Environment and Society Studies

Entry requirements

1. A completed academic Bachelor's degree
   In order to get admission to this Master's you will need a completed Bachelor’s degree in Environmental Studies, Spatial Planning, Human Geography, or another related discipline.
2. Proficiency in English
   In order to take part in this programme, you need to have fluency in both written and spoken English.This requirement has been satisfied when the student meets one of the following conditions:
   
   • Has successfully completed a three-year Bachelor's programme at a Dutch university.
   • Is a citizen of Australia, Canada (with exception of Quebec), Ireland, New Zealand, United Kingdom, or the United States of America.
   • Has successfully completed a Bachelor's programme that was taught completely in the English language in one of the following countries: EU/EEA-countries, Australia, Canada, New Zealand, United States of America.
   • Has successfully completed a Master's programme from a Dutch university of applied sciences (HBO).
     
     All other students need one of the following certificates (TOEFL and IELTS certificates may not be older than two years):
   • A TOEFL score of ≥90, with subscores not lower than 18
   • A IELTS score of ≥6.5, with subscores not lower than 6.0
   • Cambridge Certificate of Advanced English (CAE) or Certificate of Proficiency in English (CPE) with a mark of C or higher
3. A background in research methodology
   Because of the academic nature of this programme, we require all our students to have basic training in research processes, e.g. research design and data analysis.

* Applicants are considered to be a native speaker of English if they are from Australia, Canada, Ireland, New Zealand, Singapore, UK, USA or South Africa.

Months of entry

September

Course content

Learning how contemporary society deals with its physical environment and how you can help enhance sustainability in the economy, society and politics.

How can we work towards a sustainable future? There are plenty of new sustainable technologies, smart governmental instruments and new ideas on organising the market to become more sustainable, but very often we don’t use them. Why is that? What can we learn from successful examples of societal change in other countries?

The Master's programme in Environment and Society Studies focuses on the way society deals with its physical environment. We’ll look at experiences of countries all over the globe, at good and bad practises and at the role of markets and governments as well as society itself. You’ll become part of the quest for sustainability through changing business practices and individual behaviour. With the help of other disciplines like sociology, psychology, political science and administration, you’ll gain the complete picture.

Our multidisciplinary programme allows you to look beyond country borders and you’ll discover what is needed on different levels, from the United Nations to Europe, from individual countries to the local level. What is the role of the EU in promoting the 20-20-20 Agenda? And what can be done by people themselves, through, for examples, citizens’ initiatives? In short, you’ll have the knowledge and skills to guide and influence societal transformations towards sustainability.

What will you learn?

• Learn how to incorporate scientific insights into solving social and political issues around the world world.
• Take a comparative approach to studies on environment, sustainability and social and political change.
• Get a better understanding of the relationship between theory and practice, including lectures from practitioners
• Gain experience through an obligatory internship designed to help you conduct your own research

Specialisations

You can choose a specialisation that best reflects your passion for the environment, sustainability and governance. Radboud University offers the following five specialisations in this field:

Global Environment and Sustainability

In this specialisation, you'll study the way complex global sustainability issues are addressed by international governance arrangements, rules and organisations, both public and private. Among the pressing issues are those related to climate change, biodiversity, water quality, the quality of ecosystems and natural resource suppliers.

Corporate Sustainability

The private sector plays a crucial role in shaping our sustainable society. In this specialisation you'll study innovative environmental partnerships, specifically focusing on the role of the societal and ethical responsibility of business and the market with regards to the environment.

Local Environmental Change and Sustainable Cities

In this specialisation you'll focus on the local level of sustainable transformations, in particular the development of sustainable cities and regions. You'll analyse and reflect on sustainable futures, measures and instruments with regard to waste, energy, water, transport and climate-proofing cities and regions.

European Spatial and Environmental Planning

This specialisation will teach you to become a spatial planner who can engage with EU policies, cooperate with planners across borders and coordinate with other sectors like environment and economic development.

Career prospects

A majority of graduates from this programme find a job within three months of graduation. Graduates from this programme can find work in a number of different organisations and institutions:

• European instiutions
• National, regional or local public authorities
• Consultancies
• NGOs
• PhDs

To apply for this course, please contact us by e-mail.

Learn more via the Radboud University contact form.

Fees and funding

There are various scholarships available for studying at Radboud University. Some of the opportunities are described below. A full list, including detailed information, can be found on our scholarships and grants page at our website.

Radboud Scholarship Programme

Open to a select number of excellent international students. Instead of the institutional tuition fees, non-EEA students pay the legal tuition fees (€2,209). Visa and residence permit costs, liability insurance and health insurance are also covered.

Orange Tulip Scholarship

Open to students from Brazil, Mexico, Russia, Indonesia, South-Korea, Vietnam, Thailand, and China. Instead of the institutional tuition fees, non-EEA students pay the legal tuition fees (€2,209). Visa and residence permit costs, liability insurance and health insurance are also covered.

Fulbright-Radboud Scholarships

Open to excellent American students. The grant will be paid in 12 monthly instalments of 1,050 euros. International travel and the cost of the residence permit will be covered, and an extra allowance of €1150 will be paid on arrival.

Sino-Dutch Bilateral Exchange Scholarship

Open to excellent students from China. Consists of a contribution of € 16,113 towards the total costs of one year of study or research in the Netherlands.

DIKTI-Neso Scholarships

Aimed at lecturers at higher education institutions in Indonesia who wish to pursue a PhD or Master's at a university in the Netherlands. A DIKTI scholarship includes allowances for living expenses, insurance, travel costs, tuition fees and more.

Indonesian Education Scholarship (LPDP)

Open to excellent Indonesian students under the age of 35. Involves a full scholarship.

Holland Scholarship Programme

Open to excellent students from Canada, America, India and Turkey. Scholarship consists of 5,000 euros payed at the start of study.

Dutch Student Finance

EU/EEA students and Swiss students under 30 years of age are eligible if they are working at least 56 hours per month in the Netherlands, or have been living in the Netherlands for five years or more. Dutch student finance consists of four components: a basic grant, a supplementary grant (depending on the parental income), a student travel product, and a loan.