Study programme - Master Governance of Sustainability Transformations

This programme focusses on governance theories and transformative change processes for analyzing and contributing to sustainability challenges in climate, food, energy, and biodiversity systems. The education has a multidisciplinary character by its relation with environmental, agricultural, and food sciences.

Study programme Governance of Sustainability
Study programme Governance of Sustainability

Academic year

The programme runs annually beginning in September each year. It comprises of 120 credit points (ECTS), equivalent to two academic years. The academic year consists of 6 periods. Period 1,2,5 and 6 comprise six weeks of classes, one week of self-study and the exam week. In these periods students often follow two courses worth 6 credits each. Period 3 and 4 entail of four weeks in which both the lectures and the exams take place. In these periods students follow one course worth 6 credits. The expected workload is 40 hours per week.

Year 1

Programme specific courses (30 ECTS)

The programme courses deal with subjects like:

  • Grand Challenges for the Governance of Sustainability Transformations
  • Transnational Environmental Law and Regulation
  • Transformative Sustainability Practices for Systemic Change
  • Advanced Comparative Public Governance for Sustainability Transformations
  • Design and Research for Transformative Sustainability Governance.

Academic Master Cluster (12 ECTS)

In the Academic Master Cluster, teams of 5 to 7 students from different disciplines are assigned to execute a transdisciplinary-oriented academic consultancy project for an external commissioner.

Electives (18 ECTS)

The space for electives can be used for deepening or broadening knowledge on the field of interest of each individual student.

Year 2

Thesis (36 ECTS)

The thesis (individual research) consists of 24 weeks of research and reporting (36 credits). The research is conducted under supervision of a staff member of one of the chair groups related to this master programme.

Internship (24 ECTS)

The internship may either be undertaken in the Netherlands or abroad. The purpose of the internship is to provide students with a unique learning opportunity to apply acquired knowledge and skills in a professional setting. The experience gained from the internship also serves to help students focusing on their area of interest, as well as building confidence and maturity in their field.

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