The programme is based on an interdisciplinary approach to analyze and solve environmental problems. Although emphasis is on theory and methods of Natural Sciences, the programme includes elements from Social Sciences with focus on practices of risk assessment of real environmental problems.

The programme covers subjects such as evaluation of environmental risks in connection with natural disasters; volcanic eruptions, earthquakes, landslides and flooding as well as evaluating technologies and chemical agents that have the potential to harm ecosystems, animals and human health. You will acquire the skills necessary to professionally implement envrironmental legislation and regulatory programmes and to provide in depth advice to future environmental regulation.

You will be trained to analyze the spatial patterns and relationships that may occur in the context of environmental risks. You will be able to identify and articulate issues within the key disciplines of environmental risk especially ectoxicolology, population and systems ecology, environmental management, environmental history, natural systems, geohazards and resource management.

Structure of the program

The programme is a 2-year master’s programme (120 ECTS).

The programme consists of a group of joint introductory courses (obligatory courses) and profiling courses. The programme is completed with a Master’s thesis.

During the first semester you will follow a number of obligatory courses with the purpose provide you with an essential toolbox within environmental science. The first senester consist of six courses (5 ECTS each). The joint introductory courses will provide you with in-depth knowledge in the field of environmental science by focusing on experimental approaches and skills. During this semester you will be provided with a multi-disciplinary introduction into the issue of environmental risk.

During second and third semesters you may specialize within a wide range of courses representing different areas within the field of environmental risk. These profiling courses enable you to focus and customize your studies to the aspects and issues within Environmental Risk that are of major interest to you as well as prepare your Master’s thesis.

Already in your second semester and continuing through your third and fourth semester you will do a Master’s thesis (60 ECTS), where you specialize in a topic in the field of environmental risk. The thesis is to be based on experimental work.

The general framework for the program is outlined below: