What are the causes of the various large scale global environmental issues like climate change? Can we identify options to solve these issues? Are options different in different countries?
The global challenges with respect to environment and sustainability are huge and can only be addressed in an interdisciplinary approach. Since it is impossible to address all these issues equally in a Master degree program, specialization is essential. The Energy and Environmental Sciences (EES) programme provides a series of introductory courses that give a general overview of the problem-field, and then allows for specialization towards any of a broad range of subjects within energy or sustainability, treating it from a natural science perspective. However, it trains the students that the natural sciences/technical approach to and solution of problems is only a part of the story and collaboration with other scientific disciplines is vital.
As the programme has a strong focus on the natural sciences; a bachelor’s degree in one of the natural sciences or related engineering studies is an entry requirement. The exact background, however, can be very different, both in discipline (e.g. Marine Biology, Engineering, Nuclear Physics, Astronomy, etc.) and nationality and culture (60% from abroad, over 10 nationalities is no exception). This educational and cultural mixture provides a very interesting and challenging learning environment, in which you can benefit and learn from each other’s knowledge and background and get used to working in interdisciplinary/intercultural groups. Together, you (learn to) develop strategies to deal with the current issues in the field of EES.
Lecturers of the programme are staff members of the Energy and Sustainability Research Institute Groningen (ESRIG). Research groups within this institute are: Centre for Isotope research (CIO), Geo Energy, Integrated Research on Energy, Environment and Society (IREES), Energy Conversion (EC) and Ocean Ecosystems (OE). Research within this institute covers a wide range of topics, from isotopes research to social acceptance of windmills, and staff members have a background in various natural science disciplines. You can conduct your master’s research project in one of the research groups of ESRIG, this means that an enormous of variety of subjects is available and it rather likely that one of them fits you.
Around their graduation our students find jobs that suit their education and fit their interests. Universities (PhDs), energy companies, environmental consultancies, environmental NGO’s, industry and government are typical first employers. These employers mention that the combination of strong natural science fundaments and the ability of working in an international/interdisciplinary context provides our students extreme value.
Interested to hear what our students have to say? Listen to the first and second episode on this podcast to find out more about this Master's programme!
Read moreFirst jobs EES Students
To great satisfaction of the EES staff nearly all graduates find a job soon after (or even before) graduation within the environment/energy sector.
Graduates find employment in a wide variety of organisations and positions. Universities, energy companies, environmental consultancies, environmental NGO's, industry and government are typical first employers as can be seen from the Figure.
This Figure is based on information on the first jobs of the graduates of the last three completed academic years.
Full image: https://www.rug.nl/fse/beta-studie/testimonials/first-job-ees-students.png
To great satisfaction of the EES staff nearly all graduates find a job soon after (or even before) graduation within the environment/energy sector.
Graduates find employment in a wide variety of organisations and positions. Universities, energy companies, environmental consultancies, environmental NGO's, industry and government are typical first employers as can be seen from the Figure.
This Figure is based on information on the first jobs of the graduates of the last three completed academic years.
