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university of freiburg
M.Sc. Major Environmental Sciences and Humanities The Master of Science in Environmental Humanities and Ethics in Interdisciplinary Contexts educates generalists in environmental sciences with key competences in environmental humanities and ethics, while taking into consideration the importance of interdisciplinary contexts. The program is based on an interfaculty and a humanistic approach. The main focus lies on the environmental humanities, with a special emphasis on ethical decision-making in environmental practice. In addition, the program offers an interdisciplinary setting and students can choose among three interdisciplinary contexts. Within these interdisciplinary settings, students achieve key competences in different fields of environmental sciences ranging from biology, geosciences to environmental economics and law while achieving a key focus on the environmental humanities. he MSc study programme in Environmental Sciences and Humanities spans over two years (four terms), corresponding to a minimum of 120 ECTS credits. All course units of this program make true interdisciplinarity possible as they are followed in their faculties and departments of origin together with students from the respective fields. The program is divided into six modules and the master thesis: The key module, the specialty of this master program, consists of courses in the fields of the environmental humanities and in ethics. Examples are courses in environmental ethics, methods of ethical decision-making and courses in environmental history and political ecology (18 ECTS). The geosciences module deepens knowledge in methods and theory of earth sciences, human and physical geography (18 ECTS). The environmental biology module extends knowledge in ecology and biological evolution (18 ECTS). The sustainable economy module provides the necessary background in economic thinking in the context of sustainability (9-10,5 ECTS). The environmental law module focuses on public law at national, European and international levels (10 ECTS). The humanities and theology module extends humanist background to environmental challenges (6 ECTS). Finally, the master thesis is interdisciplinary, focusing on ethical or humanist aspects of environmental governance and practice (30 ECTS). A Supporting courses module, comprising elective courses from the modules above to achieve the necessary competences not acquired during Bachelor studies. The selection of the courses must be approved by the director of the programme. It comprises the necessary ECTS credits to reach the minimum total of 120 ECTS credits. In conjunction with the courses from the humanities and theology module the environmental humanities module aims at building in-depth competences in humanist approaches to environmental challenges while a special focus lies on ethics and ethical decision-making. The other four modules provide the necessary generalist background to understand the basic scientific, economic and legal aspects of environmental issues to be governed today. Depending on their prerequisites, students follow more advanced or more basic courses. The master thesis allows a specialization on the ethical aspects of the chosen field of research.
By Amir Hossein memari Hanjani

University Of Freiburg
By Megha Patro