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.
✔️ Understand the connections between climate, politics and society
✔️ Choose your focus: specialise in Planet or Politics in your second year
✔️ Build future-ready skills in research, data, policy analysis and communication
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. At Campus Fryslân, 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.
Living Lab examples:
| 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 |
VWO or HBO-propedeuse diploma or Colloquium doctum
|
| additional subject |
English: VWO English with min. final grade 7 or one of the certified English tests. |
| Curriculum Vitae (CV) |
in English |
| language test |
|
| (motivation-) letter |
Motivatiebrief of video in het Engels. |
Students with Dutch diploma have to apply via Studielink.nl and submit their necessary documents via online form sent by the Admissions Officer. After uploading all the required documents the Admissions Board will inform you if you're deemed admissible based on our admission criteria. Even if you don't meet all of our admission requirements, you are encouraged to submit your application, since each application is reviewed on individual basis.
Global Politics & Sustainability is a selective programme. That means applicants are chosen based on their entry requirements, as well as the motivation letter / video and CV.
| Type of student | Deadline | Start course |
|---|---|---|
| Dutch students | 01 January 2027 | 01 February 2027 |
| 01 May 2027 | 01 September 2027 | |
| EU/EEA students | 01 January 2027 | 01 February 2027 |
| 01 May 2027 | 01 September 2027 | |
| 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 |
Proficiency in English (read the list of the accepted English test and exemptions below) Disclaimer: as of 1st September 2023, Maths A or B (or their international equivalent) is no longer an entry requirement for this programme. |
| Curriculum Vitae (CV) |
in English |
| language test |
|
| (motivation-) letter |
Letter of Motivation or a Video Presentation in English. For more info, please take a look at the following document: https://www.rug.nl/cf/education/application/applying-for-the-bsc-global-responsibility-leadership |
| other admission requirements |
For more information about international equivalency, certificates, exceptions and more: www.rug.nl/cf/ |
| Exam | Minimum score |
|---|---|
| C1 Advanced (formerly CAE) | C1 |
| C2 Proficiency (formerly CPE) | C2 |
| IELTS overall band | 6.5 |
| IELTS listening | 6 |
| IELTS reading | 6 |
| IELTS writing | 6 |
| IELTS speaking | 6 |
| TOEFL internet based | 90 |
Students have to apply via Studielink.nl and submit their documents via the Progress Portal of the University of Groningen. After uploading all the required documents the Admissions Board will inform you if you're deemed admissible based on our admission criteria. Even if you don't meet all of our admission requirements, you are encouraged to submit your application, since each application is reviewed on individual basis.
Global Politics & Sustainability is a selective programme. That means applicants are chosen based on their entry requirements, as well as the motivation letter / video and CV.
| Type of student | Deadline | Start course |
|---|---|---|
| Dutch students | 01 January 2027 | 01 February 2027 |
| 01 May 2027 | 01 September 2027 | |
| EU/EEA students | 01 January 2027 | 01 February 2027 |
| 01 May 2027 | 01 September 2027 | |
| 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.
