Masters Degrees in Geography, Netherlands

Introduction to the programme

Human Geography is a research field which focuses on studying the spatial behaviour of people, firms and organisations. Or, to put it simply, it is a study that observes the relationship between human activities and their spatial environment. Because it is an integrative discipline, Human Geography serves as an excellent platform for integrating knowledge from various related disciplines, such as Sociology, Anthropology, Psychology, International Relations, Economics, Business Administration and Development Studies.

Specialisations in the Master's in Human Geography

The Human Geography Master's programme at Radboud University offers five specialisations and the option to develop your own specialisation:
- Conflicts, Territories and Identities
- Economic Geography
- Europe: Governance, Borders and Identities
- Globalisation, Migration and Development
- Urban and Cultural Geography
- Free specialisation: combination of courses of your own choice, subject to approval by the Examination Board

The Master's programme can also be conducted in dual mode (information in Dutch: studying next to working in the human geographic profession). Additionally there is a post-Master's programme for secondary teacher training also called educational Master's at the ILS (in Dutch).

Assessment during the programme

Throughout the Master's programme you will be assessed by a mixture of written exams, essays, papers, projects, oral presentations and your Master's thesis.

Career prospects with a degree in Human Geography

Graduates of the Master's in Human Geography will be qualified for many different job positions. These jobs all require excellent analytical skills at an academic level, a critical perspective, thorough knowledge of societal relations and a clear vision of how crucial societal problems can be solved. Human Geography graduates find jobs rather easily at (international) research institutes, international companies, or at consultancy firms. Top-ranking positions, in private industry as well as in governmental and non-governmental organisations can also be found.

Our approach to this field

Human Geography is a research field which focuses on studying the spatial behaviour of people, firms and organisations. Or, to put it simply, it is a study that observes the relationship between human activities and their spatial environment. Because it is an integrative discipline, Human Geography serves as an excellent platform for integrating knowledge from various related disciplines, such as Sociology, Anthropology, Psychology, International Relations, Economics, Business Administration and Development Studies.

See the website http://www.ru.nl/english/education/masters/human-geography

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A NEW PROGRAMME WITH A SOLID FOUNDATION

Human Geography is a new Master’s programme that starts in September 2017. It stems from the former Economic Geography and Urban Geography programmes. You can specialize in one of the two fields by choosing a track:

-Urban Geography: Neighborhoods & Residential Dynamics: This track focuses on relocation between different living environments over time and the consequences of these relocation for cities and neighborhoods;
-Urban Geography: Daily Life & Public Spaces: This track focuses on on daily life. You will learn who participates in which work, shopping and leisure activities.
-Economic Geography: Business & Location: This track focuses specializes in entrepreneurship - from large multinational corporations to small-scale local business activity and start-ups.
-Economic Geography: Regional Development & Policy: This track studies the life cycle of regions.

Urban regions are bubbling, dynamic places where people get together and generate new ideas. They are the grounds for innovation and economic growth. In the Human Geography Master's programme you learn how urban and economic issues are interwoven.

This Master’s programme has an international character. We welcome students from around the world onto the programme. You will go on an international field trip and can complete your Master's thesis project and/or internship abroad.

Objective

This Master’s programme gives you a thorough understanding of important urban and economic issues. You will receive comprehensive training in the methodological and critical analytical skills needed to find possible solutions for challenges in urban regions. Working from a scientific and theoretical foundation, you come into contact with the daily practice. Through guest lectures and practical assignments (active learning), you will learn what graduates do and be able to determine where you would be most at home.

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The Msc programme Cultural Geography aims to train students to become professionally competent in the field of geography and liveability so that they can make a useful contribution to improving place-related liveability, quality of life and wellbeing in society.

The programme deals with the qualities of a place (neighborhood, village, city, region) that add to the quality of life as experienced by inhabitants and visitors. Aspects that influence the liveability of places and communities are safety, health, quality of the residential environment (housing, facilities and services), social interaction and participation, community involvement, possibilities for recreation and tourism, quality and unicity of the landscape. Feelings of rootedness and belonging, but also curiosity and excitement about new places, positively influence the liveability of places at local, regional, national and global levels. This may support social cohesion, community resilience and the adaptive potential of people and communities to innovate.

Why in Groningen?

Groningen is the only university in the Netherlands where you can do a Master in Cultural Geography. Students are trained with the necessary critical, analytical, methodological and theoretical tools to contribute to place-related liveability in society. Career perspectives vary from governments, NGOs and corporate roles.

Job perspectives

You will find graduates of the Msc. Cultural Geography in a variety of places.

Three types of work stand out: 1. conducting scientific research or do research for a company, 2. the formulation of policy and advice and representing spatial interests, 3. the transfer of information in areas such as historic preservation, tourism, journalism, or education,. For example, you work in a municipality, a county, a consulting firm, a heritage organization, a housing association or tourist agencies.

To optimize the connection between the Master's program and the labour market, we try to stay in touch with our alumni, for example via the LinkedIn group Master Cultural Geography.

Research in the Master

The research in the Master Cultural Geography is strongly embedded in the research of its staff, on the themes of Place, Identity and Well-being.

Central focus is the lived experiences of local peoples all over the world. Topics of recent research projects are: community engagement; ageing and wellbeing; innovation and rural transformation; socio-spatial consequences of population decline; heritage; historical landscape change; perception and evaluation of nature and landscape; nature and health; death and burial; entrepreneurship and corporate social responsibility; employment opportunities; housing and the living environments of various groups within society; social impact assessment; social aspects of new technology; governance of places; social aspects of agriculture and farming; social aspects of natural resource management; and visitor and host experiences of tourism.

Our research embraces the social relations between people and places, emotional geographies, and the experience of spatial transformation and liveability. We believe that knowing one's 'place' is fundamental to the formation of human identity and to wellbeing. Forms of cultural expression such as art, architecture, ritual and language, and our understanding and appreciation of nature and landscape all interact with the physical environment in the creation of our individual and community life-stories. As such, the ways in which we construct and transform spaces and places manifest our imagination and self-awareness. In doing so, we make sense of, define, and celebrate our personal and collective identities, communities and localities.

Our research is strongly empirically embedded. During the master, students learn qualitative and quantitative research methodologies regarding place attachment, identities and liveability. In the Master thesis, there is room for innovative methods including visual methodologies and location-based applications (social or soft GIS).

The research theme of Place, Identity and Wellbeing fits within the faculty research programme 'towards Wellbeing, Innovation and Spatial Transformation' (tWIST) and the themes population decline and Healthy Ageing.

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Researching Diversity in Cities and Regions

In this master students are trained to analyze increasing urbanization, growing environmental threats and uneven economic globalization.

Cities and regions throughout the world face challenges that require integrated knowledge of urban geography, economic geography, international development studies, and planning. In this Research Master's programme in Urban and Economic Geography (previously known as Human Geography and Planning), students will gain a broad theoretical and methodological background that will allow them to become an academic or professional researcher of ongoing social, spatial, and economic developments in cities and regions. Students can specialize in their preferred geographic sub-discipline while maintaining a broader perspective on the functioning of cities and regions, as well as the relevant theories and methods.

Programe Objective

In Urban and Economic Geography, you will study the reasons behind the diverse developments in the globalized and urbanized world, and you will learn to translate up-to-date theoretical and methodological developments into empirical research. You will also formulate effective policy recommendations to make cities and regions more viable and sustainable.

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Master's specialisation in Urban and Cultural Geography

Cities are the vibrant and dynamic focal points of today’s society. These diverse agglomerations of people, companies and organisations are both locations for innovation and for conflict. Cities are regarded as creative places as well as conflictual places for divergent communities. In this Master's specialisation you will study how different actors influence the physical form of cities but also the way in which they present and understand the character and identity of cities and how they make use of the typical urban environment in their daily activities. They create and make cities.

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

Entry Requirements (Additional)

The requirements for admission include:
- a bachelor degree in Human Geography received from Radboud University or another relevant bachelor degree with at least 24 EC in conflict studies and/or political geography
- Having successfully completed a course in social scientific research methods is highly recommended and will increase your chance of getting selected for this specialisation
- excellent proficiency in English
- a letter of motivation
- two letters of recommendation
- list of your grades obtained during previous training

Career prospects

The Master's specialisation Urban and Cultural Geography prepares students for a professional career in government, semi-government, and business. It also provides a stepping stone towards a research career in academia or consultancy. You will be able to apply the scientific insights and the practical skills you have acquired to topics including the development and marketing of cities, multi-culturality and integration, innovative and creative urban milieus, urban identities, cultural industries.
This would qualify you for a whole range of different jobs. Some of you might find a job in a government agency, e.g. as city-manager, city marketeer, city planner, integration agent, city-network manager, PR- manager, etc. Others will end up in semi-government agencies such as development agencies, cultural planning agencies, but also research institutes, etc. Finally also private industry offers a number of opportunities for urban and cultural specialists. One might think of jobs such as event manager, museum director, city marketeer, consultant, journalist, innovation consultant, communication manager or media specialist.

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

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Tourism is based on the cultural appreciation and value of the cities and landscapes tourists visit. Tourism also has a major economic, social and environmental impact on places and regions. This Master's specialisation allows you to understand the processes involved and how to use them in practice. In this specialisation you will mainly learn to understand and interpret advanced theories and practices of leisure and tourism and their influence on the social and physical environment. Since tourism is mainly about experiencing places and events, you will learn to understand where these experiences come from, what effects they have and how they can be influenced.

Why study Cultural Geography and Tourism at Radboud University?

•Tourists travel to places which are different, attractive, challenging and special, and which provide them with a thrilling experience. Geographers study, how these experiences actually evolve, how they are created and produced, how these experiences differ from group to group and how places can be designed accordingly?
•Tourism also has a profound effect on places, on the local economy, on the culture of the people who live there and on the ecology and landscape. Also these aspects are of central interest for the scholars in this Master's specialisation. Finally, not just places are affected, but the movements, flows and related streams of people, goods, money, information, images, and traffic have an enormous effect on our global landscape, which we study in the framework of this Master's specialisation.
•This Master's specialisation is a concise and intensive one-year Master's programme preparing you as a full-fledged academic in this field and as such is unique in the Netherlands. Our Human Geography Master's programme, regularly ranks as the best Dutch master programme in this field in the Netherlands.
•This Master's specialisation has an international character, with students and lecturers from all over the world, and at the same time offers many opportunities to do research abroad or to gain professional experience abroad.
•Although the foundation of this specialisation is geographical, our approach to this theme is highly multidisciplinary to include related fields as cultural studies, psychology, anthropology, economics, spatial planning, environmental policy studies, etc..
•You’ll conduct your Master’s thesis research in the framework of a research internship at an organisation active in a field related to tourism. This will give you a taste of professional life in the field and enhance your chances on the job market.
•You’ll also benefit from the advantages of the Master’s programme in Human Geography in general.

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Master's specialisation in Economic Geography

In this Master's specialisation you will study the role of regions as locations for economic activities. Especially with increased competition an optimal interaction between economic activities and the local environment is essential. Think of flows of knowledge, the recruitment and training of employees, relations with suppliers, local governments and the role of environmental and social organisations. In this specialisation you will learn to analyse and understand local developments from a global perspective, focussing on both mainstream and alternative economic practices.

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

Career prospects

The Master's specialisation in Economic Geography prepares students for a professional career in government, semi-government, and business. It also provides a stepping stone towards a research career in academia or consultancy. You will be able to apply the scientific insights and the practical skills you have acquired to topics including the development of regions and cities, the marketing of regions and cities, the locational choice of (multinational) companies, and innovation and learning in regions and firms.

Imagine yourself working at the Spatial or Economic Development department of a municipality or a larger city. You could become responsible for labour market policies, the planning of industrial zones, the upgrading of city centres, the attraction of new firms and investments, or for getting European Union funds. Provincial governments and new spatial-governmental entities such as city-regions are also happy to employ economic geographers. The same goes for Ministries: in the Dutch context, you can think of ‘Economische Zaken’, ‘VROM’, ‘Verkeer en Waterstaat’, ‘Binnenlandse Zaken’ and ‘LNV’.

A range of job opportunities is further offered by Chambers of Commerce, Regional Development Agencies, and Innovation Platforms. These institutions provide (starting) entrepreneurs with a wealth of information about rules, subsidies, regional labour markets and innovation policies. Often, they are the nodes in formal as well as informal networks of key actors in a region. It is important to add that governments, employers’ organisations, labour unions and housing corporations are increasingly interested in themes such as immigrant entrepreneurship, the ‘Creative Economy’, and sustainability. Economic geographers are well equipped to work on these socially engaged themes.

Currently, a majority of economic geographers works for consultancy and advisory firms. As a consultant or advisor, you may find yourself writing Strategic Plans for the sustainable development of regions and cities, you may help foreign firms and investors to find a suitable location, or you may assist regional and city governments in getting and managing EU funds (project and process management).

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

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In recent years the world has seen many violent conflicts, ranging from the former Yugoslavia, Congo, Afghanistan to Iraq. Many of the violent conflicts are nowadays fought over issues as identity, territory or resources (e.g. diamonds and oil). War between states has become rare; most of the violent conflicts take place within the borders of a state. In addition, ‘terrorist' organisations with goals that exceed national agendas have claimed more attention than before. The international community - governments, non-governmental organisations and international organisations like the UN - has a significant interest in the management and resolution of violent conflicts.

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

Entry Requirements (Additional)

The requirements for admission include:
- a bachelor degree in Human Geography received from Radboud University or another relevant bachelor degree with at least 24 EC in conflict studies and/or political geography
- Having successfully completed a course in social scientific research methods is highly recommended and will increase your chance of getting selected for this specialisation
- excellent proficiency in English
- a letter of motivation
- two letters of recommendation
- list of your grades obtained during previous training

Career Prospects

Graduates of the Master's in Human Geography will be qualified for many different job positions. These jobs all require excellent analytical skills at an academic level, a critical perspective, thorough knowledge of societal relations and a clear vision of how crucial societal problems can be solved. Human Geography graduates find jobs rather easily at (international) research institutes, international companies, or at consultancy firms. Top-ranking positions, in private industry as well as in governmental and non-governmental organisations can also be found.

Our approach to this field

If you choose the master specialisation Conflicts, Territories and Identities you will study (inter)national conflict, war and the physical and mental borders that come along with these. We will focus on the backgrounds, contexts and sources - imperialism, geopolitics, failing states, religions, (national) identities, discrimination, resources, borders - and the management and resolution - good governance, border management, humanitarian aid, development aid, diplomacy, peace operations. You will become familiar with the political and social construction of conflicts, territories and identities, as well as with the theory and practice of (inter)national conflict management.

Our research in this field

The Master's specialisation in Conflicts, Territories and Identities is a joint project of the Centre for International Conflict Analysis & Management (CICAM) and the Department of Human Geography of Radboud University. Together they offer the state-of-the-art knowledge and skills in the field of conflict analysis and management, that you will need in your future career as a scholar, a (inter)national policy or decision maker, a conflict manager, or as a journalist. You will be able to apply scholarly ideas and concepts to complex conflict situations in practice. The central question in this programme is: ‘how can violent conflicts be analysed, understood or explained and how can they be managed?'

You will be taught by professors who study these issues and publish their findings in international academic journals and contribute to the public debate in the Netherlands. You will study theories, methods and instruments, but above all you will develop a critical attitude. You will learn that there are always multiple approaches to any problem. The Master's programme in Conflicts, Territories and Identities includes a variety of cases, individual and group assignments, lectures and seminars, small national excursions and an international excursion to a (former) conflict zone. The programme gives you the opportunity to share experiences with other students and to link theory with practice. You can also specialise by selecting a specific elective course and by choosing a topic for your final Master's thesis. Furthermore there are good opportunities for interesting and challenging research-internships.

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

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This programme trains you to do research in economic and cultural geography, planning and demography. The programme is aimed at people who are theoretically or methodologically orientated.

The Research Master in Regional Studies is interdisciplinary. It studies the fields of demography, human geography and regional planning from a social and economic science perspective.

The two-year programme provides ample opportunity for you to focus on the themes that interest you. You will gain a thorough philosophical and methodological background, and receive a solid training in qualitative and quantitative research methods. You will participate in research projects under supervision of experienced staff members, within the Faculty's Research Program TWIST: Towards Wellbeing, Innovation and Spatial Transformation.

You are required to gain some international experience, for instance by doing research in a foreign context, or by participating in an international workshop.

Why in Groningen?

The Research Master in Regional Studies in Groningen is unique because it delivers excellent researchers in the core themes of economic geography, cultural geography, planning and demography. At the same time, graduates combine their expertise in their own field with the capacity to put these themes in a broader, interdisciplinary perspective of the interactions between population, economy, culture and planning.

Job perspectives

You may opt for a PhD-career at a university. Commercial research and consultancy firms also hire graduates. In addition, you may work at research units of local, regional, national or even international government organisations. Finally, you can work in government related research institutes, such as the Netherlands Institute of Spatial Research (in Dutch: RPB, Ruimtelijk Planbureau).

The program of the Research Master in Regional Studies is intertwined with the Faculty's Research Program, towards Wellbeing, Innovation and Spatial Transformation (tWIST). In courses such as Individual Research Training (IRT) and Master Thesis, students participate in ongoing research projects of the senior academic staff, which are all embedded in tWIST.

The Study Program consists of different courses in the field of Regional Studies, related to the topics in tWIST. The specific courses depend on the individual student’s interests and specialization.

The research themes Wellbeing, Innovation and Spatial Transformation are studied in the broad field of geography and spatial planning, which investigates the role which space, place, location and distance, play in our communities and societies. We employ a range of qualitative, quantitative, micro and macro research methodologies to uncover these issues and to help improve wellbeing, to encourage innovation, and to increase our understanding of spatial transformation processes. The research work undertaken in each of the departments within the Faculty is also supported by the use of advanced geographical information systems (GIS). The research themes of the Faculty of Spatial Sciences complement the University of Groningen’s Healthy Ageing research program. Society is ageing and also becoming more geographically mobile. The outcome of this is that growing social inequalities in terms of wellbeing, heath and wealth are interrelated with emerging spatial inequalities. These are major issues faced by contemporary society for which the Faculty of Spatial Sciences is uniquely placed to provide coherent policy analysis, design and impact assessment.

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DEVELOPMENT IN A COMPLEX AND HIGHLY DIFFERENTIATED WORLD

International Development Studies focuses on current development issues and teaches conceptual, theoretical, and empirical knowledge of trends and topics on the development agenda.

Over the past decade, the number of actors active in the development domain has multiplied. In addition to the traditional donors, new 'players' have entered the scene, including foundations and diaspora-organizations. Furthermore, individual migrants and socially-engaged entrepreneurs are acknowledging their responsibility for acting to benefit society at large, taking responsibility for the social and environmental impacts of production activities and/or consumption.

The multidisciplinary Master's programme in International Development Studies addresses the current development challenges and engages with these current, urgent and highly important issues. In particular, the programme focuses on topics surrounding migration/mobilities, climate change, land governance, urbanization and corporate social responsibility. Students are found in an international environment, with peers and staff from diverse disciplinary and cultural backgrounds. A research-oriented internship abroad is a core component of the programme.

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Overview

Teaching you to become a spatial planner who can engage with EU policies, cooperate with planners across borders and coordinate with other sectors like environment and economic development.

The influence of the European Union on spatial and environmental planning in the member states and regions is ever increasing. The Master’s in European Spatial and Environmental Planning (ESEP) offers a solid theoretical foundation to analyse the EU policies for environment, renewable energy and regional development and to understand how they influence spatial planning policies and practices. This programme also offers training in research methodology and teaches how to conduct meaningful comparisons.

Although the main focus of ESEP lies on the European Union and its policies and influences, the programme also addresses international policies and legislation that influence spatial planning, notably in relation to climate change. We look at the different positions member states and influential global players have on contemporary themes and critically discus how solutions can be found that would benefit all. You’ll better understand the multi-level system of governance in the integrated European Union, how EU policies are made and the influence they have on spatial planning systems, and how professionals can engage in European policy debates.

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

Why study European Spatial and Environmental Planning at Radboud University?

- This programme looks beyond domestic policies and beyond spatial and environmental planning within one country, and acknowledges the significant role the EU nowadays plays in our policies and practices.
- This programme focuses on the influence of the EU and international policies and how to cooperate with planners in other countries. It also teaches you how different sectors are interlinked in the field of spatial planning.
- This is an interdisciplinary programme as it is jointly offered by the Master’s programmes in Spatial Planning and of the Political and in Social and Political Sciences of the Environment. This also means you can choose with which MSc degree you would like to graduate (programme outlines are identical).
- You can mould this programme to suit your interests and future career plans through the choice of assignment topics and your Master’s thesis and a possible internship in the second semester.
- This programme is policy-oriented with links to planning practice. There are opportunities to prepare the thesis during an internship or to combine it with a stay abroad. We already have a wide network of partners for those wanting to go abroad.
- This Master’s challenges and stimulates students, who work in small groups on contemporary themes and learn to think critically about new developments.

Career prospects

There is great demand for spatial and environmental planners with a thorough knowledge of the European and international policy context. Our graduates work in European institutions, national and regional public authorities, consultancies and NGOs dealing with spatial planning, regional policy and environmental policy. They work in positions as researchers, consultants, project managers and policy advisors. Because of the international orientation and the thorough academic foundation of the Master's programme, graduates are also well prepared to pursue a PhD degree in the Netherlands or another European country.

- Choosing your expertise
During your application process you’ll choose whether you want to do this specialisation as one of the following Master’s programmes:
- Master’s in Spatial Planning
- Master’s in Environment and Society Studies

This means that you will graduate with an MSc in either Spatial Planning or in the Social and Political Sciences of the Environment, even though the study programme is identical. The diploma supplement accompanying your degree certificate will state that you have followed the ESEP specialisation and the courses you passed.

Experience shows that the choice of MSc degree will likely reflect your personal preferences, but because the programme outlines are identical it does not influence your career prospects.

More important for your future career aspirations are the topic of your Master’s thesis and possible internship. We therefore offer our students a large amount of freedom in choosing their thesis topic within the field of spatial and environmental planning. We also have a broad European network which allows us to help you go abroad if that will help you acquire the knowledge you need and the expertise you desire.

Our research in this field

The Radboud University department in Geography, Spatial Planning and Environment has developed its own profile, which is supported with internationally recognised research. The emphasis is on the social science and policy studies approach to environmental policy and spatial planning. We use approaches from EU studies, governance studies, political sciences, economics, sociology and other related approaches in our research.

All researchers of our department are affiliated with the Institute for Management Research (IMR). Central to the IMR research are six Multidisciplinary Research Groups bringing together expertise from different disciplines and addressing complex societal issues. In these groups, interaction with societal actors takes place, needs for both fundamental knowledge and knowledge from society are articulated, and both conceptual and empirical research undertaken. The Multidisciplinary Research Groups in which researchers from Geography, Spatial Planning and Environment participate are:
- Europeanization of Policy and Law
- Gender and Power in Politics and Management
- Global-Local Divides and Connections
- Governance and innovations in social services
- Innovation and Entrepreneurship in Ecosystems
- Responsible Decision Making

Thesis topics
As a Master’s student of European Spatial and Environmental Planning you have plenty of freedom to choose your own Master’s research topic in order to create your own expertise.

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

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This programme trains you to do research in the Spatial Sciences: economic and cultural geography, spatial planning and demography. The programme is aimed at people who want to become successful researchers in the field.

The two-year Research Master in Spatial Sciences (before September 1, 2016 called Regional Studies) is interdisciplinary. Spatial sciences, regional studies geography and spatial planning constitute an interrelated, inherently broad and multi-disciplinary field. A field not only rich in theoretical variety but also encompassing both qualitative and quantitative research methodologies, from ethnographic to case study to statistical and econometric approaches. You will develop real competences in all of these areas, in order to choose your own area of research, and become a successful researcher in the Spatial Sciences field in general.

You will participate in research projects under supervision of experienced staff members, within the Faculty's Research Program tWIST: Towards Wellbeing, Innovation and Spatial Transformation. Regular personal coaching, guidance and monitoring will help you to identify your own preferred learning trajectory and develop your individual research agenda. You are required to gain some international experience, by doing research in a foreign context, and by participating in international workshops or conferences. You can also choose to study abroad.

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MSc Earth and Environment

Are you interested in working on solutions for these and other environmental issues? The Wageningen University Master Earth & Environment was born from the necessity of helping the next generations of scientists find solutions for the issues confronting the way we look after our planet, now and in the future. Within the programme you can specialise in Hydrology and Water Resources, Meteorology and Air Quality, Biology and Chemistry of Soil and Water or Soil Geography and Earth Surface Dynamics.

Programme summary

Planet Earth is a complex, interactive and fascinating system. Protected by a thin layer of atmosphere, it provides all the essentials needed to sustain life and support living organisms. Natural processes and human needs often clash, leading to a wide range of environmental issues. Water scarcity and quality, soil degradation , food supply , loss of biodiversity, vulnerability to severe weather, and climate change are just a few examples of key issues that need to be addressed urgently.

As a Wageningen University geoscientist, you study Planet Earth and its ability to sustain life. Using tools from physics, chemistry, biology and mathematics, you build a quantitative understanding of the composition, structures and processes of the Earth and its atmosphere; as well as its resources and the influence of human activity. Thus, you have an important role to play in improving natural resource management and in removing obstacles to sustainable development.

Your study of the Earth system largely focuses on gaining an understanding of the interdependent physical, chemical and biological processes, and developing models that describe these processes on relevant scales. You develop scenarios that describe expected local, regional and/or global changes and the time scale on which they will occur. The Wageningen MEE focuses on the Earth’s ‘Critical Zone’ -including the atmospheric boundary layer, where flows of energy and matter determine the conditions for sustaining life; hence its name: Earth and Environment.

Specialisations

• Hydrology and Water Resources
The focus of this specialisation is to study the effects of climate change and other influences on the water balance of catchments to support optimal land management when dealing with hydrological extremes.

• Meteorology and Air Quality
Would you like to contribute to further understanding of atmospheric processes and their relevance for weather and climate? In this specialisation you learn about physical-chemical processes, the composition of the atmosphere and the exchange between the atmosphere and earth's surface and meteorology.

• Biology and Chemistry of Soil and Water
This specialisation allows you to develop an in-depth understanding of chemical and biological processes and their interactions in soils and natural waters, and their role in the functioning of terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems in a world that faces increasing anthropogenic pressures. You learn how these insights can contribute to develop effective strategies for the preservation and restoration of soil and water quality, biodiversity, and the functioning of natural ecosystems and the services they provide.

• Soil Geography and Earth Surface Dynamics
This specialisation allows you to explore the spatial and temporal processes that are active in soils, landscapes and the wider earth system. It uses an integrative approach that combines biophysical and human elements to gain insight in past, present and future system dynamics.

The combination of specific discipline training and the Earth System approach prepares you for working on the scientific and societal questions of the future. You can also choose from a selection of elective courses, and we also offer a special variant in preparation for a PhD.

Your future career

The MSc Earth and Environment programme offers our graduate scientists excellent opportunities to develop their career in research or as a science professional at universities, research institutes and consultancies. Our graduates can be found all over the world, working as meteorologists, hydrologists, water quality scientists or soil scientists, to name but a few disciplines.

Are you interested in working on solutions for these and other environmental issues? The master programme was born from the necessity of helping the next generations of scientists find solutions for the issues confronting the way we look after our planet, now and in the future.

Alumnus Nick Gorski.
NIck Gorski came from Canada to Wageningen because of the excellent reputation the Netherlands has in the field of water. He conducted two thesis research projects during his time here. The first dealt with the fluxes of sediment-bound contaminants in a river basin in southwestern Turkey. The second involved the development of a new modelling methodology for heterogeneous flow and solute transport in unsaturated soils. “I had the opportunity to take classes, do field work and research in other countries. It was an excellent way to put theory into practice.” After graduating Nick went on to work for the KWR Watercycle Research Institute in Nieuwegein, the Netherlands.

Related programmes:
MSc Biology
MSc Climate Studies
MSc Environmental Sciences
MSc International Land and Water Management
MSc Plant Sciences.

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Master's in Global Environment and Sustainability

Studying the way issues of complex global sustainability are addressed by international governance arrangements, rules and organisations, both public and private.

Environmental hazards and natural disasters are not restricted to national borders. The consequences of climate change, depletion of the world’s natural resources and other environmental problems are felt by all countries. And all countries contribute to it. Solutions therefore need to be made at an international level.

Yet, the challenges are more complex than merely finding the right ecological solution to an environmental problem. The three pillars of sustainability need to be considered: people, profit, planet. There are various, sometimes conflicting interests involved. Can a country that struggles with extreme poverty be asked to invest time and money in environmental issues? The question arises if a fair distribution of environmental benefits and burdens is even possible.

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

Complex problems and numerous players

In the Master’s specialisation in Global Environment and Sustainability you’ll gain the required knowledge of the economic, political, ethical and societal dimensions shaping environmental problems and possible solutions in a globalising world. You’ll be introduced to the latest scientific insights, which will be illustrated with numerous examples of how countries all over the world tackle these problems and the various interests at play.

This specialisation focuses on the relationships between global players like international institutions, multinational companies, environmental organisations and the regimes that govern over the world’s natural resources. Of course, this involves understanding what the major environmental treaties like the Treaty of Lisbon and the Kyoto-protocol are based upon as well as how these climate policies are developed. But it also includes understanding how agreements and partnerships between, for example, NGOs and corporations operate.

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

Why study Global Environment and Sustainability at Radboud University?

The specialisation strongly focuses on the global level of sustainability transformations and the international agreements and policies intended to make big strides towards a sustainable future.
You’ll gain a broad view of the problems and possible solutions. Among the pressing issues addressed are those related to climate change, biodiversity, water quality, the quality of ecosystems and supply of natural resources.
Related aspects of human geography will be incorporated in this specialisation. You can also take courses from the Master’s in Human Geography as electives for a multidisciplinary perspective.
Due to the knowledge and skills gained in international governance and policy, this specialisation will prepare you for an international career.

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/ess

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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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