, power companies and government.

Student Lennart Pompe.
"Climate Studies and the specialisation Integrated Water Management are the perfect combination for me where science and society come together to tackle the challenges the water sector faces. I took the opportunity to enrich my master with the label of the Climate-KIC, a European knowledge and innovation community. I joined several Climate-KIC activities, among others, the inspiring 5-week summer school ‘the Journey’ aimed at developing your own business plan. My thesis focussed on climate change and human development in the Bengal delta and the related salinisation issues. I am excited to enter the Dutch-leading water sector."

Related programmes:
MSc Environmental Sciences
MSc Earth and Environment
MSc Management, Economics and Consumer Studies

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The Masters specialisation in Cities, Water and Climate Change discusses the relationship between city planning and development, climate mitigation and adaptation. Cities, because of high levels of energy consumption and mobility, are the main contributors to climate change. At the same time, cities, because of their population density, are most vulnerable to the impacts of climate change. Questions that will be addressed in this specialisation are: How can city planners contribute to a reduction of CO2 emissions, and how can cities adapt to the consequences of climate change

To answer these questions, possibilities for mainstreaming climate change into urban planning will be discussed as well as examples of carbon free cities and transition towns. It is expected that in 2050 more than 70% of the world’s population lives in delta areas. Because of the rapidly urbanizing delta areas, special attention will be paid to issues of flood risk management and multi-layered water safety. Which infrastructure is needed to protect delta areas, what is the potential of ecosystem engineering (‘building with nature’), and what are possibilities for flood proofing urban areas?

To learn more about these strategies, students will study case studies from the Netherlands (Delta programme, Rotterdam, and Nijmegen) as well as international cases (New Orleans, Miami, New York, Jakarta, Hamburg). Students will learn more about both strategies to enhance cities’ adaptive capacity (the capacity to adapt to changing climate conditions), and cities’ resilience (the capacity to respond to shocks, such as floods).

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EXPLORE PROCESSES AFFECTING THE EARTH'S LIFE AND ITS ENVIRONMENT

In our Master's programme in Earth, Life, and Climate, you will explore the fundamental processes which regulate the past, present, and future dynamics of sedimentary systems, biodiversity, and climate, as well as their evolution. This two-year programme will provide you with the knowledge you need to understand climate change and its impact on natural environments such as soils, sediments, lakes, groundwater, wetlands, estuaries, and oceans.

The main topics you will study include the evolution of life, the development of sedimentary basins, carbon sources and sinks, biogeochemical and geochemical fingerprinting of sedimentary processes/environments, and climate reconstruction.

Tracks

You can choose one of four tracks based on your specific interests:
-Integrated Stratigraphy & Sedimentary Systems: Dynamics of marine and continental sedimentary systems

-Climate Reconstruction: The reconstruction of climate change through Earth's history

-Biogeosciences & Evolution: The evolution and response of biota to perturbations in the environments

-Biogeochemistry: Processes that control the elemental cycles at the Earth’s surface.

On this programme, you will learn state-of-the-art reconstruction methods, modelling techniques, and laboratory experiments used in a wide range of earth and beta science disciplines. These disciplines include biogeology, palaeontology, sedimentology, stratigraphy, environmental geochemistry, organic geochemistry, hydrology, physical geography, geology, biology, climate dynamics, and palaeoceanography. You will utilize these skills in your own research project or on the traineeships you can take in preparation for an international career in applied or fundamental research.

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What did liberalization do for the energy sector? And did it change the relationship between the state and the energy industry? Should energy companies be concerned with climate change?

Today, the energy sector is changing as a result of market liberalization and climate change concerns. The EU presents a typical example of this scenario but similar developments can also be found in other parts of the world. This specialized programme will present the main principles of energy market liberalization and how climate law affects the energy sector, with the EU often used as a case example.

Why in Groningen?

You will be taught Energy and Climate Law in a European perspective. The programme is taught in the middle of the Energy Valley of the Netherlands, which gives ample opportunity for leading experts in Energy and Climate Law to both work in the sector and teach the Energy and Climate Law students.

Job perspectives

The programme is designed to equip its graduates for a career as in-house lawyer in an energy company, but it is also suitable for those who are interested in a career working as an energy expert for major law firms. Also a career as an energy lawyer in governmental institutions and ministries, inter- and non-governmental organizations and academic institutions would be very likely.

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Together with its partners TU Dresden and University of Lisbon, UNESCO-IHE conducts the Joint Erasmus Mundus Programme in Groundwater and Global Change - Impacts and Adaptation (GroundwatCH).

Groundwater and Global Change - Impacts and Adaptation seeks to offer a distinctive curriculum built on the cornerstones of hydro(geo)logy, climatology, impacts and adaptation, within a framework of human pressures, global change and feedbacks, around the following academic focal areas:

General Hydrogeology
Groundwater Data Collection
Interpretation and Modelling
Climate Processes and Modelling
Integrated River Basin and Water Resource Management
Groundwater and Environmental Impacts
Groundwater, Society and Policies
Groundwater, Climate and Global Change Impacts and Adaptation

With this curriculum GroundwatCH aims to address the current gaps in higher education with regard to the understanding of the interactions between groundwater, surface water, climate and global change, and how we need to consider and can benefit from these interactions when dealing with adaptation.

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Master's in Local Environmental Change and Sustainable Cities

Analysing and reflecting on sustainability transformations in cities and regions with regard to topics such as waste, energy, water, transportation and climate change.

Cities around the world are dealing with environmental issues: air pollution, urban heat islands, stormwater flooding, the growing accumulation of solid waste. What can be done to keep citizens safe from environmental hazards and natural disasters? What is needed to ensure a pleasant living environment? And how can residents, commuters and businesses be stimulated – or if necessary, forced with legislation or financial sanctions – to do their bit? With the problems increasing, rather than diminishing, there’s a growing demand for professionals with an expertise in the development of sustainable cities.

The Master’s specialisation in Local Environmental Change and Sustainable Cities focuses on the local level of sustainability transformations. You’ll be introduced to the latest scientific insights, which will be illustrated with numerous examples of how cities and regions all over the world tackle these problems.

Waste, energy, water, transportation

A broad scope of environmental issues will be addressed, as well as existing measures and instruments. Stormwater management, forms of renewable energy and green roofs are just a small sample of what you can expect to encounter. You’ll also, for example, discover that waste management goes far beyond recycling schemes and how cradle-to-grave products are making way for cradle-to-cradle. In addition, we’ll be dealing with citizens’ initiatives in renewable energy as well as new focus areas, like the possible environmental advantages of community food systems.

This Master’s specialisation will teach you to become the bridge between science and society. What do the latest results in environmental research actually mean and how can that knowledge be converted into concrete plans and policies that will bring about the change needed? In this, it’s crucial that you understand how policymaking and legislation works as well as have some insight into human behaviour. For a plan to work, the people and businesses in the city need to collaborate. Environmental and behavioural psychology will therefore be addressed in various courses within this specialisation too.

See the website: http://www.ru.nl/masters/local

Why study Local Environmental Change and Sustainable Cities?

1. The specialisation strongly focuses on the local level of sustainability transformations, in particular sustainable cities.
2. The natural as well as social and political aspects of environmental issues will be addressed.
3. Related aspects of spatial planning will be incorporated in this specialisation. You can also take courses from the Master’s in Spatial Planning as electives for a multidisciplinary perspective.
3. Thanks to our extensive research, our staff members are among the leading experts when it comes to waterproofing and climate proofing cities.
4. You’ll gain insight on how to take scientific results and convert them into viable plans and policies.
5. Because the Netherlands is known for its expertise in water, climate and spatial planning, it offers a great atmosphere to study this field.
6. You’ll also benefit from the advantages of the Master’s programme in Environment and Society Studies in general.

See the website: http://www.ru.nl/masters/local

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Programme features

 Highly international study environment with participants from over 45 different nations
 Lecturers with long-standing international teaching and working experience in the field
 High profile guest lecturers from established institutions such as UN-HABITAT, Lincoln Institute of Land Policy and Lund University
 Unique training methodology of role-playing games, real-life case study analysis, class debates and on-site visits
 6 different specialisations offering a unique chance to tailor your study and broaden your career path
 Focus on linking theory to real world urban challenges and solutions developed and perfected in IHS’ almost 60 years of experience in the field
 Balanced learning environment of guided training and self-study

A step in your career

The Urban Management and Development master programme enables participants to advance their career opportunities by offering a wide range of career paths in six different areas of urban expertise.
IHS graduates work in the fields of urban academia, international consultancy, local and national governments and non-governmental organisations as lecturers, urban planners, sustainable urban development and design specialists, project managers, architects, government officials, urban policy analysis and development experts, capacity building trainers, land use advisors, renowned NGO heads and specialists and many others.

In the almost 60 years of experience in teaching and applying urban management and development knowledge and practices, IHS has developed an extensive network of urban professionals. Programme participants benefit from the immense IHS network including an alumni association with over 8000 members actively engaged in the field. IHS is engaged in over 100 urban programmes and projects at any point in time offering students a direct contact with donor agencies and training centres worldwide.
Our lecturers have long-standing international experience and continue to work all over the world thus creating a possibility to discuss and initiate links to programmes and projects in countries and cities of the participants.

Course Content

The cities of today are complex with interrelated economic, social, environmental and physical challenges which need to be balanced in the ever-changing urban environment.

The intensive 12-month MSc in Urban Management and Development is designed to equip participants with the knowledge and skills to become competent urban managers by offering an in-depth insight into urban issues, policies and trends around the world through a blend of lectures with case studies, discussions, working groups, group assignments and field visits and field work.
The master programme is divided into three main periods: a core period, a specialization period and a thesis period. Below you can find more information about the programme structure and the knowledge you will gain during each period.

Core period (October - January)

The core period of the Urban Management & Development master programme provides in-depth insight into urban theories, policies and trends worldwide. It will study cities from different multidisciplinary thematic perspectives such as “Complex City”, “Spatial City”, “Sustainable City”, “Green City”, “Livable City”, “Informal City” and “Competitive City”.

Specialisation period (January - April)

The specialization period allows participants to gain an enhanced understanding of a certain aspect of urban management and development depending on their academic and professional orientation and interests.
 Managing & Financing Urban Infrastructure
 Urban Competitiveness and Resilience
 Urban Environment and Climate Change
 Urban Housing and Livelihoods
 Urban Land Governance
 Urban Strategies and Planning

Master Thesis period (April - September)

The thesis period opens with Research Methods workshops which offer the opportunity to develop the skills necessary to conduct academic research and complete the Master’s thesis. The students work under the guidance of their thesis supervisor and with the support of the IHS academic staff.

Training methodology

Throughout the course, students participate in interactive lectures, workshops and discussions, engage in group and individual exercises, analyse cases, give presentations and write papers and essays which aim to deepen their knowledge about the concepts and theory. The training methodology of the programme includes field visits, fieldwork, simulation games, discussions, best practices and case studies.

Important note for Chinese applicants

Chinese applicants are required to apply for a "Nuffic Certificate". This is a document that provides an assessment of the applicant`s English language proficiency as well as of the educational degrees and diplomas that are required to be eligible for an entry visa to the Netherlands. Nuffic sends this certificate directly to IHS once it has been issued.

The Netherlands Fellowship Programme (NFP)

Applicants who wish to apply for the NFP are kindly advised to apply with IHS at least 4 weeks before the NFP application deadline (14 February 2017) so that they can receive the admissions decision in time for their fellowship application.

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The MSc Programme is intended for mid-career professionals with an interest in environmental sciences and in maintaining environmental integrity in relation to human development.

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The Water Management programme is open to participants from a range of academic backgrounds, as long as they have a Bachelors degree in an area that contributes to water management. These areas include engineering, economics, law, social sciences and natural sciences.

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The new Joint Erasmus Mundus programme in Flood Risk Management integrates the complementary topics of global changes and monitoring natural processes, modelling their behavior and interaction, formulating the decisions based on interrogation of these integrated models and implementing these decisions in the context of socio-economic and institutional framework.

The subjects covered include hydrology, meteorology, monitoring, hydroinformatics, modelling, various types of flooding (fluvial, urban and coastal), risk management, spatial planning and socio-economic and institutional framework.

The Erasmus Mundus Programme in Flood Risk Management is offered by a consortium consisting of:

•IHE Delft Institute for Water Education (the Netherlands)
•Technical University of Dresden (Germany)
•Technical University of Catalonia (Spain)
•University of Ljubljana (Slovenia)

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Within the rapidly expanding European renewable energy industry, an urgent demand exists for more postgraduate trained staff specialised in renewable energy technology. Together with leading European Universities, EUREC Agency has developed the European Master in Renewable Energy. Hanze University of Applied Sciences, Groningen (Hanze UAS), became member of the EUREC consortium and started this master programme in September 2012.

The aim of the European Master in Renewable Energy is to train postgraduate students to fill the gap between the growing industry demand for specialised renewable energy expertise and the skills currently available on the job market.

By structuring the course in three sections, students are guaranteed to spend time in at least two different EU countries and make contact with a wide range of European universities and companies involved in the renewable energy sector. The participating universities are all well-established in training and research and recognised internationally for their work in the field of renewable energy technology.

First semester

The first semester the student will acquire a solid foundation in key renewable energy technologies and the socio-economic issues related to these. For the core the student can choose one of the following universities:
-Ecoles des MINES de Paris, France - French-taught
-Loughborough University, UK - English-taught
-University of Zaragoza, Spain - Spanish-taught
-Oldenburg University, Germany - English-taught
-Hanze UAS, Groningen, The Netherlands - English-taught

Second semester: Specialisation

The second semester will give students the opportunity to specialise in a chosen technology at a different university. The specialisations are taught in English. For the specialization there are the following options:
-National Technical University of Athens, Greece - Wind
-University of Northumbria, UK - Photovoltaics
-University of Zaragoza, Spain - Grid Integration
-University of Perpignan, France - Solar Thermal
-Instituto Superior Tecnico in Lisbon, Portugal - Ocean Energy

Third semester: The thesis

In the third semester each student will conduct a 6 month research project in a company or a research centre. This is done under supervision of a professor of the core, a professor of the specialization and a supervisor from the project provider. For your final thesis placement it is possible to apply for an Erasmus placement grant.

The participating universities are all well-established in training and research as well as being recognised at an international level for their work in the field of renewable energy technology.

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Climate Physics

This programme aims to train students to become researchers with a solid grounding and focuses on the fundamental physical processes that make up the Earth's climate system.

Utrecht University offers a stimulating academic environment in which undergraduates actively participate in exciting projects and ongoing research. The teaching staff are all leading experts in components of the climate system from the Institute for Marine and Atmospheric research Utrecht (IMAU). Besides lectures, field excursions and computer and laboratory experiments, participating in a sea-going scientific expedition may also be part of your programme.

The Faculty of Science in Utrecht is the largest of its kind in the Netherlands, with the IMAU as one of the very few research institutes in the world that addresses all components of the climate system - atmosphere, oceans, cryosphere and biosphere - and their interactions. The Climate Physics programme is closely integrated with te PhD programme of the Buys Ballot Research School (BBOS) which is led by IMAU. This relationship results in a stimulating, challenging, friendly environment in which students and staff often know eachother personally.

This programme aims to train students to become researchers with a solid grounding and focuses on the fundamental physical processes that make up the Earth's climate system.

Utrecht University offers a stimulating academic environment in which undergraduates actively participate in exciting projects and ongoing research. The teaching staff are all leading experts in components of the climate system from the Institute for Marine and Atmospheric research Utrecht (IMAU). Besides lectures, field excursions and computer and laboratory experiments, participating in a sea-going scientific expedition may also be part of your programme.

The Faculty of Science in Utrecht is the largest of its kind in the Netherlands, with the IMAU as one of the very few research institutes in the world that addresses all components of the climate system - atmosphere, oceans, cryosphere and biosphere - and their interactions. The Climate Physics programme is closely integrated with te PhD programme of the Buys Ballot Research School (BBOS) which is led by IMAU. This relationship results in a stimulating, challenging, friendly environment in which students and staff often know eachother personally.

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