Environmental Sciences and Humanities

Abstract

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  Profile of the study programme

  The master programme Environmental Sciences and Humanities educates generalists in environmental sciences with a special competence in the environmental humanities and ethics. All modules consist of course units providing more general overviews or introductions to the fields of studies and allow for specialisations in specific fields of environmental sciences and humanities. The programme is based on an interfaculty and a humanistic approach. Within this highly interdisciplinary setting, students achieve key competences in all fields of the environmental sciences ranging from biology, geosciences to environmental economy and law to a key focus on the environmental humanities with a special emphasis on ethical decision-making in environmental practice.

  Structure of classes and lectures
  All course units of this programme make true interdisciplinarity possible as they are followed in their Faculties and Departments of origin together with students from the respective fields. The programme is divided into six modules and the master thesis:

  1. The environmental humanities module, the speciality of this master programme, consists of courses in the fields of the environmental humanities and in ethics. Examples are courses in environmental ethics, methods of ethical decision-making and courses in environmental history and political ecology;
  2. The geosciences module deepens knowledge in methods and theory of earth sciences, human and physical geography;
  3. The environmental biology module extends knowledge in ecology and biological evolution;
  4. The sustainable economy module provides the necessary background in economic thinking in the context of sustainability;
  5. The environmental law module focuses on public law at national, European and international levels;
  6. The humanities and theology module extends humanist background to environmental challenges.

  Finally, the master thesis is interdisciplinary, focusing on ethical or humanist aspects of environmental governance and practice.

  In conjunction with the courses from the humanities and theology module the environmental humanities module aims at building in-depth competences in humanist approaches to environmental challenges while a special focus lies on ethics and ethical decision-making. The other four modules provide the necessary generalist background to understand the basic scientific, economic and legal aspects of the environmental issues to be governed today. Depending on their prerequisites, students follow more advanced or more basic courses. The master thesis allows a specialisation on the ethical aspects of the chosen field of research.

  Skills acquired and career opportunities
  Students of this master programme develop and strengthen their capacities of analytical thinking, precise reasoning and detecting the ethical implications of environmental practice. In addition, they acquire general scientific, economic and legal knowledge concerning the environmental challenges of today and specialise in the context of their master thesis. Studying at the multi-lingual University of Fribourg allows to gain language competences in English, French and German. However, most of the courses are taught in English.
  The master programme Environmental Sciences and Humanities qualifies for further research in the fields of environmental sciences and humanities, especially applied ethics and philosophy. Job opportunities include the fields of environmental administration and public institutions (local, national, regional, and international), urban and regional planning, environmental consulting, sustainable development, and NGOs with a focus on the environment.

Studies organisation

Structure of studies

Curriculum

Admission

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