Master's Programme in Environmental Change and Global Sustainability, Master of Science/Science (Agriculture and Forestry)/Social Sciences

The Master’s Programme in Environmental Change and Global Sustainability at the University of Helsinki studies climate change, biodiversity loss, sustainability, and other socio-ecological challenges. It combines natural and social sciences and focuses on evidence-based solutions, stakeholder engagement, and independent research. You choose between two tracks: Environmental Change and Global Sustainability.

The programme takes two years and totals 120 ECTS credits. Teaching is in English and is mainly contact teaching. It combines on-site lectures and seminars with group work, laboratory and field exercises, and independent research. Selected courses are offered in hybrid or online formats. The programme includes core studies, track-specific studies, elective studies, and a 30-credit master’s thesis.

The degree can lead to a Master of Science, a Master of Science (Agriculture and Forestry), or a Master of Social Sciences, depending on track and degree title. The University of Helsinki says the programme is designed for students interested in environmental and sustainability issues from an interdisciplinary perspective.

Modules

• Aquatic Sciences
• Changing Arctic and Northern Environments
• Sustainability of Agriculture and Food Systems
• Urban Socio-Ecological Interactions and Governance
• Policy, Politics, and Everyday Practices in Local Environments
• International Environmental Governance
• Just and Sustainable Forest and Land Governance
• Diversity and Justice for Sustainability

You can apply with a relevant first-cycle bachelor’s degree from a Finnish or international higher education institution.

Environmental Change track: a bachelor’s degree in biological and environmental sciences, agriculture and forestry, or another natural science. Degrees in related fields with a strong environmental component of 60–90 ECTS may also qualify.

Global Sustainability track: a bachelor’s degree in environmental social sciences or environmental humanities, including environmental or natural resource economics, or human geography. Degrees in the social sciences with environmental or sustainability studies, or degrees with a strong social science emphasis and an environmental or sustainability focus, may also qualify.

• sustainability coordinator
• responsibility coordinator
• environmental consultant
• policy analyst
• natural resource manager
• researcher
• sustainability and responsibility coordinator in educational institutions and companies
• disaster risk management roles in international NGOs
• environmental policy analyst in government and EU institutions
• climate and energy specialist in municipalities and regional authorities
• environmental consultant in the private sector or as a freelancer