Program Overview

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MSc Climate Studies Programme

The MSc programme Climate Studies runs annually beginning from September. It comprises 120 ECTS credits and runs for two academic years. The first year consists of coursework (60 ECTS), the second year consists of the academic internship (24 ECTS) and your thesis (36 ECTS) as the core components of the master's degree curriculum.

Academic Year

Wageningen University has six teaching periods per year. Usually, you follow one or two courses per period, depending on the length of the period.

Course Selection

As a student, you will gain a broad overview of climate change related issues by following compulsory courses, a selection of restricted optional courses, and courses that you may choose freely (electives). Some of the compulsory and restricted optional subjects are specific for this programme, and others are part of the specialisation of your choice. The electives can be taken from any other relevant MSc programme offered by Wageningen University or by another academic institution.

The Common Part

The compulsory and restricted optional courses which belong to the common part of the MSc programme Climate Studies are as follows:

• Compulsory:
  • Climate Change Studies Topics and Approaches (WSG20306)
  • Internship (24 ECTS; to be selected from the 11 chairs)
  • Two e-learning Safety Instructions are compulsory in order to work safely at Wageningen University and in the field (0 ECTS):
    • General Safety (ZSS06000)
    • Fieldwork Safety (ZSS06200)
• Restricted optional: select one out of these two options:
  • Principles of Climate Change Economics and Policy (ENR22806)
  • Principles of Earth and Ecosystem Science (SOC23306)
• Restricted optional: select one:
  • Academic Consultancy Training and Modular Skills Training (MOS) (YMC60809)
  • Design of Climate Change Mitigation and Adaptation Strategies (WSG60812)
  • Int. Environmental Policy Consultancy (ENP60312)
• Restricted optional: These optional courses focus on various research methodologies and data sciences and can support you in preparation of your thesis:
  • Data Science Concepts (INF34306)
  • Data Science for Smart Environments (GRS35306)
  • Advanced Statistics (MAT20306)
  • Interviews and Questionnaires (YRM31306)

Specialisations and Thesis Tracks

Within the MSc programme Climate Studies, you can choose from five specialisations, and within each specialisation, different thesis tracks have been identified. Each specialisation has its own coursework curriculum. The curriculum can also differ between students depending on their preparatory training. These courses primarily serve to prepare you for your thesis research.

Free Choice

In the programme, there is also room for electives which you may use to broaden your scope or to deepen your knowledge on a topic within your specialisation.

Career-Oriented Tracks

In addition to the wide choice of scientific disciplines, you can choose to include one of the following career-oriented tracks or minors in your programme:

• Entrepreneurship
• Sustainable Development Diplomacy (only thesis track Environmental Policy)
• Research

Thesis

The thesis (individual research) is part of your thesis track and consists of 24 weeks of research and reporting (36 ECTS). Required courses to prepare for the thesis are mentioned in the course catalogue. The research is conducted under supervision of a staff member of one of the chair groups related to this MSc programme. Cooperative work with other chair groups is also possible. Students decide in consultation with the thesis supervisor about the topic of their research. The topic should be linked to the Climate Studies programme.

Internship

The compulsory internship consists of 24 ECTS credits of project work in an institution outside of Wageningen University. The internship may either be undertaken abroad or in the Netherlands. The purpose of the internship is to provide students with a unique learning opportunity to apply learned skills and concepts to a professional setting.

Internship Positions

Whilst securing an internship is primarily a responsibility of the student, the internship coordinator will provide substantial assistance in finding a suitable position, ensuring that the work experience is relevant to the student's study programme. To receive credits for an internship, students must receive a satisfactory evaluation from both their internship (host) supervisor and supervisor within the MSc Climate Studies programme.

Internship Replacement

Students with (supervised) work experience on an academic level may exchange the internship for a research practice with another chair group than the one where the thesis is done. Approval by the study adviser is required.