Master's Programme in Environmental Management and Policy (EMP)

How can environmental problems be assessed? How do companies and organisations work to prevent and solve environmental problems? How is control exercised over companies and individuals by public authorities?

The Master's programme in Environmental Management and Policy aims to prepare students for a career in or with industry and public authorities. Subjects such as organisation and governance of companies, technical systems in companies and in society, environmental economics, environmental law, environmental policy and sustainable consumption are integrated.

From a fundamentally practical standpoint, in that change starts in the reality of today, our students are challenged to develop professional skills, knowledge and networks in close collaboration with the surrounding society.

About the programme

Fact sheet

Programme outline

First semester, 30 credits. Autumn semester. The courses provide essentials for the coming parts of the programme and cover fundamentals of environmental science, business management, economics and technical systems. Courses are:
•   Environmental Science and the Anthropocene (5 credits)
•   Conceptualisations of Sustainability (5 credits)
•   Fundamentals of Technical Systems (5 credits)
•   Fundamentals of Economics and Economic Valuation of Environmental Change (5 credits)
•   Introduction to Business Management and Corporate Responsibility (5 credits)
•   Introduction to Policy and Law (5 credits)
Second semester, 30 credits. Spring semester. From this semester, there is a departure from the traditional division of courses by subject and the courses instead focus on problem areas as well as application of knowledge, involving projects with external organisations and individual research.Courses are:
• Analytical Methods for Systemic Assessment of Products and Services. Lifecycle Assessment (LCA) (3 credits)
• Corporate Environmental Management (7 credits)
• Sustainability and Business Value Creation (5 credits)
• Environmental Law and Policy in Practice (7,5 credits)
• Elective course: Environmental Management and Strategy in Practice – Business Consulting (7,5 credits)
• Elective course: Environmental Management and Policy in Practice – Internship (7.5 credits)
Third semester, 30 credits. Autumn semester. Courses are:
• Environmental Policy Analysis (7,5 credits)
• Sustainability Solutions in Context - Project Course (10 credits)
• Elective course (one of the following):
   Applied Research in International and National Policy Intervention – for a Transition to Low-carbon and Resource-efficient Economies (7,5 credits)
   Applied research in Urban Governance and Experimentation – for a Transition to Low-carbon and Resource-efficient Economies (7,5 credits)
   Applied Research in Business Management and Practice –   for a Transition to Low-carbon and Resource-efficient Economies (7,5 credits)
   Applied Research in Consumption Governance – for a Transition to Low-carbon and Resource-efficient Economies (7,5 credits)
• Research Design & Methodology for Interdisciplinary Applied Research (5 credits)
Master Thesis Semester, 30 credits. Spring semester. Graduation week with theses defenses takes place on campus in late May or early June.

Up until 2017 the programme had a different outline, which is valid for students admitted up until 2017. Click here to view the old outline.

Career prospects

The programme opens the door to a wide range of careers in all spheres essential for real advancement of the environmental agenda. Our alumni work in industry, consultancy, government agencies, EU bodies, international organisations, environmental organsiations and academia.

For alumuni portraits, please visit Alumni stories and profiles