What does a successful energy transition look like? How can we protect biodiversity while balancing different economic and political interests? How can we tackle climate change while creating a fairer society? And who gets to decide which solutions move forward?
Answering these questions requires
more than a single perspective. We need to understand how
the planet works, how political and economic decisions are made,
how societies change, and how effective policies and solutions are
designed.
Global Politics &
Sustainability
combines
environmental understanding, political insight and
solution-design skills to help you address complex
challenges from multiple perspectives. Throughout the programme,
you explore the interactions between the planet, politics and
society at both local and global levels, while developing
strong analytical, research, data and communication
skills.
Global questions become much more tangible when you can see how they play out around you. In Leeuwarden you do exactly that. You study this programme in a charming and compact student city with some of the most affordable student housing in the Netherlands. Here, you'll be part of a close-knit international academic community.
Year 1: See the connections
Your first year gives you a broad
foundation in how the planet works, what drives
climate and energy transitions, and the
political and economic forces behind the choices
societies make. You'll also explore questions of justice,
ethics and health.
At the same time, you start building
the skills to investigate these issues yourself, using data,
AI, statistics and research methods to weigh evidence and
reach well-supported
| Courses |
|---|
| Climate & Energy Transitions (Planet) |
| Data for a Warming World (Planet) |
| Energy in Everyday Life (Planet) |
| The Living Planet (Planet) |
| Understanding Climate Change (Planet) |
| Web of Life (Planet) |
Year 2: Choose your specialization
In your second year you specialise in
either
Planet
or
Politics
.
Choose
Planet
to explore environmental
change in more depth:
energy futures, environmental behaviour,
fossil fuels
and
the
social consequences of
resource use
. Choose
Politics
to focus on
power, inequality, political
and
economic systems, democracy
and competing ideas about
growth
. Either way you stay part of the same
programme and keep examining how the two sides
connect.
You also take on a
Living Lab
, working on a real sustainability question
with an external partner. It is your chance to apply research,
analysis and teamwork to a problem outside the classroom, for
example:
| Courses |
|---|
| Actors and Institutions (Politics) |
| Democratising Transitions (optional) |
| Economics for Global Challenges (Politics) |
| Energy Futures in Practice (optional) |
| Fossil Fuel Worlds (optional) |
| Global Commodities, Local Justice: Mining (optional) |
| Global Wrongs: Power, Inequality and Justice (optional) |
| Health as Justice (Politics) |
| Political Ideas That Shape the World (Politics) |
| Psychology for the Planet (optional) |
| Radical Futures: Rethinking Growth and Development (optional) |
| Rules of the Game (Politics) |
| What We Owe to Each Other: Justice, Ethics & Society (Politics) |
| Winners & Losers in a Global Economy (optional) |
Year 3: Make it your own
| Courses |
|---|
| AI, Data & Digital Skills (Skills & Methods) |
| Capstone Thesis (Skills & Methods)
Bachelor's Thesis |
| Capstone Thesis (Skills & Methods)
Bachelor's Thesis |
| Governing the Planet (Planet) |
| Health, Policy & Global Inequality (Politics) |
| Justice, Intersectionality & Inclusion (Politics) |
| Leadership & Professional Development (Skills & Methods) |
| Living Lab: Real-World Sustainability Project (Skills & Methods) |
| Minor: your choice
Choose an exchange, minor package or internship |
| Research Design (Skills & Methods) |
| Statistics I: Understanding Data (Skills & Methods) |
| Statistics II: Data for Decision Making (Skills & Methods) |
| Understanding Behaviour, Shaping Change (Planet) |
| Understanding Stories & Systems (Skills & Methods ) |
40 hours of class and self-study per week on average
| Programme options |
|---|
| Planet (major) |
| Politics (major) |
Study abroad is optional in Year 3
| Specific requirements | More information |
|---|---|
| previous education |
A Dutch VWO diploma, international equivalent or HBO propedeuse. |
| additional subject |
Sufficient English profiency. More info: https://www.rug.nl/gps-application |
Register through Studielink and submit the required documents. Full procedure→ https://www.rug.nl/gps-application
Unsure whether you meet the requirements? You are still encouraged to apply as each application is assessed individually.
Global Politics & Sustainability is a selective programme, you will be asked to submit:
• a CV in English;
• a motivation letter or video in English.
More info → https://www.rug.nl/selection-gps
| Type of student | Deadline | Start course |
|---|---|---|
| Dutch students | 01 January 2027 | 01 February 2027 |
| 01 May 2027 | 01 September 2027 | |
| EU/EEA students | 01 November 2026 | 01 February 2027 |
| 01 May 2027 | 01 September 2027 | |
| 01 November 2027 | 01 February 2028 | |
| non-EU/EEA students | 01 November 2026 | 01 February 2027 |
| 01 May 2027 | 01 September 2027 | |
| 01 November 2027 | 01 February 2028 |
| Specific requirements | More information |
|---|---|
| previous education |
International Equivalent of the Dutch VWO Diploma or HBO-propedeuse diploma |
| additional subject |
Sufficient English profiency. More info: https://www.rug.nl/gps-application |
Register through Studielink and submit the required documents. Full procedure→ https://www.rug.nl/gps-application
Unsure whether you meet the requirements? You are still encouraged to apply as each application is assessed individually.
Global Politics & Sustainability is a selective programme, you will be asked to submit:
• a CV in English;
• a motivation letter or video in English.
More info → https://www.rug.nl/selection-gps
| Type of student | Deadline | Start course |
|---|---|---|
| Dutch students | 01 January 2027 | 01 February 2027 |
| 01 May 2027 | 01 September 2027 | |
| EU/EEA students | 01 November 2026 | 01 February 2027 |
| 01 May 2027 | 01 September 2027 | |
| 01 November 2027 | 01 February 2028 | |
| non-EU/EEA students | 01 November 2026 | 01 February 2027 |
| 01 May 2027 | 01 September 2027 | |
| 01 November 2027 | 01 February 2028 |
| Nationality | Year | Fee | Programme form |
|---|---|---|---|
| EU/EEA | 2026-2027 | € 5343 | full-time |
| non-EU/EEA | 2026-2027 | € 17200 | full-time |
Practical information for:
After Year 1, the programme offers students multiple ways to apply their knowledge and engage in research projects with local impact.
