Master in Environment and Development

Master in Environment and Development is one of 10 English-taught Development Studies programmes at Master's Degree level in the register, offered by 5 institutions. 10 of them list an annual fee for students from outside the EU, EEA and Switzerland, from EUR 4,250 to EUR 17,300; this programme lists EUR 8,700 a year. 7 are recorded as free for EU, EEA and Swiss students.

The MSc in Environment and Development at the University of Copenhagen is a two-year master's taught in English. It looks at how environmental resources can be used sustainably, with a particular focus on lower income countries. The programme mixes field-based and research-based learning, so you work with real situations rather than only reading about them.

What you study

You choose one of two specialisations when you enrol.

• Agriculture and Ecology has its main academic focus in the natural sciences. You work with theories and interventions around agricultural production and sustainable use of natural resources in the Global South. You learn to identify critical aspects of natural resource management for food, fibre, feed and fuel production.
• Livelihoods and Governance has its focus in the social sciences. You look at people's livelihoods and environmental resources, and the governance links between them, at local and household levels. You learn quantitative and qualitative techniques and how to apply theories and frameworks to case studies.

In both specialisations you take three compulsory courses that introduce an interdisciplinary approach to environmental resource challenges: Global Challenges in Environment and Development, Quantitative and Qualitative Methods in Environment and Development, and Practicing Interdisciplinary Field Research on the Environment. You then take restricted elective courses tied to your specialisation, plus elective courses. Restricted electives include Agroforestry, Applied Insect Ecology and Biological Control, Applied Statistics, Entrepreneurship and Innovation, Environmental Impact Assessment, Planning Interdisciplinary Research, Plant Infection and Disease Management, Plant Nutrition and Soil Fertility, Tropical Crop Production, Tropical Forest Restoration and Project in Practice.

How the programme is organised

Teaching varies between lectures, exercises, field work and project work. You work both independently and in project groups. Field work abroad is part of the programme. One example given is the mountain areas of Thailand, where you work with local students and educational institutions on a problem-based case study about resource use, agriculture and livelihoods. You also collect primary data for your thesis.

The programme is built in blocks. One block each year equals nine weeks of study. The compulsory courses take 30 ECTS, restricted electives 30 ECTS, electives 15 ECTS, and the master's thesis 45 ECTS. The thesis takes about six months and requires at least two months of field work. You decide the subject yourself.

You can use elective courses for a project in practice in Denmark or abroad, for example with a company or an institution. You need a supervisor who approves the host and guides you, and the project ends with a written report and an oral examination. You can also study abroad for one or two semesters, or a shorter period such as a summer school, and transfer the credits.

Who it suits

This suits you if you want to work on environmental resources and development in lower income countries, and you are comfortable combining natural science or social science with field work. The two specialisations let you lean towards production and ecology or towards livelihoods and governance. You should be ready to work in project groups and to spend time collecting data away from campus.

Admission, language and next steps

You apply through the application portal. You must be enrolled in or have completed a qualifying bachelor's programme or another relevant Danish or foreign degree that the admission board assesses as meeting the academic requirements. The page lists degrees that automatically meet the academic requirements, including several from the University of Copenhagen, Roskilde University, the University of Southern Denmark and Aarhus University. If you hold another degree, you are eligible if it includes 30 ECTS within social science or 30 ECTS within natural science. You must also meet the language requirement, English B.

You upload documents such as transcripts, course descriptions, a self-assessment form and proof of language proficiency. The deadline for applicants from outside the EU, EEA and Switzerland is 15 January. For Danish applicants and applicants from within the EU, EEA and Switzerland it is 1 March. The number of places is capped. Students from the EU, EEA and Switzerland study free of charge. Other students pay a fee the institution sets, and an application deposit applies.

Master’s applications go straight to University of Copenhagen, not through optagelse.dk, and the institution sets its own deadline. Entry requirements and language tests are set by the institution, so start from the official programme page. Our guides cover tuition fees, residence permits and housing.