Environment & Society

Subjects: Environment;Sociology;Sustainability

M.A. | Master of Arts

Course description

What do plants have to do with politics? How are the environment and justice intertwined? Where does art intersect with climate change? We delve into the intricate connections between environment and society. How has this relationship evolved over time? Where do we stand today? Where do we aim to go? The interdisciplinary Master in Environment and Society tackles these pressing questions. It examines current research and debates on environmental transformation. The program spans various disciplines: history, literature, art, law, anthropology, geography, and sociology. It equips students for careers addressing today's social and environmental challenges and for academic pursuits. Discover more about the program through the links below.

Application Requirements

Language Requirements

proof of English language proficiency at C1 level according to the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages. Accepted certificates include TOEFL (iBT over 95), IELTS (7.0 or above), CAE (Cambridge C1 Advanced or better), Duolingo (120 or above), or equivalent. Please note that the validity of most test results expires after two years. If English is your native language or you completed your first degree in English in an English-speaking country, you may submit a statement explaining why you should be exempt;

Qualification Requirements

B.A. / B.Sc. / B.Arch. / B.LA. / B.Eng. degree (humanities, social sciences with environmental focus, environmental sciences, natural sciences, architecture, landscape architecture, engineering) equivalent to at least 180 European Credit Transfer System (ECTS) points or a comparative qualification from a higher education institution in Germany, the EU, or abroad.

Document Requirements

a completed digital application form; a curriculum vitae (2 pages maximum); a copy of your bachelor's degree certificate (180 ECTS points or equivalent) from programs in the humanities, social sciences, natural sciences, or engineering sciences with significant thematic overlap with the MA Environment & Society (for example, but not limited to: environmental studies, literature, cultural studies, history, sociology, anthropology, geography, political sciences, media studies, geology, biology, architecture, landscape architecture, or civil engineering). Students who have not yet finished their undergraduate studies may apply but can only be accepted on a provisional basis pending the completion of their degree; a transcript of records showing a grade of at least 2.5 on the German scale (or equivalent); In case the first degree is not yet completed, the transcript of records must show the successful completion of at least 150 ECTS points (or equivalent). The diploma (or equivalent qualification) must be submitted immediately upon receipt. To determine the grade equivalents for degrees obtained outside of Germany, you can use online guidelines or tools. proof of English language proficiency at C1 level according to the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages. Accepted certificates include TOEFL (iBT over 95), IELTS (7.0 or above), CAE (Cambridge C1 Advanced or better), Duolingo (120 or above), or equivalent. Please note that the validity of most test results expires after two years. If English is your native language or you completed your first degree in English in an English-speaking country, you may submit a statement explaining why you should be exempt; an original argumentative essay in English, no more than 2,000 words (excluding bibliography). Rather than an overview or a summary of an issue or topic, this should be an argumentative essay that also points to your personal relation to the chosen topic (relating, for example, to your personal passions or career goals) and argues why an interdisciplinary program such as the MA Environment & Society is a suitable framework to engage with this issue. The essay should address one of the two following prompts: Based on your own discipline, discuss a pressing contemporary environmental issue or promising innovation to an environmental challenge and explain what an interdisciplinary perspective on this issue might add. If possible, please select an issue that is more focused than climate change or microplastics, or concentrate on a specific aspect or dimension of these large-scale issues. Choose an environmental issue embedded in a particular place and discuss its relationship to human and nonhuman life from a historical perspective. Examples include, but are not limited to, toxic pollution in a particular context, the work of an influential environmentalist, issues of environmental justice relating to a specific event or place, the practice of conservation in a specific region/country, the development of environmental policy in a specific country. The essay will be assessed based on: writing quality and strength of argumentation; language proficiency; demonstrated research ability, including robust academic referencing practices (minimum eight secondary academic sources, correctly and coherently attributed citations); relevance to environmental concerns. a writing sample in English or German demonstrating research ability on a topic of environmental relevance (maximum 2,000 words). This can be, but does not have to be, from your previous study program.