Environmental Management is a two-year programme (120 EC) with 30 EC dedicated to compulsory courses, an independent Master's research project (36 EC), as well as an internship in corporate consultancy, civil society or a governmental organisation (24-30 EC). An additional 30-36 EC can be devoted to either elective courses or a minor.

The Environmental Management track offers specific courses that teach you how to analyse environmental management problems. These courses range from Human-Environment Interactions (6EC), Transition Management (6 EC), Science Based Geo-Ecological Management (6 EC), Metropole Ecology (6 EC), or Environmental Chemistry (6 EC).

You will enhance your proficiency in modelling, with languages like R and Python, learn how to manage large datasets, including GIS, and remote sensing data sets, as well as socio-economic data. You can also cultivate your expertise in laboratory analysis, focusing on examining contaminants in sediments, soils or water by studying elements or microbic organism. Furthermore, you will learn about concepts, theories and processes underlying environmental management paradigms and approaches.

The Master's thesis research project is your masterpiece. It is an independent research project supervised by an expert. Your research topic is preferably closely linked to the research conducted at the Institute for Biodiversity and Ecosystem Dynamics (IBED). While you work on your research project, you will be a member of a research group. This will help optimise communication with your peers and supervisors, provide you with a broader perspective by being involved in research projects, and develop your professional network.

You can choose to do your Master's programme with a society and/or business-oriented major or minor that focuses on other skills than doing research. You follow the programme of your chosen scientific discipline during the first year of your Master's (slightly adjusted compared to the research master), and a major or minor during the second year. You will graduate as a Master of Science. If you have the ambition of doing a professional specialisation, make sure to inform yourself about conditions early in your Master's programme. You'll find more information on the majors and minors webpage.

This track is a specialisation of the UvA Master's programme Earth Sciences, which has been accredited by the Accreditation Organisation of the Netherlands and Flanders (NVAO). This means that upon successful completion of the programme (a total of 120 EC), you will receive a legally recognised Master's degree in Earth Sciences and the title Master of Science (MSc).

Earth System Science works across disciplines and is firmly embedded in the interdisciplinary Institute for Biodiversity and Ecosystem Dynamics (IBED), which covers high-quality research on earth surface science, ecology, environmental chemistry, (soil-)chemical analytics and modelling. You can conduct your thesis research there, but also at partner institutions.

All students enrolled in Earth Sciences are requested to bring and work on their own laptop. More information on specific system requirements can be found here.