Master's Programme in Applied Environmental Science - Ecosystem Services and Nature Resource Management

About the education

Innovative environments, methods and tools

The image of Halmstad University as the innovative University spills over into education. In our education, we make use of the local surrounding with its varied nature, such as the sea, rivers, lakes and diverse agricultural landscapes and forests. Many courses in this programme require excursions and field sampling in order understand environmental concepts. You work with a multitude of different methods and analytical tools, from analysing environmental samples in the laboratory by using microscopy, to computer analyses of environmental effects on organisms, including humans. You will have access to modern study environments and a project room to enable you to create your own programme-specific study environment.

Courses and competencies in focus

The Master's Programme in Applied Environmental Science – Ecosystem Services and Nature Resource Management is a unique educational programme with focus on ecology, nature conservation, sustainable water resource management, ecosystem services and societal challenges in attaining a more sustainable future. The combination of natural science in the study of ecosystem services, ecological resilience and freshwater management is combined with a societal approach, thus putting sparing resource use for a sustainable future in focus. Knowledge acquisition is addressed in many smaller projects and seminars, enabling students to develop their academic reading, writing and discussion skills while learning to conduct independent projects. An important part of the programme is to understand how research results can be translated into practical solutions to counteract the overexploitation of natural resources and ecosystems. This way, both causes and consequences of climate change can be buffered, promoting a local and global sustainable future.

Further, students gain valuable insights into current global environmental efforts. Students may choose to focus on applied environmental issues or research and test their skills with practical tasks. In the concluding degree project students may get involved in research projects or find a theoretical solution to a actual environmental problem.

The programme is conducted in English.

Collaboration opportunities

The teachers in the programme collaborate with several external organisations and companies, and representatives from those partners will be a part of certain course topics. There are ample opportunities to network, and during the second semester you may want to choose a practical training course at a possible future workplace. Your research or development-oriented degree project will also be done either in close collaboration with researchers at Halmstad University or in collaboration with an external organisation in public administration or business.