geo-iees-susd-studyguide 2015-2016.pdf
TRANSCRIPT
Course catalogue
Master’s programme
Sustainable Development
2015-2016
Faculty of Geosciences Willem C. van Unnikgebouw
Heidelberglaan 2 Postbox 80.115 3508 TC Utrecht The Netherlands
Telephone +(31)30-253 2359
Utrecht, June 2015
Content
Preface……….. ........................................................................................................... 4
1 Content of the programme
1.1 Introduction .................................................................................................... 5
1.2 Mission of the Master’s programme .................................................................... 6
1.3 Relation between the Master’s programme and the Copernicus Institute and
Geography and Development research ............................................................... 6
1.4 Competence profile and occupational perspectives ............................................... 6
2 Programme, Degree Qualifications and Tracks
2.1 Programme highlights ...................................................................................... 8
2.2 Elements of the Master’s programme ................................................................. 8
2.3 Degree Qualifications ....................................................................................... 9
2.4 General Courses ............................................................................................ 10
2.5 Track Energy and Materials ............................................................................. 11
2.6 Track Global Change and Ecosystems ............................................................... 12
2.7 Track Environmental Governance ..................................................................... 13
2.8 Track International Development ..................................................................... 14
2.9 Elective courses ............................................................................................. 15
2.10 Annotation Sustainable Entrepreneurship & Innovation, Climate KIC Scholar
programme and Young Innovators Programme .................................................. 15
2.10.1 Annotation Sustainable Entrepreneurship & Innovation ............................. 15
2.10.2 Climate KIC Scholar programme ............................................................ 16
2.10.3 Young Innovators Programme ............................................................... 16
2.11 Master’s thesis .............................................................................................. 17
2.12 Entrance requirements SUSD-courses .............................................................. 17
2.13 Conversion of former courses .......................................................................... 21
3 Didactics, study planning and supervision
3.1 Educational format ......................................................................................... 22
3.2 Study planning and advice .............................................................................. 23
3.3 Course registration and automatic graduation ................................................... 24
3.3.1 Semesters and blocks ............................................................................ 24
3.3.2 Timeslots .............................................................................................. 24
3.3.3 Course registration ................................................................................ 24
3.3.4 Grade Point Average .............................................................................. 26
3.3.5 Automatic graduation ............................................................................. 26
3.4 Study abroad ................................................................................................ 27
3.5 Responsibility for the programme .................................................................... 28
3.6 Evaluation and quality assurance ..................................................................... 29
3.7 Storm, SD’s study society ............................................................................... 29
4 Course information
4.1 Course schedule 2015-2016 ............................................................................ 31
4.2 Course descriptions ........................................................................................ 32
GEO4-2268 Technology Related Venturing ............................................................... 32
GEO4-2301 Sustainable Development: Integrating Perspectives ................................. 34
GEO4-2302 Transdisciplinary Case Study ................................................................. 36
GEO4-2303 Ecosystem Modelling ............................................................................ 38
GEO4-2304 Advanced Research Methods EG ............................................................ 40
GEO4-2305 International Governance for Sustainable Development ............................ 42
GEO4-2306 Policy Analysis ..................................................................................... 43
GEO4-2310 Themes in Global Change and Ecosystems .............................................. 44
GEO4-2311 Policies for Energy & Materials Transitions ............................................... 46
GEO4-2312 Sustainable Energy Systems ................................................................. 48
GEO4-2314 Research Design EG ............................................................................. 50
GEO4-2318 Publishing your Research ...................................................................... 51
GEO4-2319 Research in GCE .................................................................................. 53
GEO4-2320 Tailor-made course SD ......................................................................... 55
GEO4-2321 Master’s thesis SD ............................................................................... 57
GEO4-2323 Environmental Ethics & Sustainable Development .................................... 59
GEO4-2324 Energy & Materials Efficiency ................................................................. 61
GEO4-2325 Fossil resources: past, present and future ............................................... 63
GEO4-2326 Tools for Energy & Materials Analysis ..................................................... 65
GEO4-2327 Climate System and Adaptation ............................................................. 67
GEO4-2328 Governance for Sustainable Development: Analysing Practices .................. 69
GEO4-2331 Sustainability Science: Modelling and Indicators ...................................... 71
GEO4-2332 Governance for Sustainable Development: Theories ................................. 73
GEO4-2333 Internship ID ................................................................................... 75
GEO4-2515 Energy Systems Modelling .................................................................... 77
GEO4-3505 Development Theories ....................................................................... 79
GEO4-3510 Development Themes ........................................................................... 81
GEO4-3515 Development Practices .......................................................................... 83
GEO4-3518 Advanced M&T Development Studies ...................................................... 85
GEO4-6001 Quantitative Water Management ............................................................ 87
GEO4-6002 Water Policy, Governance and Law ......................................................... 88
GEO4-6003 Drinking Water and Sanitation ............................................................... 89
ECMENE Energy and Environmental Economics .................................................... 91
ECMSE Sustainable Entrepreneurship ................................................................ 93
5 Appendices
Appendix I Rules for choosing elective courses ........................................................ 96
Appendix II Teaching and examination regulations 2015-2016 .................................... 97
Appendix III Teaching periods IEES 2015-2016 ......................................................... 113
Appendix IV UU-time table 2015-2016 .................................................................... 114
Preface
Welcome to the Master’s programme Sustainable Development!
The Master’s programme Sustainable Development is part of the Graduate School of
Geosciences and is organized by the Department of Innovation, Environmental and
Energy Sciences. The programme aims to teach you the specialised knowledge and
professional attitudes and skills you need to become a first class researcher in
academic and professional organisations in the field of sustainable development. The
close link to the excellent research of the Copernicus Institute of Sustainable
Development, combined with the small scale of the groups, the international setting of
the Master’s programme, and the pleasant working atmosphere will contribute to this
aim.
We hope this course catalogue will help you to find easily the relevant information you
need as a student in the Master’s programme. First a general description of the
programme, the structure, the components and some organisational matters are
presented. This is followed by a description of all courses of the two year programme.
Information about procedures, a list of staff members, and the UU-time table is also
included in the catalogue. The teaching and examination regulations 2015-2016 (OER)
can be found in Appendix II and the Regulations of the Board of Examiners will be
published separately on the UU website.
At any time during your studies you will need two course catalogues: one of the year
you started your Master’s programme in Sustainable Development (this shows the
examprogramme that you need to follow) and one of the most recent academic year,
which shows the current Rules & Regulations.
You can find more information on the website at: http://students.uu.nl/en/geo/susd.
Still, if you have some (personal) questions, you can contact the student advisor of
the programme.
On behalf of the staff I wish you an inspiring, pleasant and successful new academic
year!
Dr. Paul P. Schot, Programme Leader Master Sustainable Development
and
Dr. Margien Bootsma, Director of Education Innovation, Environmental and Energy
Sciences
1 Content of the programme
1.1 Introduction
Since the global environmental conferences in Rio de Janeiro in 1992, Johannesburg
in 2002 and again in Rio de Janeiro in 2012, sustainable development has become an
internationally recognised principle that most nations are now committed to achieve.
The main ways they are doing so are by shifting from fossil fuel based energy towards
renewable energy, recycling materials, using natural resources prudently, making
consumption patterns more environmentally accountable, paying attention to the
quality of the built environment, and conserving and restoring the remaining natural
habitats, while rethinking socio-economic structures. Sustainable development is the
expression of a desire to attune economic and social development to the carrying
capacity of the physical environment everywhere, now and in the future.
The Master’s degree programme in Sustainable Development is intended to educate
graduates who wish to work towards an environmentally accountable society. The
main focus of this Master’s programme is the scientific analysis of the complex
processes of change related to the pursuit of a sustainable society. Besides a critical
analysis and evaluation of these processes, the programme also deals with the various
means by which societal and/or technological changes can be implemented. These
issues are studied from a multidisciplinary perspective. The programme comprises
elements of the natural and social science. In an intensive programme, students learn
to apply scientific instruments in the areas of analysis, evaluation, and design. In
addition, they become familiar with practical strategies for intervention. The
programme devotes ample attention to the international dimension of sustainability
issues.
Students enrolled in this programme should be interested in the issue of sustainable
development. Moreover, they should be willing and able to analyse and evaluate
complex processes from a multidisciplinary perspective.
In the common courses (which are compulsory for all students) issues of sustainable
development are discussed from a variety of standpoints. Students learn about the
theories and research approaches used by both natural scientists and social scientists.
They work in research teams, where they will be confronted with knowledge and
insights and will have to integrate them. The programme further consists of four
different tracks, allowing students to specialize in a natural science or social science
profile, depending on their undergraduate education. The following tracks are offered:
Energy and Materials: The focus is on the transition to sustainable use of
energy and materials; the approach is based in the natural sciences.
Global Change and Ecosystems: The focus is on the sustainable use of land and
water; the approach is based in the natural sciences.
Environmental Governance: The focus is on governing the social changes
required to achieve an environmentally accountable society; the perspective is
rooted in the social sciences.
International Development: The focus is on sustainability issues and living
conditions in the global south; the approach is based in social sciences.
The Master’s degree programme Sustainable Development is organised jointly by two
departments of the Faculty of Geosciences: Innovation, Environmental and Energy
Sciences (coordination), Human Geography and Spatial Planning, with also some
inputs by the two other departments of the Faculty of Geosciences: Earth Sciences,
and Physical Geography.
The programme prepares the student for various occupations. Having earned a
Master’s degree, one can embark upon a PhD programme and conduct scientific
research. Alternatively, a Master’s degree provides access to academic level positions
outside the field of scientific research.
1.2 Mission of the Master’s programme
The aim of the Master’s programme Sustainable Development is expressed in the
following mission statement:
To educate scientists who will be able to make a substantial contribution to the
transition to a sustainable society through their scientific research and their
skills in the area of societal interventions.
Sustainable development requires a process of change in which a balance is achieved
among ecological, technological, economic, and social-cultural values, from the local
to the global scale, in both the short and the long term. Academics can play an
important role in this transition by integrating and applying knowledge. First of all, the
integration of knowledge is needed to be able to analyse, describe, and explain
sustainability issues (in terms of cause and effect) and place these issues in their
societal context. Secondly, knowledge integration plays a role in the generation,
assessment, and implementation of measures that make a transition to that
sustainable society possible. Graduates with a Master’s degree in Sustainable
Development can take various positions in research institutes, government,
companies, and organisations in civil society.
1.3 Relation between the Master’s programme and the Copernicus Institute and Geography and Development research
The Master’s programme is closely tied to the Copernicus Institute of Sustainable
Development, which is affiliated with Utrecht University. The work of this research
institute focuses on a wide range of issues related to sustainable development and
innovation. The starting point of all research is the source-impact chain that links
economic activities with ecological values. The programme is connected with all four
major research themes of the institute: Global Environmental Change, Innovation and
Governance for Sustainability, The Resource Efficient Economy, and Transforming the
Energy System. For more information on the research programme and its clusters of
the Copernicus Institute, see:
http://www.uu.nl/faculty/geosciences/en/research/institutesandgroups/researchinstitu
tes/copernicusinstitute/Pages/default.aspx.
The Master’s programme is also connected to the research of the International
Development Studies group (IDS). The IDS research programme provides an
innovative contribution to our understanding of development within a context of
globalization. They address the question: what is the implication of time-space
compression (globalization) for development processes and poverty in Asia, Africa,
and Latin America? For more information on the research programme see:
http://www.uu.nl/faculty/geosciences/en/research/institutesandgroups/researchgroup
s/geographyanddevelopment/Pages/default.aspx.
1.4 Competence profile and occupational perspectives
Scientific occupations
The Master’s programme prepares students for a PhD study, ultimately leading to
professions in scientific research. Graduates of the programme must be capable of
writing a PhD dissertation. This competence profile is achieved in the following way:
The programme devotes extensive attention to scientific theories (paradigms),
theory building, theory testing and methodology.
Students in the programme learn to apply the body of scientific instruments
that is available for analysis, evaluation, and design in an intensive and critical
manner. They learn to use these tools during the fieldwork phase but also in
other modules. In addition, students develop a research attitude, focused on
accuracy, originality, critical thinking, creativity, etc.
The assignments give students the opportunity to learn how to work in
multidisciplinary teams.
Students become acquainted with practical intervention strategies.
Students write a Master’s thesis that is intended to generate new scientific
knowledge.
The PhD track at the Copernicus Institute is accessible to a limited number of persons
with a Master’s degree. The Copernicus Institute participates in the Dutch national
research school Socio-Economic and Natural Sciences of the Environment (SENSE).
Graduates of the Master’s programme in Sustainable Development will also be able to
enter other research schools in the PhD track. Other possibilities in the Netherlands
are research institutes such as the Netherlands Environmental Assessment Agency
(PBL), Energy Research Centre Netherlands (ECN) or comparable institutes in other
countries.
Other occupations
The societal orientation of the Master’s programme makes it also a good starting point
for positions that do not directly involve academic research. Graduates might find
employment in the private sector, the public sector (national, regional, and local
government), consultancy firms, and NGOs. In the course of their career, the
graduates should be able to fill managerial positions, notably with respect to the
integration of knowledge and policy and in the field of change management
(particularly of complex processes of societal change).
The graduates are also expected to be able to find good jobs in the international
market (EU, UN, NGOs). The Netherlands is one of the frontrunners in Europe
concerning environmental and energy research and in multidisciplinary education on
the environment. So far, the graduates and PhD candidates have been living up to
expectations.
Our alumni have an active community, the Utrecht University Environmental Sciences
Network. You can follow them on LinkedIn:
http://www.linkedin.com/groups?mostPopular=&gid=106586. This group functions as
a virtual meeting place for students, alumni and staff.
2. Programme, Degree Qualifications and Tracks
2.1 Programme highlights
The programme consists of a general part, which all students participate in, and of
tracks, in which students specialise in a particular direction. In the general part, the
challenge of sustainable development is examined and discussed from various
approaches. Students become familiar with both the natural science and the social
science approach. Furthermore, in this part the students are taught to work in
research teams, where confrontation and integration of knowledge and insights takes
place.
Each student pursues one track, to which he or she must be admitted by the
Admissions Committee. The programme offers the following four tracks:
Energy and Materials
Global Change and Ecosystems
Environmental Governance
International Development
These tracks build upon and utilise knowledge derived from various disciplines in the
natural sciences and social sciences. On these foundations, a new field of
interdisciplinary knowledge is built.
Each track pays attention to the theoretical backgrounds, research methods and
intervention methods. The student can broaden or deepen that basis in the space left
in the curriculum for elective courses. Students may fill that space with courses that
are part of the other tracks (taking the prerequisite prior knowledge into account).
Alternatively, they can use that space to deepen their own track. The Board of
Examiners must approve the choice of elective courses (see Appendix I).
The programme culminates in a thesis. A research internship may be part of the final
thesis project. After the thesis has been completed, the student must present his
research results to the faculty staff and students.
In addition to the Master’s degree SUSD, SUSD-students can also obtain an
Annotation Sustainable Entrepreneurship & Innovation. Excellent students can apply
for participation in the Young Innovators Programme or the Climate KIC Scholar
Programme (see section 2.10).
2.2 Elements of the Master’s programme
The general part of Sustainable Development comprises of three courses: ‘Sustainable
Development: integrating perspectives’ (GEO4-2301), ‘Sustainability Science:
modelling and indicators’ (GEO4-2331), and ‘Transdisciplinary Case Study’ (GEO4-
2302) (altogether 22,5 EC). These courses intend to place the disciplinary insights and
approaches in their proper context while also teaching the students to work in teams
on their assigned projects.
Each track of the programme has a required package of coursework that will give the
student some theoretical depth and a firm foundation in research methods,
techniques, and skills. The elective courses expand upon that knowledge or go deeper
into it.
The independent final research Master’s thesis (GEO4-2321) counts for 30 EC. A
research internship can be part of this final thesis.
2.3 Degree Qualifications
The students must comply with two requirements before Utrecht University will award
the Master’s degree:
The student must have completed a number of theoretical courses in the field
of specialisation, and
The student must have completed an independent research project and/or a
research internship
The following general qualifications apply to the programme Sustainable Development
as a whole. The graduate:
• is able to analyse the issue of sustainable development from a natural science and
social science perspective;
• has the ability to apply knowledge and research methods, and problem-solving
abilities in broader contexts related to sustainable development;
• is able to design and carry out natural scientific or social scientific research on the
issue of sustainable development in a creative and independent way;
• can formulate fundamental critique on the scientific work of others and can engage
in a scientific debate on the issue of sustainable development, based on specialised
and broader academic knowledge as well as ethical considerations;
• is able to apply and knowledge and understanding in such a way that he or she
demonstrates a professional approach to their work;
• is able to communicate conclusions, as well as the knowledge, reasons and
considerations underlying these conclusions, to an audience of specialists and non-
specialists.
The following qualifications apply to the Track Energy and Materials. The graduate:
• has advanced (natural science based) knowledge of how society uses and produces
energy and materials and of the consequences for people, the economy, the
environment, and future generations;
• can approach issues of energy and materials from an interdisciplinary angle,
applying elements of natural science, social science, and economics;
• is able to design and conduct independent research on energy and material
systems on various scales (micro, regional, national, and international) in a
creative and independent way ;
• is able to propose, design and assess solutions to make energy and material
systems sustainable, while applying knowledge from natural science, social
science, and economics.
The following qualifications apply to the Track Global Change and Ecosystems. The
graduate:
• has advanced knowledge of processes determining the interrelations between
human activities (such as land use and burning fossil fuels), environment and
ecosystems;
• has insight in recent theories and developments in scientific research concerning
environmental and ecosystem changes caused by humans;
• has the ability to apply important research methods, including methods to
investigate effects of human activities on environment and ecosystems, to model
processes in ecosystems, and to evaluate the sustainability of scenarios for future
human activities in an independent and creative;
• is able to propose, design and assess solutions and scenarios to improve
sustainability of future human activities.
The following qualifications apply to Track Environmental Governance. The graduate:
• has advanced knowledge of sustainability issues as social, economic, cultural, and
political processes, including issues such as the internationalisation of politics and
the economy, the changing relations between the state, the market, and civil
society, the unequal distribution of wealth;
• is able to integrate insights and approaches drawn from different social science
disciplines within the framework of analysis of sustainability issues and the
analysis of various modes of governance for sustainable development;
• is able to develop and carry out scientific research on formulation and
implementation of public and private policies and strategies for sustainable
development (targeted towards social change at the micro, meso and macro level),
applying various criteria derived from environmental, social and policy science
(such as efficiency, effectiveness, equity, legitimacy); in an independent and
creative way;
• is able to propose, design and assess solutions and policy strategies for
intervention to promote sustainable development.
The following qualifications apply to Track International Development. The graduate:
• has advanced knowledge of issues of international development with a focus on
the promotion of sustainable livelihoods in developing and transition countries,
within their dynamic social, cultural, economic and geographical contexts and is
able to integrate these insights in the analysis of sustainability and development
issues
• is able to understand and integrate insights and approaches of current academic
theories of international development in developing and transition countries, and
to contribute to ongoing debates on these issues at an academic level;
• is able to develop and carry out scientific research and policy analysis pertaining to
international development issues in developing and transition regions, in an
independent, creative and effective way
• is able to propose, design and assess solutions and policies for intervention to
promote sustainable livelihoods in developing and transition countries.
2.4 General Courses
The purpose of the general part of the curriculum – the part that each student is
required to take – is to provide all of the students with the same scientific skills and
knowledge they need in each track.
The general part consists of the following courses:
1. Sustainable Development: integrating perspectives (GEO4-2301) (7,5 EC)
2. Sustainability Science: modelling and indicators (GEO4-2331) (7,5 EC)
3. Transdisciplinary Case Study (GEO4-2302) (7,5 EC)
2.5 Track Energy and Materials
The track Energy and Materials is a multidisciplinary natural science programme that
deals with the analysis of energy systems and materials systems. The objects of study
are the production and consumption of energy and materials in society. One area of
research concerns the description and explanation of historical developments; another
looks towards the future and concerns possible technological and societal
developments, including technological opportunities and policy development. An
important research priority concerns the possibilities for sustainable development
within these systems. To a large extent, this track makes use of a conceptual
framework derived from the natural sciences, and also of knowledge and methods
derived from the social sciences. Graduates will be able to apply the knowledge,
methods, and techniques of the natural sciences, and to a lesser extent those of the
social sciences as well, when analysing energy systems and materials systems and the
possibilities for a sustainable development of these systems. Furthermore, graduates
will have insight in the importance of both the natural science and the social science
aspects of sustainability issues and will have the skills needed to work in a
multidisciplinary work environment.
The curriculum of Track Energy and Materials consists of the following elements:
Tools for Energy & Materials Analysis (GEO4-2326) (7,5 EC)
Sustainable Energy Systems (GEO4-2312) (7,5 EC)
Energy & Material Efficiency (GEO4-2324) (7,5 EC)
Fossil Resources: Past, Present & Future (GEO4-2325) (7,5 EC)
Policies for Energy & Materials Transitions (GEO4-2311) (7,5 EC)
Climate Systems and Adaptation (GEO4-2327) (7,5 EC)
Elective (7,5 EC)
Master’s thesis (GEO4-2321) (30 EC)
Extension Thesis (GEO4-2322)/ Publishing your Research (GEO4-2318)/Tailor-
made course (GEO4-2320)/Extra electives (15 EC)
Year 1 (intake 2015)
Period 1 (A+C) SD Integrating
Perspectives, GEO4-2301, Wicke
(B) Tools for Energy & Materials
Analysis, GEO4-2326, Harmsen
Period 2 (C+D) Sust. Science: Modelling
and indicators, GEO4-2331,
Dekker
(B) Sustainable Energy Systems,
GEO4-2312, Graus
Period 3 (C) Fossil Resources: Past, Present
& Future, GEO4-2325, de Bresser
(D) Climate Systems and
Adaptation, GEO4-2327,
Bierkens/Middelkoop
Period 4 (A) Policies for Energy & Materials
Transitions, GEO4-2311,
Hekkert/Harmsen
(B) Energy & Material Efficiency,
GEO4-2324, Worrell
Year 2 (intake 2014)
Period 1 (D) Transdisciplinary Case Study,
GEO4-2302, Schot
Elective*
Period 2 Master’s Thesis, GEO4-2321 (30 EC), Schot
Period 3
Period 4 Extension Thesis, GEO4-2322 (15 EC) or
Publishing your Research, GEO4-2318 (15 EC), Schot or
Tailor-made course, GEO4-2320 (7,5 or 15 EC), Schot or
Extra electives * (15 EC)
* See website: http://students.uu.nl/en/geo/susd/academics/study-programme/electives Recommended electives do not need to be approved by the programme leader but must still be approved before starting by the Board of Examiners.
2.6 Track Global Change and Ecosystems
The track Global Change and Ecosystems is a multidisciplinary natural science
programme that is concerned with the interaction between human activities and the
quality of the physical and biotic environment. The multidisciplinary character of the
programme appears from the integration of knowledge from the fields of physical
geography, hydrology, landscape ecology, toxicology, mathematics, physics, and
chemistry. Some of the relevant priority areas are the following: land use; dispersal of
substances in water, soil, and air; impacts on ecosystems and biodiversity;
possibilities for remediation; and the value assigned to the quality of nature and the
environment.
Graduates will be able to apply the knowledge, methods, and techniques (for instance,
mathematical simulation models) of the natural sciences in an effort to improve the
quality of the environment and ecosystems by way of changes in human activities.
Furthermore, graduates will have insight in the importance of conducting social
science analyses of sustainability issues and will have the skills needed to work in a
multidisciplinary team.
The curriculum of Track Global Change and Ecosystems consists of the following
elements:
Themes in Global Change and Ecosystems (GEO4-2310) (7,5 EC)
Ecosystem Modelling (GEO4-2303) (7,5 EC)
Research in GCE (GEO4-2319) (22,5 EC)
Climate Systems and Adaptation (GEO4-2327) (7,5 EC)
Elective (7,5 EC)
Master’s thesis (GEO4-2321) (30 EC)
Extension Thesis (GEO4-2322)/ Publishing your Research (GEO4-2318)/ Tailor
made course (GEO4-2320)/Extra electives (15 EC)
Year 1 (intake 2015)
Period 1 (A+C) SD Integrating
Perspectives, GEO4-2301, Wicke
(D) Themes in Global Change
and Ecosystems, GEO4-2310,
Rietkerk
Period 2 (C+D) Sust. Science: Modelling
and indicators, GEO4-2331,
Dekker
(A+B) Ecosystem Modelling,
GEO4-2303, Rietkerk
Period 3 (A+C) Research in GCE, GEO4-
2319, Eppinga
(D) Climate Systems &
Adaptation, GEO4-2327,
Bierkens/Middelkoop
Period 4 (A+C) Research in GCE, GEO4-2319, Eppinga
Year 2 (intake 2014)
Period 1 (D) Transdisciplinary Case Study,
GEO4-2302, Schot
Elective*
Period 2 Master’s Thesis, GEO4-2321 (30 EC), Schot
Period 3
Period 4 Extension Thesis, GEO4-2322 (15 EC) or
Publishing your Research, GEO4-2318 (15 EC), Schot
Tailor made course, GEO4-2320 (7,5 or 15 EC), Schot or
Extra electives * (15 EC)
* see website: http://students.uu.nl/en/geo/susd/academics/study-programme/electives Recommended electives do not need to be approved by the programme leader but must still be approved before starting by the Board of Examiners.
2.7 Track Environmental Governance
The track Environmental Governance is a multidisciplinary social science programme
dealing with environmental issues and policies. The programme addresses the
management of sustainable development by integrating knowledge from the fields of
policy science, sociology, human geography, planning, economics, and law. Students
are taught research and intervention skills that they will need in their future
professional career. Graduates will be able to apply paradigms, concepts and theories
from the social sciences to analyse and explain issues of sustainable development and
to design socially acceptable solutions for those issues. Furthermore, graduates will
have insight in the importance of conducting both social science and natural science
analysis of sustainability issues and will have the skills needed to work in a
multidisciplinary team.
The curriculum of Track Environmental Governance consists of the following elements:
Governance for SD: Theories, (GEO4-2332) (7,5 EC)
Policy Analysis (GEO4-2306) (7,5 EC)
International Governance for SD (GEO4-2305) (7,5 EC)
Governance for SD: Analysing Practices (GEO4-2328) (7,5 EC)
Research Design EG (GEO4-2314) (7,5 EC)
Advanced Research Methods EG (GEO4-2304) (7,5 EC)
Elective (7,5 EC)
Master’s thesis (GEO4-2321) (30 EC)
Extension Thesis (GEO4-2322)/ Publishing your Research (GEO4-2318)/ Tailor-
made course (GEO4-2320)/Extra electives (15 EC)
Year 1 (intake 2015)
Period 1 (A+C) SD Integrating Perspectives,
GEO4-2301, Wicke
(D) Governance for SD: Theories,
GEO4-2332, van Laerhoven
Period 2 (C+D) Sust. Science: Modelling and
indicators, GEO4-2331, Dekker
(B) Policy Analysis, GEO4-2306,
Runhaar
Period 3 (B) International Governance for
SD, GEO4-2305, Dieperink
(C) Governance for SD: Analysing
Practices, GEO4-2328, Vermeulen
Period 4 (C) Research Design EG, GEO4-
2314, Driessen
(D) Advanced Research Methods
EG, GEO4-2304, van Laerhoven
Year 2 (intake 2014)
Period 1 (D) Transdisciplinary Case Study,
GEO4-2302, Schot
Elective*
Period 2 Master’s Thesis, GEO4-2321 (30 EC), Schot
Period 3
Period 4 Extension Thesis, GEO4-2322 (15 EC) or
Publishing your Research, GEO4-2318 (15 EC), Schot
Tailor made course, GEO4-2320 (7,5 or 15 EC), Schot or
Extra electives * (15 EC)
* see website: http://students.uu.nl/en/geo/susd/academics/study-programme/electives Recommended electives do not need to be approved by the programme leader but must still be approved before starting by the Board of Examiners.
2.8 Track International Development
In the Global South, environmental concerns have to be reconciled with a pressing
need to improve living conditions for rapidly growing populations whose livelihoods
often depend directly on the production capacity of local environmental resources.
Balancing these requirements of meeting human development needs on the one hand
and preserving the quality of natural resources on the other, is the key issue in this
track. The approach taken is a distinctly multidisciplinary one, combining the
development geographer’s practical orientation towards fieldwork and empirical
research with insights and concepts derived from social sciences such as sociology,
economics and anthropology, as well as from environmental studies. ‘Sustainability’ is
viewed in a broad sense, encompassing ecological as well as economic, social and
other dimensions.
Graduates will be able to apply the knowledge, methods and techniques of the social
sciences to practical and policy issues of sustainable and equitable development in a
developing country context. They will combine a solid grasp of natural resource
management with the ability to analyse and plan for economic and social development
in societies in the South. An important feature of the track is a concern with policy
interventions in order to promote sustainable livelihoods.
The curriculum of Track International Development consists of the following elements:
Development Themes, (GEO4-3510) (7,5 EC)
Advanced Methods & Techniques Development Studies, (GEO4-3518)
(7,5 EC)
Internship ID, (GEO4-2333) (30 EC)
Development Theories, (GEO4-3505) (7,5 EC)
Master’s thesis (GEO4-2321) (30 EC)
Extension Thesis (GEO4-2322)/ Publishing your Research (GEO4-2318)/ Tailor-
made course (GEO4-2320)/Extra electives (15 EC)
Year 1 (intake 2015)
Period 1 (A+C) SD Integrating
Perspectives, GEO4-
2301, Wicke
(D) Development Themes, GEO4-3510,
Zoomers
Period 2 (C+D) Sust. Science:
Modelling and indicators,
GEO4-2331, Dekker
(B) Advanced Methods & Techniques
Development Studies, GEO4-3518, van
Noorloos
Period 3 (A+B+C+D) Internship ID, GEO4-2333, Leung (30 EC)
Period 4
Year 2 (intake 2014)
Period 1 (D) Transdisciplinary
Case Study, GEO4-
2302, Schot
(C) Development Theories,
GEO4-3505, van Westen
Period 2
Master’s Thesis, GEO4-2321, Schot (30 EC)
Period 3
Period 4 Extension Thesis, GEO4-2322 (15 EC)
Publishing your Research, GEO4-2318 (15 EC), Schot
Tailor-made course, GEO4-2320 (7,5 or 15 EC), Schot
Extra electives * (15 EC)
* See website: http://students.uu.nl/en/geo/susd/academics/study-programme/electives Recommended electives do not need to be approved by the programme leader but must still be approved before starting by the Board of Examiners.
2.9 Elective courses
The Master’s programme SD includes elective courses. The elective courses have to be
filled with courses from other (university) Master’s programmes. The elective courses
have to be substantially supportive to the student’s track. For the acknowledgment of
the chosen elective courses the student must obtain approval of the Board of
Examiners in advance; the procedure is described in Appendix I of this course
catalogue.
In general, students are recommended to take elective courses from the other SD
tracks or from one of the other Master’s programmes offered by the department:
Innovation Sciences (IS), Sustainable Business & Innovation (SBI), Water Science and
Management (WSM) or Energy Science (ES) although, of course, only if they meet the
course’s entrance requirements. Another option is doing a Tailor-made course (GEO4-
2320). In this case, a proposal needs to be submitted to the Board of Examiners.
Elective courses can also be followed at other universities. We recommend looking at
opportunities offered by our partner universities in the Joint International Master in
Sustainable Development (see http://www.jointdegree.eu/sd) and other Erasmus
partners of the Faculty of Geosciences.
Please note that students with non-EEA nationalities may have to pay a steep fee in
order to take elective courses at another Dutch university. This fee cannot be paid for
or reimbursed by Utrecht University.
The Babel Talen Institute offers a short course in English for Academic Purposes. This
course aims to practise the writing and presenting skills students need in their
Master’s programme. It does not offer any credits but you can take the course outside
your SUSD programme, at your own expense. Please see
http://www.babel.nl/language-courses/open-courses/english/course-english-for-
academic-purposes/?lang=en for more details.
2.10 Annotation Sustainable Entrepreneurship & Innovation, Climate
KIC Scholar Programme and Young Innovators Programme
2.10.1 Annotation Sustainable Entrepreneurship & Innovation
The Master Annotation Sustainable Entrepreneurship & Innovation is a university wide
Master track that aims to deliver world leading change agents in the area of
sustainability. Students enrolled in the Master’s programme SUSD can qualify
themselves for the annotation Sustainable Entrepreneurship & Innovation next to their
Master’s degree SUSD and will obtain an additional certificate. In order to qualify for
the annotation, the following requirements must be fulfilled:
1) having passed the examinations of two elective courses:
- Technology Related Venturing (GEO4-2268; 7,5 EC) with an assignment
regarding a sustainability subject.
- Sustainable Entrepreneurship (ECMSE; 7,5 EC).
2) having conducted a research project of 15 EC related to the subject of
Sustainable Entrepreneurship & Innovation. This can only be achieved with the
Master’s Thesis (GEO4-2321; 30 EC) on a subject related to Sustainable
Entrepreneurship & Innovation.
The requirements for the research component are:
• It is about newly developed or to be developed sustainable production
processes, products, and/or services created by firms (within established
and/or new start-ups);
• These activities need to be new to the current business activities of these
firms;
• It needs to include some form of data collection about these new business
activities;
• This research component should be at least 15 EC of the Master’s programme.
In the research proposal students have to stipulate the fit of their research proposal to
these 4 requirements in a separate section.
If you decide to undertake the annotation, please indicate this on the form for
choosing elective courses: http://students.uu.nl/sites/default/files/geo-iees-
application_form_optional_courses.pdf.
In order to qualify for the second requirement, you should indicate the choice for the
annotation on the Master’s thesis research proposal information form. Once you have
completed the Master’s thesis, it will be checked whether it meets the requirements. If
you have met all requirements for the annotation, you will be awarded an annotation
certificate together with your Master’s degree certificate.
2.10.2 Climate-KIC Scholar Programme
For a small number of selected excellent students, the Climate-KIC programme of the
European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT) offers a complementary
Climate-KIC Scholar Programme.
For UU master students, this programme consists of:
o Annotation Sustainable Entrepreneurship & Innovation.
o a five week climate innovation summer school
o a series of thought-provoking talks and seminars
o 30 EC of your Master’s programme outside of your home university, e.g. by doing
an internship or thesis research
Students who complete the Climate-KIC Scholar Programme will receive an EIT
certificate. It is not possible to receive both the EIT certificate and the annotation
certificate. More information on the programme and the enrolment procedure is
available at: http://www.climate-kic.org/for-students/masters-education/.
2.10.3 Young Innovators Programme
Utrecht University offers the Young Innovators Programme to high-achievers with
leadership potential. Young Innovators Programme is a selective 15 EC honours course
at graduate level, to be taken on top of any master's programme.
The programme is focused on learning to research, design and deliver innovative and
sustainable solutions to real-life societal challenges. Supported by leading researchers
from the university's strategic research theme of Institutions, the programme allows
you to immerse yourself in the theory and practice of innovation across the corporate,
public and community sectors. It stimulates you to collaborate, produce and learn in
multidisciplinary teams. It will inspire you by providing the opportunity to engage with
exemplary innovators and leaders who will share their experience in masterclasses.
In the first four months of the programme, participants will learn to think about and
study the art and science of innovation across a range of sectors. They will group into
teams and begin to explore concrete problems and projects, for which they will seek
to actively create innovative, research-driven interventions in the second semester.
The programme will focus on exploring and designing innovations in three areas:
Sustainable innovations in health
Sustainable innovations in the economy
Sustainable innovations in urban living
These multifaceted themes demand the joint efforts of experts from the sciences and
humanities alike. They require knowledge of energy, climate dynamics, food,
technology, and health. However, insights into the dynamics of societies, law and
economics, languages and cultures or history and philosophy are just as essential.
The issues transcend national and cultural borders. Therefore, the programme aims at
a substantial participation of international students and is taught in English.
As a participant you will:
become part of a community that serves as an inspiring learning environment
and will provide the basis for your professional network;
work in interdisciplinary teams on topics within the themes above;
prepare for and participate in weekly Tuesday night sessions throughout the
year (compulsory attendance), as well as two weekend and several
assorted nighttime sessions;
participate in 6 team coaching sessions where you will be encouraged to
improve your collaborative potential through reflecting on your team's process
and progress;
present your team's work-in-progress at several plenary conferences; and
enhance your international profile by taking part in a 2015 summer school of
your choice at a university abroad.
Interested in this programme? Learn more about the admission requirements?
http://www.uu.nl/masters/en/general-information/international-students/about-
utrecht-university/young-innovators.
2.11 Master’s thesis
The Master’s thesis (GEO4-2321) is a research project in which the student will learn
to conduct independent research, whereby new methods are developed and/or applied
or existing methods are applied to a new problem. The research should be relevant
from both a scientific point of view (it should expand the body of scientific knowledge)
and a societal point of view (it should produce knowledge that can contribute to a
better understanding or the solution of a problem). In total, the Master’s thesis
research accounts for 30 EC. With permission of your thesis coordinator and after
approval of the Board of Examiners you can extend the thesis up to 45 EC. It is not
possible to change the number of EC after the research proposal has been approved
by the Board of Examiners.
Information on procedures, entrance requirements, place of research, output etc. can
be found in the course description in this catalogue and in the course manual Master’s
thesis Sustainable Development, which can be found on the Blackboard Community
Sustainable Development. The Master’s thesis may be combined with an internship.
The Faculty of Geosciences has its own digital internships database:
http://internships.geo.uu.nl.
2.12 Entrance requirements SUSD-courses
Some courses in the SUSD programme require prior knowledge, to be gained by
passing or at least attending certain previous SUSD-courses. In the table on the next
pages and in the course descriptions (chapter 4) you will find which courses carry
which entrance requirements or recommended prerequisites. For students in the Joint
International Master in Sustainable Development programme, admission to courses
will be judged on an individual basis, based on previous education and interests,
except when mentioned otherwise in the table.
In case of a discrepancy between the entrance requirements and/or recommended
pre-requisites mentioned in this course catalogue and the ones mentioned in the
electronic UU course offerings database ‘Osiris’, the entrance requirements and/or
recommended pre-requisites mentioned in the table below are leading.
Course Entrance requirement*
SD Integrating Perspectives (GEO4-
2301)
Letter of acceptance MSc Sustainable
Development or MSc Water Science &
Management
Transdisciplinary Case Study (GEO4-
2302)
- Letter of acceptance MSc Sustainable
Development or MSc Water Science &
Management.
- At least 30 EC gained in the master’s
programme SUSD or WSM, including
SD: Integrating Perspectives (GEO4-
2301).
Ecosystem Modelling (GEO4-2303) Recommended prerequisites: For
students from other programmes:
mathematics and modelling, level 1;
e.g. Wiskunde & Systeemanalyse
(GEO1-2202), please contact the
coordinator before enrolment in Osiris.
Advanced Research Methods EG (GEO4-
2304)
Letter of acceptance MSc Sustainable
Development, track EG.
Recommended prerequisites:
Basic research methodology skills.
Knowledge of the main literatures on
environmental governance.
International Governance for SD
(GEO4-2305)
Letter of acceptance MSc Sustainable
Development, track EG or ID, or others
with a policy related social science
background. Non-SUSD students
should contact the course coordinator
before registering for the course.
Recommended prerequisites:
Some BA courses on policy or
governance.
Policy analysis (GEO4-2306) Letter of acceptance MSc Sustainable
Development or MSc Innovation
Sciences or MSc Sustainable Business &
Innovation or MSc Energy Science.
Maximum 60 students. Priority will be
given to students for whom this is an
obligatory course.
Themes in GCE (GEO4-2310) None
Policies for Energy & Materials
Transitions (GEO4-2311)
Letter of acceptance MSc Sustainable
Development or MSc Science and
Innovation Management or MSc
Innovation Sciences or MSc Energy
Science or MSc Sustainable Business &
Innovation or MSc Earth Sciences
Sustainable Energy Systems (GEO4-
2312)
Recommended prerequisites:
Applied Thermodynamics (GEO2-2212),
Energy Analysis (GEO3-2223),
Introduction to the Energy & Resource
System or Tools for Energy & Materials
(GEO4-2326) or equivalent courses.
This course is not available to
Energy Science students.
Research Design EG (GEO4-2314) Letter of acceptance MSc Sustainable
Development, track EG.
Publishing your Research (GEO4-2318) - Letter of acceptance MSc Sustainable
Development, and
- At least 90 EC passed within the
programme, including:
- Research in GCE (GEO4-2319) in
track GCE, or
- Research Design EG (GEO4-2314)
in track EG, or
- Internship (GEO4-3509 or 2333) in
track ID, or
- Sustainable Energy Systems
(GEO4-2312) or Sustainable
Energy Supply & Solutions (GEO4-
2312) OR Energy & Material
Efficiency (GEO4-2324) or Energy
& Resource Efficiency (GEO4-
2324)
- Approval to enter this course by your
Master’s thesis supervisor before you
finish the Master’s thesis.
Students in the SUSD-Joint programme
will need to have passed 90 EC,
including one of the mobility tracks.
Research in GCE (GEO4-2319) Letter of acceptance MSc Sustainable
Development, track GCE.
Recommended prerequisites:
Themes in Global Change and
Ecosystems (GEO4-2310)
Tailor-made course SUSD (GEO4-2320) - Letter of acceptance MSc Sustainable
Development, and
- At least 45 EC passed within the
programme
Students in the SUSD-Joint Programme
will need to have passed 45 EC,
including one of the mobility tracks.
Master’s Thesis SD (GEO4-2321) - Letter of acceptance MSc Sustainable
Development, and
- At least 60 EC passed within the
program, including:
- Research in GCE (GEO4-2319) in
track GCE, or
- Research Design EG (GEO4-2314)
in track EG, or
- Internship (GEO4-3509 or 2333) in
track ID, or
- Sustainable Energy Systems
(GEO4-2312) or Sustainable
Energy Supply & Solutions (GEO4-
2312) OR Energy & Material
Efficiency (GEO4-2324) or Energy
& Resource Efficiency (GEO4-
2324)
Students in the SUSD-Joint Programme
will need to have passed 60 EC,
including one of the mobility tracks.
Environmental Ethics & Sustainable
Development (GEO4-2323)
None
Energy & Materials Efficiency (GEO4-
2324)
Letter of acceptance MSc Sustainable
Development or MSc Innovation
Sciences or MSc Sustainable Business &
Innovation or MSc Energy Science.
Recommended prerequisites:
Energy Analysis (GEO3-2223) or Tools
for Energy & Materials Analysis (GEO4-
2326) or Introduction to the Energy &
Resource System (GEO4-2326), or
equivalent.
Fossil resources: past, present and
future (GEO4-2325)
Letter of acceptance MSc Sustainable
Development or MSc Earth Sciences or
MSc Energy Science or MSc Sustainable
Business & Innovation
Tools for Energy & Materials Analysis
(GEO4-2326)
Recommended prerequisites:
Energy Analysis (GEO3-2223) or similar
course.
Climate Systems and Adaptation
(GEO4-2327)
Letter of acceptance MSc Sustainable
Development or MSc Earth Sciences or
MSc Science and Innovation
Management or MSc Innovation
Sciences or MSc Energy Science or MSc
Sustainable Business & Innovation
(MSc Science Communication on
request)
Governance for SD: Analysing Practices
(GEO4-2328)
Letter of acceptance to the master
programme Sustainable Development,
track EG.
Sustainability Science: Modelling &
Indicators (GEO4-2331)
Letter of acceptance MSc Sustainable
Development or MSc Water Science and
Management.
Recommended prerequisites:
Sustainable Development: Integrating
Perspectives (GEO4-2301)
Governance for SD: Theories (GEO4-
2332)
Letter of acceptance MSc Sustainable
Development, track EG.
Internship ID (GEO4-2333) Letter of acceptance MSc Sustainable
Development, track ID.
At least two of the compulsory
theoretical specialisation courses must
be successfully completed, as well as
the Advanced M&T course (GEO4-3517
or 3518 or 3508). The internship must
be approved in advance by the
coordinator.
* For students in the Joint International Master in Sustainable Development
programme, admission to courses will be judged on an individual basis, based on
previous education and interests.
2.13 Conversion of former courses Please notice that some of the courses from the programme 2014-2015 and before
have been replaced or renamed.
The following courses from 2014-2015 and earlier are replaced or renamed as follows:
Old course New course 2015-2016
Internship/master thesis IDS (GEO4-
3509)
Internship ID (GEO4-2333)
Governance for SD: Practices (GEO4-
2328)
Governance for SD: Analysing Practices
(GEO4-2328)
Energy & Materials Policy (GEO4-2311) Policies for Energy & Materials
Transitions (GEO4-2311)
Sustainable Energy Supply & Solutions
(GEO4-2312)
Sustainable Energy Systems (GEO4-
2312)
Energy and Resource Efficiency (GEO4-
2324)
Energy & Materials Efficiency (GEO4-
2324)
Introduction to the Energy and
Resource System (GEO4-2326)
Tools for Energy & Materials Analysis
(GEO4-2326)
Individual Research Project (GEO4-
2320)
Tailor made course SUSD (GEO4-2320)
3. Didactics, Study planning and Supervision
3.1 Educational format
Activating education
The educational philosophy of the Master’s programme is problem-orientated, which
calls for a proactive teaching format. Problem-orientated education takes a concrete
problem as the point of departure for the learning process. The acquisition of
knowledge and skills is related to the analysis and/or solution of the problem in
question. “Activating education” is a form of teaching whereby the students
themselves are largely in control of the learning process. They take their education
into their own hands by doing individual or group assignments, taking part in debates
or simulation games, and applying the methods they have learned. A proactive
educational format calls for intensive back-up on the part of the instructor in the form
of study guidelines, instructions, manuals, and feedback on the students’
performance. The students mainly work in small groups.
Active input of instructors and students
The objective of the Master’s programme is to offer an inspiring and high-quality
environment for study. The goal is to work together with the student to maximise the
transfer of knowledge. All of the instructors and support staff involved in the
programme operate on the assumption that if the student is fully dedicated to the
study, they can offer the greatest possible guarantee that the student will pass all of
the individual courses.
Required attendance
For various parts of the study, attendance is mandatory. This applies to working
groups, field trips, simulation games, etc. The course manual for each course
stipulates exactly which sessions the student is required to attend. As stated in article
4.4 of the Education and Examination regulations, exceptions to mandatory
attendance can only be made if the student can prove that his absence is due to
reasons beyond his control (special circumstances due to e.g. illness or family
circumstances).
Report ill in time
If you cannot attend an obligatory preliminary or other exam, lecture or working
group, please phone the department’s secretariat prior to the meeting, and by 9.30 a.m. at the latest: 030 – 253 2359 or 030 – 253 1625.
As soon as you are back you have to hand in some proof of illness or other special
circumstances (e.g. a doctor attest or a copy of the medical file) to the secretariat’s
office. Only then you can make the exam at a different time or during the re-sit.
Absence or illness does not relieve you of your obligation to perform to the best of
your ability. In other words, if you have not been able to complete a paper or give a
presentation, contact the Course Coordinator to find out if it can be rescheduled for
another date.
If the quality or quantity of your attendance has been insufficient, the Course
Coordinator may exclude you from the remainder or part of the course.
Testing
There are multiple points during a course in which the student is tested. Thus, the
final evaluation for a course does not depend solely on a final exam. As a rule, there
are opportunities for feedback and improvement, depending on how the course is
designed. These opportunities are set forth in the course manual. If during the course
the student satisfies all the effort requirements and does not receive a satisfactory
grade but does receive a final grade of at least 4,00 before rounding, he or she will be
given one opportunity to take a supplementary test. The specifics can be found in the
Teaching and Examination Regulations and the course manuals.
Plagiarism, Code of Originality
Sustainable Development is a research oriented Master’s programme, which means
that its students are taught how to perform scientific research and which demands
their approach and results need to meet. Since science is about developing new
knowledge, in all phases of the Master’s programme, much attention is paid to the
originality of the students' achievements, for instance with the aid of advanced
software. All scientific research, including that of a student, builds on the results of the
work of other researchers, either in positive or in negative sense. Those other
researchers deserve the credits for their work, in the form of a correct
acknowledgement.
In short: quoting is allowed (and even necessary), but copying other researchers'
work and presenting it as if it were one's own, is plagiarism: a huge sin in science, and
therefore students have to sign a Statement of Originality when they submit the
Master’s thesis. Students who plagiarise, run tremendous risks: in the worst case
scenario they are expelled from the programme for a year. The Teaching and
Examination Regulations of the programme lists the sanctions with which a student
who is caught plagiarising will be confronted.
3.2 Study planning and advice
Three individuals play a key role in planning and supervising a student’s study: the
programme leader (dr. Paul Schot), your track coordinator and the study advisor, drs.
Pieter Louwman.
The coordination between the common SD courses and between the four tracks is
done by the programme leader. Naturally, you may contact the programme leader,
but usually the professor of the course, the track coordinator or the study advisor will
be able to help you.
The track coordinators advise their students on the programme they will be taking and
the choices that can be made within that programme. These choices pertain to
elective courses and options for internships and thesis research, for instance. If you
would like to receive advice first, you can contact the study advisor.
You can turn to the study advisor for confidential meetings about everything that
might hold you back from a sound study progress, or for mediation in a in possible
disputes with one of your professors. You can also turn to him for any questions about
your study planning, for instance if you wish to follow part of the programme abroad
or when you want to engage in a side activity that might influence your studies.
The study advisor has insight in your registration and study results and he
occasionally receives feedback from professors. He can take initiative to invite you for
a meeting, when he comes across something worrying or unclear. The purpose is to
find out if there is a (potential) problem and if so, what can be done to solve it. Often
you are able to resolve the matter with the study advisor, but he can also advise you
to consult a student counselor, student psychologist, or contact the university’s Centre
for Study Choice.
When you encounter personal circumstances, such as long-term illness or
extraordinary family affairs that might cause your studies to stagnate, it is often
mandatory to consult the study advisor in order to receive special concessions. As a
rule, the earlier you involve the study advisor, the more options you will have.
The study advisor is located in the Van Unnik building, room 10.27. No appointment is
necessary: You can see him on a drop-in basis on Mondays and Wednesdays from
13.00 till 14.00 hours for short questions. Outside these hours, or in case of more
complex questions, an appointment is recommended. Feel free to take initiative to
make such an appointment at the secretary’s office (room 10.20) or by phone: 030-
253 1625/2359.
The study advisor is a member of the Dutch National Society of Study Advisors and
works according to the code of conduct of this professional society, see www.lvsa.nl
for details.
The study advisor is in regular contact with other study advisors of the Faculty and
University, which makes peer feedback and cooperation possible. If the study advisor
is not available due to illness or holiday and you urgently need a confidential consult,
please feel free to contact any of the other study advisors of the Faculty of
Geosciences. You can find their contact details via the website of the Student Affairs
office Geosciences (http://www.uu.nl/en/organisation/faculty-of-geosciences/contact-
information/contact-information-for-students).
3.3 Course registration and automatic graduation 3.3.1 Semesters and blocks
Classes take place during two semesters, each of which can be divided into two
blocks, or periods of 9 or 10 weeks. In Appendix III and IV you will find the start and
end dates of each block for this academic year.
3.3.2 Timeslots
At Utrecht University a so-called timeslotmodel is used to schedule courses to fit into
fixed parts of the week. Using this model prevents overlap in a schedule. In this way it
is easy to see if two courses can be taken in the same period.
The Utrecht University timeslotmodel consists of five slots (A, B, C, D, E).
Timeslot A = Monday morning and Wednesday morning
Timeslot B = Tuesday morning and Thursday afternoon
Timeslot C = Monday afternoon and Thursday morning
Timeslot D = Wednesday afternoon and Friday
Timeslot E = Monday evening until Friday evening
Morning = 09.00-12.45 hours, afternoon = 13.15-19.00 hours, evening = 18.00-
21.45 hours.
Periods and timeslots have been put into the course schedule (4.1). Changes to the
course schedule are still possible. The final scheduling (time and lecture room) of each
course will be made public via:
http://students.uu.nl/en/geo/susd/academics/schedules. Also check the Blackboard e-
learning environment of your course for latest changes in the course programme.
3.3.3 Course registration
In order to participate in a course, you need to be registered for it: if you are not, you
will not have access to the course and its supporting facilities such as Blackboard;
neither will results be registered. No registration = no participation = no result.
As a student, course registration is your own responsibility! You decide which
courses (elective and mandatory) you want to take in each block. Keep in mind
possible entrance requirements to a course; students that do not adhere to entrance
requirements cannot register for the course and/or will be removed from the course.
Course registration is only possible via internet, www.uu.nl/Osirisstudent and only
within the official registration periods, which usually fall in the beginning of the
previous block (for the dates of the Faculty of Geosciences, please see Appendix IV).
You can register for no more than 2 courses (15 EC) of the Faculty of Geosciences per
period (code GEO*-*). Students that register on time are generally secured of a place
in the course; however, courses that have a limited capacity have certain placement
rules. Just before the start of the block, there are 2 days for late registration, in case
you want to switch courses. Please note: this is only possible for courses that are not
full yet; participation is therefore not guaranteed.
If you want to register for a course outside the Faculty of Geosciences, there could be
different registration dates; at some Faculties, students register only once per
semester.
Each period you can register for a maximum of two courses (15 EC) of the Faculty of
Geosciences via Osiris (code GEO*-*). Any student that wants to take a third course,
needs permission of the programme. If the 3rd course is a course of one of the
Master’s programmes of the department of Innovation, Environmental and Energy
Sciences (IS, SUSD, ES, SBI or WSM; codes GEO4-22**, GEO4-23**, GEO4-25**,
GEO4-26** and GEO4-60**), you can fill out a digital form on
https://fd8.formdesk.com/universiteitutrecht/additionalcourseGEO.
Please note:
- This registration form needs to be submitted during the regular registration period.
During the late registration (na-inschrijving) it is no longer possible to apply for an
additional course.
- You have to be enrolled for your other courses in Osiris before submitting your
request for an additional course.
- The additional course should be a course from your own major programme/
department.
- Students are not allowed to participate in more than one course in the same
timeslot.
- Enrolment in an additional course may be declined by the Director of Education in
case of insufficient study progress and/or insufficient capacity for a course.
After the regular registration period and during late registration periods, no
requests for taking a 3rd course will be dealt with and therefore they will always be
denied. Only as an exception and based on sufficiently important reasons will the
programme allow a student to take three courses in one period.
A request for taking a 3rd course will need to address the criteria mentioned below and
these will be checked:
- Motivation: what is the student’s motivation?
- Circumstances: are there any special, personal circumstances?
- Urgency: is it, at this point in time, necessary that the student takes three
courses at once?
- Feasibility: can the student handle taking three courses at the same time? The
following issues will be looked at in order to check this criterion:
o Study progress.
o Study results so far.
o Has the student taken three courses before and if so, were they all
completed successfully?
- Is the Master’s thesis one of the three courses the student wishes to take? If
this is the case, the request will not be granted.
- Timeslot: if the 3rd course falls in the same timeslot as any of the other courses
you will be taking, the request for a 3rd course will never be granted.
Students that do not adhere to the registration periods can only under very special
circumstances be placed in a course after permission from the Board of Examiners,
which can be reached via [email protected]. Always give your student
number when communicating with the Board of Examiners. The Board of Examiners
(NOT the lecturer of the course) decides whether you have a valid reason for not
registering during the registration periods. If the Board of Examiners decides you do
not have a valid enough reason, you cannot attend a course and no course results will
be registered.
In other words: register early, as early as possible, for the courses that you want to
take in the next block! This also applies to the obligatory courses!
3.3.4 Grade Point Average
The final Grade Point Average (GPA) is stated on the International Diploma
Supplement, and represents your academic performance. The final GPA is the average
figure from the results achieved within the course’s examinations programme,
weighted by course credits and expressed on a scale of 1 to 4 with two decimals.
The calculation of the final GPA works as follows:
- all applicable examinations achieved as part of the examinations programme of
the Master’s degree, are converted into quality points;
- quality points are the applicable examination result x the number of course
credits (EC) for the section in question;
- the total number of quality points achieved divided by the total number of
course credits obtained (EC) gives the average examination result;
- the average examination result is converted into the final GPA as shown in the
table below:
Dutch exam grades Corresponding letter grades Grade Points
From 8.60 to 10 A+ 4
8.00 8.59 A 4
7.70 7.99 A- 3.7
7.40 7.69 B+ 3.3
7.00 7.39 B 3
6.70 6.99 B- 2.7
6.40 6.69 C+ 2,3
6.00 6.39 C 2
5.60 5.99 C- 1.7
5.40 5.59 D+ 1.3
4.50 5.39 D 1
0 4.49 F 0
Students who want a statement to show their GPA ranking in comparison to the SUSD
graduate population, may send a request to the Board of Examiners, at least 2 months
before the graduation date.
3.3.5 Automatic graduation
When you are due to finish your programme, you will receive a message from the
student administration about your graduation. After it has been verified that you have
fulfilled all requirements of your programme, the Board of Examiners will be asked to
judge your file. Please note: in order to graduate, you need to have fulfilled all
requirements: all grades are known and registered in Osiris, you have paid all tuition
fees, hard copies of any earlier decisions taken by the Board of Examiners have been
handed in to Student Affairs Geosciences (if applicable), the required number of copies
of your thesis have been handed in at the IEES secretary’s office and you have
uploaded your thesis to Igitur. Under certain conditions, it is possible to postpone your graduation, see article 6.1.6 of the Teaching and Examination Regulations 2015/2016.
In order to actually receive your degree certificate or to pick it up at the Student
Affairs office, you need to fill out an exam-registration form. If you want to attend a
graduation ceremony, strict deadlines regarding registration and handing in of any documents will be maintained.
Automatic graduation does not mean you will be de-registered automatically from the
programme. You will need to take care of this yourself and this cannot be done until
you have received formal confirmation of your graduation from the Board of
Examiners.
3.4 Study abroad
Studying abroad means broadening your horizon, meeting new people, exploring
different cultures, and expanding your field of study. If you are interested in going
abroad there are many possibilities. You can follow courses, do an internship or
conduct research. Make use of what the university in general, but the Faculty of
Geosciences in particular, has to offer you.
A lot to organise?!
Don’t worry, just make sure to start planning your period abroad in time. Do you want
to study abroad? Start via the International Office Online:
http://students.uu.nl/en/academics/study-abroad.
Answer these questions:
Where would you like to go to?
Does this university have an agreement with UU?
Which courses would you like to attend? When would you like to go?
Once you have found an answer to these questions, contact your Study Advisor to connect your period abroad to your study plan in Utrecht.
After you have consulted with your Study Advisor, The International Office of
Geosciences is there to guide your through the process. For all your practical
questions, please contact [email protected] or visit the Student Affairs office/
International Office on 1st floor of the Victor J. Koningsberger building. Open Monday,
Tuesday and Thursday from 10.00-12.00 and 13.00-16.30 hrs or by appointment.
Besides, please visit our study association EGEA (Ruppert Building), or visit
http://www.egea.eu/entity/utrecht. EGEA members generally have a lot of experience
with studying abroad. They can help you out with a lot of practical matters (such as housing, experiences and tips & tricks).
In October and November several orientation meetings take place organised by the
International Office. For more information, look at the website of your programme at study abroad.
Practical matters
Once you’ve decided to study abroad, you can apply through the regular procedure.
Please do keep in mind the deadlines for application! More information about how to
apply and which deadline to bear in mind can be found on the General International
Office website: www.uu.nl/en/education/exchange-and-visiting-
students/application/partner-universities (UU partners). For the Faculty International Office website, please look at the website of your programme and study abroad.
Good to know
- Eligible for studying abroad during their master are all students with formal
permission from their programme coordinator. To obtain permission please use
the ‘study plan for studying abroad’ (available via:
http://students.uu.nl/en/academics/study-abroad/step-2-application-at-uu).
- After your programme coordinator has signed the study plan, upload it in Osiris
- Credits obtained at partner universities can quite often easily be transferred to
your academic record in Utrecht: study abroad doesn’t necessarily cause delay
in your programme!
- If your destination is within Europe, either for courses (exchange) or an
internship, you are eligible for an ERASMUS grant. Monthly financial support to
make your study abroad easier than it already is.
- If your destination is outside Europe, please have a look at
www.beursopener.nl and find out if you are eligible for the options mentioned.
- If you’re going abroad, you’d better put your OV student chip-card on hold
(public transport card for Dutch students). By doing this, you can apply for a
monthly travel allowance. Forms for this allowance are to be signed by Student
Affairs /International Office.
3.5 Responsibility for the programme
Board of Studies
Within the Utrecht Graduate Division (UGD) the Master’s programme Sustainable
Development is part of the Graduate School of Geosciences, to which all Master’s
students and PhD-students of the Faculty of Geosciences belong. The School
supervises the quality of the programme and the admission of its students. All
Directors of Education and Directors of Research of the Faculty of Geosciences are
members of the Graduate Board of Studies, as well as a PhD student and a student
from one of the MSc programmes of the Faculty. Chairman is the dean of the Faculty,
prof.dr. Piet Hoekstra; the Board’s secretary is mr. Diederik Gussekloo
Master Education Committee
This is a joint committee of chosen students and lecturers appointed by the dean to
advise on the rules on teaching and examination and its implementation and about
other matters concerning the programmes of study, such as quality assurance. Its
secretary is mrs. drs. Erika Dijksma ([email protected]).
Board of Examiners
The Board of Examiners is responsible for the examination of students. The Board of
Examiners will determine the examination results as soon as the student has
submitted sufficient proof of the tests taken. This Board also decides about deviations
(e.g. exemptions) in the programme and the approval of elective courses (see
Appendix I of this catalogue). Requests about exemptions, elective courses or other
issues for the Board of Examiners, can be addressed to the secretary of the Board’s
chamber for Innovation, Environmental and Energy Sciences, mrs.drs. Erika Dijksma
([email protected]). Always include your student number when contacting
the Board of Examiners.
Teaching Institute
The Teaching Institute Innovation, Environmental and Energy Sciences is responsible
for the organisation, coordination and quality assurance of the educational elements of
the various courses offered by the department. The Director of Education, Dr. Margien
Bootsma, is the Teaching Institute’s head and is assisted by a management team,
which includes the programme leaders of the Bachelor’s and Master’s programmes.
The programme’s leader, dr. Paul Schot, is responsible for the management of the
programme Sustainable Development.
3.6 Evaluation and quality assurance
The Faculty of Geosciences values the high quality of its programmes and has
therefore set up a quality assurance system. Quality assurance provides information
about the quality of individual courses and the programme as a whole, study climate
and students’ progress and performance. Its most important goals are improving
education and organisation, and making the quality of the programme more visible.
One part of quality assurance which you as a student will be dealing with regularly are
evaluations. Every course is evaluated afterwards and the results of this course
evaluation are discussed in the Education committee and the Management team of the
programme. It provides important information for the lecturer to improve his/her
course. All Geosciences students may view the evaluation results of the Faculty of
Geosciences on Blackboard. You can use this if e.g. you need to make a choice about
electives.
During the running of the course, we also work on improving quality. Since 2010,
course feedback groups are active in each course in order to mend any problems early
on. For each course, such a group consists of 4-5 students that meet up with the
lecturer in the break and talk about the course so far.
Its purpose is to find out what is being appreciated, what is going well and what
practical issues can be improved. This does not concern aspects which are already
fixed, such as the choice of literature, set up of tutorials or class times. It’s all about
fine-tuning, e.g. are the lecture slides readable, can everyone hear the lecturer, has
information been put on Blackboard on time, etc. In the study guide of the course you
can find further information about the course feedback group in your course.
Finally, at the end of each academic year (May/June) a written year evaluation is
carried out among the students. The year evaluation it is not about an individual
course but about issues that transcend the course, such as coherence/set-up of the
programme, electives, workload and effort, level, thesis supervision, challenge,
atmosphere and lecturers.
The results of the year evaluation will be discussed in panel meetings with the
education director, programme leaders and a student delegation.
3.7 Storm, SD’s study society
Storm is the study society for students of Utrecht University in the Bachelor’s
programmes Environmental Sciences and Environmental Studies and the Master’s
degree programme Environmental Sciences, which covers Sustainable Development
and Water Science and Management. Storm was established in 1991 by a few
enthusiastic students who wanted to support the degree programme Environmental
Sciences and wanted to improve the contacts between students and between students
and lecturers. Almost all Environmental Sciences students are a member of Storm,
because of all the fun and study-related activities but also because of the discount on
the textbooks that Storm supplies (membership costs are 20 euros for your entire
master). The gathering place for Storm-members is our own room on the University
campus where members can come and drink a cup of tea or coffee and crash on one
of the couches for a chat.
Storm contains several different committees which provide a large range of activities.
There are the splendid parties, drinks, barbecues and other relaxing activities. Storm
also organises debating evenings, excursions, a career day and other study related
activities. Special attention is paid to the Master students by Storm’s Master
committee, which organises activities aimed at the interests of Sustainable
Development and Water Science and Management students. Those interested in
participating in the committee or its activities please send an email to [email protected].
Storm is the ideal place for students to combine study and pleasure. Do you want to
know more about environmental issues outside study hours, or do you want to get to
know your fellow students and join in interesting activities? Then drop by the Storm
room, in the Ruppert building (room 002), open from 10.30 – 15.00!
Telephone: 030 253 2164, e-mail: [email protected], website: http://storm.geo.uu.nl
4 Course information
4.1 Course schedule 2015-2016
Slot A = Monday morning and/or Wednesday morning Slot B = Tuesday morning and/or Thursday afternoon Slot C = Monday afternoon and/or Thursday morning Slot D = Wednesday afternoon, Friday morning and/or Friday afternoon Slot E = Monday evening, Tuesday evening, Wednesday evening, Thursday evening and/or Friday evening
Year 1 (intake 2015)
Period 1 (A+C) Sustainable
Development: Integrating
Perspectives (GEO4-2301)
E&M: (B) Tools for Energy &
Materials Analysis (GEO4-2326)
GCE: (D) Themes in Global
Change and Ecosystems (GEO4-
2310)
EG: (D) Governance for SD:
theories (GEO4-2332)
ID: (D) Development Themes
(GEO4-3510)
Period 2 (C+D) Sustainability Science:
modelling and indicators
(GEO4-2331)
E&M: (B) Sustainable Energy
Systems (GEO4-2312)
GCE: (A+B) Ecosystem Modelling
(GEO4-2303)
EG: (B) Policy Analysis (GEO4-
2306)
ID: (B) Advanced Methods and
Techniques Development Studies
(GEO4-3518)
Period 3 E&M: (C) Fossil Resources
(GEO4-2325)
GCE: (A+C) Research in GCE
(GEO4-2319)
EG: (B) International
Governance for SD (GEO4-2305)
ID: (A+B+C+D) Internship ID
(GEO4-2333)
E&M: (D) Climate Systems and
Adaptation (GEO4-2327)
GCE: (D) Climate Systems and
Adaptation (GEO4-2327)
EG: (C) Governance for SD:
Analysing Practices (GEO4-2328)
ID: (A+B+C+D) Internship ID
(GEO4-2333)
Period 4 E&M: (A) Policies for Energy &
Materials Transitions (GEO4-
2311)
GCE: (A+C) Research in GCE
(GEO4-2319)
EG: (C) Research Design EG
(GEO4-2314)
ID: (A+B+C+D) Internship ID
(GEO4-2333)
E&M: (B) Energy & Materials
Efficiency (GEO4-2324)
GCE: (A+C) Research in GCE
(GEO4-2319)
EG: (D) Adv. Research Methods
EG (GEO4-2304)
ID: (A+B+C+D) Internship ID
(GEO4-2333)
Year 2 (intake 2014)
Period 1 (D) Transdisciplinary case
study (GEO4-2302)
ID: (C) Development Theories
(GEO4-3505)
E&M/GCE/EG: elective
Period 2
Master’s thesis SD (GEO4-2321)
Period 3
Period 4
Extension Thesis, GEO4-2322 (15 EC) or
Publishing your Research, GEO4-2318 (15 EC) or
Tailor made course, GEO4-2320 (7,5 or 15 EC) or
Extra electives (in period 2, 3 and/or 4, 15 EC)
4.2 Course descriptions
Note: in case of a discrepancy between the entrance requirements and/or
recommended pre-requisites mentioned in this course catalogue and the ones
mentioned in the electronic UU course offerings database ‘Osiris’, the
entrance requirements and/or recommended pre-requisites mentioned in the
table in § 2.12 are leading.
IS-Technology related venturing
Code: GEO4-2268 Credits: 7,5 EC Level: M
Programme IS/SBI/ES/SD
Status IS/SBI: Obligatory; ES/SD: elective
Required for the university wide Annotation ‘Sustainable Entrepreneurship & Innovation’.
Period/Timeslot 1 C
Language English
Coordinator dr. J. Faber
Instructor(s) dr. J. Faber ([email protected]), dr. W.P.C. Boon ([email protected])
Open to other students
Yes
Entry requirements
Entry requirements
None
Recommended pre-requisites
Organisation Theories (GEO2-2218), Management of Innovation Processes (GEO3-2221)
Recommended
pre-requisites can
be gained by
Reading the literature prescribed for Organisation Theories and Management of
Innovation Processes.
Course content
Objectives
The objectives of this course are to make students aware of the opportunities and threats of developing innovations within established and entrepreneurial companies, to make them acquainted with theoretical concepts and models relevant for these subjects and to train their academic skills necessary for recognizing, analysing and managing innovation problems that emerge in practice
from a theoretical perspective. After completion of the course, the student:
has advanced knowledge and understanding of the dynamics and
challenges of Science and Innovation in the context of both organizations and society at large,
has insight into the complex interactions between science, innovative technology and society and is able to reflect critically upon the roles of
science and technology in society;
is able to communicate conclusions, as well as the knowledge, reasons and considerations underlying these conclusions, to an audience of specialists and non-specialists.
Content Technology related venturing comprises activities of organizational entities (within
established firms or as new enterprises), which are focused on developing and launching new, better and/or cheaper products, services or processes based on new technological insights into and knowledge of emerging technologies like biotechnology, clean technology (including sustainable energy and transportation technologies) and information technology. Ventures engaged in innovation will, however, face many problems arising in practice, which they have to deal with:
lacking resources and complementary assets; lacking dynamic capabilities; the prevailing appropriation regime; the emergence of a dominant design and
standardization; assessment of user needs and customer value; and competition. In this course, these problems are studied in further details with respect to their
causes, possible solutions and management. Additionally, empirical cases from technological fields like biotechnology, clean technology and information technology will be analysed in order to provide students with the academic skills to apply theoretical knowledge for the solution of innovation problems encountered in practice by established as well as entrepreneurial firms. Note
The course is compulsory for IS/SBI and an elective for ES/SD The course is required for the university wide Annotation ‘Sustainable Entrepreneurship & Innovation’.
Entry requirement for
This course is an entry requirement for: - Master’s Thesis IS (GEO4-2239X) - Master’s Thesis Internship SBI (GEO4-2606) - Consultancy Project IS (GEO4-2252)
- Consultancy Project SBI (GEO4-2605)
Instructional modes
Instructional modes
Lectures (Required) Group meetings (Required)
Preparation for meetings
see course manual
Contribution to group work
see course manual
Assessment
Explanation
Written exam (50%), paper on the group assignment (40%) and participation in
group meetings (10%)
Study materials
Literature Required: List of scientific articles (see course manual)
Academic skills &
Professional Skills
Concise writing, valuing literature, argumentation and reasoning, and reflection on
science and society & Giving feedback and learning to work independently
SUSD- Sustainable Development: Integrating perspectives
Code: GEO4-2301 Credits: 7,5 EC Level: M
Programme SD/WSM
Status Obligatory
Period/Timeslot 1 A, C
Language English
Coordinator dr. B. Wicke ([email protected])
Instructor(s) dr. B. Wicke
Open to other
students
No
Entry requirements
Entry requirements
Students must be registered for one of the following degree programmes: Water Science and Management
Sustainable Development
Recommended pre-requisites
None
Course content
Objectives
After completion of the course, the student is able to:
give a good overview of the concept of sustainable development, its
history, and various ways to operationalise it;
understand the contributions from relevant scientific disciplines and the
ability to integrate these;
recognize key sustainable development issues and make an integral and critical assessment of available approaches and policy options;
look at real-world problems from multiple perspectives and understand that
achieving sustainability needs contributions from different worldviews.
Content
This course aims at providing an integrated systems perspective on current sustainable development issues. Students are being introduced to the major
threats and to the main scientific concepts and methods needed to understand and
respond to them. The emphasis is on seeing the larger picture. The course starts by elaborating the interactions between human societies and their environment from a historical perspective. Next, we discuss the concept of SD and its diverse definitions. We move on to an introduction of the scientific worldview and the role of values and worldviews in the interpretation and operationalisation of SD. Next, the contributions of relevant scientific disciplines such as ecology, demography, energy and environmental science, agro-ecology,
economy and social and political science are outlined. Throughout the course, the sustainability problem is approached from a wide perspective by looking more in-depth at cultural theory and worldviews. It will be shown that the perception of both problems and solutions depend on one’s point of view and the frame of reference. That is why dealing with sustainability problems is a matter of combining scientific data about the world with value orientations and
institutional realities.
Entry requirement for
This course is an entry requirement for: Transdisciplinary Case Study (GEO4-2302)
Instructional modes
Instructional modes
Lectures (Required) Simulation game (Required) Tutorials (Required)
Explanation Lectures, two assignments in small groups, one individual position paper, Simulation game
Preparation for In order to successfully participate in class, assigned literature should be read
meetings before lectures and tutorials.
Contribution to
group work
Two of the assignments are conducted in small groups (3-4 students). Each
member of a group is expected to equally contribute to the assignment; free-riding is not permitted. If free-riding occurs anyways, this will have implications for the individual grade.
Assessment
Explanation Group assignments (including presentations), personal position paper and final exam
Study materials
Literature
Required: De Vries, B.J.M., 2012, Sustainability Science, Cambridge University Press The World Commission on Environment and Development, Our Common future, 1987, Oxford University Press. Also available online at http://www.un-documents.net/our-common-future.pdf
Articles, Reports, Extra materials (available on Blackboard)
Academic skills Writing a paper, presentation
SUSD-Transdisciplinary case study
Code: GEO4-2302 Credits: 7,5 EC Level: M
Programme SD/WSM
Status Obligatory
Period/Timeslot 1 D
Language English
Coordinator dr. P.P. Schot ([email protected])
Instructor(s) dr. P.P. Schot
Open to other
students
No
Entry requirements
Entry requirements
Students must be registered for one of the following degree programmes: Water Science and Management, Sustainable Development
Number of credits achieved for examination: 30EC for Master The following course must be completed: - SUSD-Integrating perspectives (GEO4-2301)
Recommended pre-requisites
None
Course content
Objectives
After completion of the course the student is able to:
contribute to the analysis of a multidisciplinary sustainable development issue from his/her disciplinary or track-specific background;
contribute to the design of an integrated research\action programme aimed
at resolving these issues;
take responsibility for, and be able to defend, the outcomes of the
multidisciplinary analysis and the integrated research programme.
Content
This course focuses on the integration of insights from different knowledge domains which are necessary to realise sustainable development.
Sustainable development issues are characterised by their multi-disciplinary character, and the fact that they are not merely an academic exercise but pertain to real-world problems. They show large complexity as a result of mutual
interaction between social and biophysical systems. Regular or ‘normal’ scientific approaches tend to focus on more or less disciplinary aspects of the problem in isolation, using an ‘objective’ analytical perspective. In the contrary, it has been argued sustainable development issues are in need of a ‘Post-Normal Science’ in which there are multiple legitimate perspectives, related to values and world views of individuals or groups, and the full complexity including its uncertainty should be part of the scientific analysis (Functowitz and Ravetz, 1993). The multiplicity of
world views also allows for non-scientific stakeholders to enter into the problem analysis and problem solving arena, enabling the addition of tacit knowledge to the formal scientific knowledge. The resulting networks involving public-private partnerships and the collaboration with community organisations have given rise to new forms of governance. Such participation of multiple stakeholders and scientific specialists involved in sustainability research and problem solving, necessitates
forms of integration of the multidisciplinary knowledge being produced. Such research is often termed transdisciplinary. In this course students will enter the transdisciplinary arena. They will be confronted with a real-world problem of a real- world client. The students will work in multidisciplinary groups to analyse the client’s problem. The will analyse the multidisciplinary problem from their own (track-)specific background, and integrate their scientific knowledge with that of other students, and with the tacit knowledge
of stakeholders.
Entry requirement for
This course is the entry requirement for: N/A
Instructional modes
Instructional
modes
Lecture (Required)
Tutorial (Required)
Explanation There are a few lectures as an introduction to the course and the assignment. The main activities are by the students themselves and consist of group work and individual work. At the end of the course all groups present their results.
Assessment
Explanation
The course grade is determined based on the Final Group paper as follows (% of final grade): a) specific (disciplinary) aspects of the case: 50% b) the mutual multidisciplinary parts of the group paper: 50%
Study materials
Literature See course manual
Academic skills
SUSD-Ecosystem modelling
Code: GEO4-2303 Credits: 7,5 EC Level: M
Programme SD/WSM
Status Obligatory (SD: track GCE)
Period/Timeslot 2 A, B
Language English
Coordinator prof. dr. ir. M.G. Rietkerk ([email protected])
Instructor(s) prof. dr. ir. M.G. Rietkerk
Open to other
students
Yes
Remarks This course has been identified as an “early exit course” for exchange students from abroad that need to return to their home university before Christmas. In consultation with the lecturer it may be possible to finish this course early, for
fewer credits.
Entry requirements
Entry requirements
None
Recommended
pre-requisites
For students from other programmes: mathematics and modelling, level 1; e.g.
Wiskunde & Systeemanalyse (GEO1-2202), please contact the coordinator before enrolment in Osiris.
Course content
Objectives
After completion of the course the student is able to:
understand the effects of (spatial) processes on ecosystem structure and dynamics;
model (spatial) processes in ecosystems and to critically evaluate (spatial) models.
Content This course deals with the understanding and modelling of ecosystems and
landscapes. Special attention will be paid to spatial processes such as flows of
water and nutrient cycling, solute transport, dispersion of plants and movements of organisms. You will learn how to model complex mutual interactions by focusing on general principles and how to determine the relative importance of multiple factors. This is imperative to comprehend the effects that man has on ecosystems and landscape structure and functioning. The course consists of the following parts:
Matlab self study
Numerical solution of partial differential equations
o Heat flow o Groundwater flow o Self-organizing systems
Cellular automata
o Forest fires o Tiger bush
Final assignment
Entry
requirement for
This course is an entry requirement for: N/A
Instructional modes
Instructional modes
Computer practical (Required) Lecture (Required)
Explanation Computer practicals, Lectures
Assessment
Explanation The final mark will be based on the average of the assignment and the exam.
Study materials
Literature Study guide: Course reader
Academic skills - System analysis - Modelling - Reading scientific papers
SUSD-Advanced research methods EG
Code: GEO4-2304 Credits: 7,5 EC Level: M
Programme SD
Status Obligatory for track EG
Period/Timeslot 4 D
Language English
Coordinator dr. F.S.J. van Laerhoven ([email protected])
Instructor(s) dr. F.S.J. van Laerhoven
Open to other
students
No
Remarks This course is only available to students of the SUSD-EG track.
Entry requirements
Entry requirements
Students must be registered for the following degree programme: Sustainable Development (SUSD)
Recommended pre-requisites
- Basic research methods skills. - Knowledge of the main literatures on environmental governance.
Recommended pre-requisites can be gained by
- Basic research methods skills can be obtained in the bachelor’s programmes that correspond with the entry requirement for the SD master’s programme
- Knowledge of the main literatures on environmental governance can be obtained in the SD programme’s courses preceding the Advanced research methods course
Course content
Objectives
After completion of the course, the student is aware of and able to apply a varied set of methodological tools to unveil causal processes with regard to the emergence, performance and development of different modes of environmental governance. He/she can:
analyse the issues of sustainable development from a social science perspective;
engage in scientific debate on these issues – bringing in solid lines of
argumentation, based in the results of sound empirical research and analysis;
design and carry out scientific research on the issue of sustainable
development in a creative and independent way;
formulate fundamental critique on the scientific work of others;
communicate their research findings verbally and in writing;
analyse and explain sustainability issues, particularly issues related with environmental governance;
based upon the results of their own analyses, formulate recommendations regarding new strategies for interventions intended to promote sustainable development.
Content The objective of this course is to explore how environmental governance can be meaningfully studied. After a quick, broad-stroke overview of different approaches
to science (neo-positivism vs. interpretivism), and short (refresher-type) lectures on causality, social-science modelling, sustainability, and governance, the course will introduce students to institutional analysis, network analysis, stakeholder analysis, quantitative analysis, comparative case study analysis, participatory action research, and grounded theory, and experimental research, among others.
Entry requirement for
This course is an entry requirement for: N/A
Instructional modes
Instructional modes
Lectures (Required) Computer practicals (Required)
Explanation
A combination of lectures and (computer) practicals will be used to familiarize students with the following research methods:
Comparative case study analysis Participatory Action Research Institutional analysis: working with the IAD framework Quantitative analysis: working with SPSS Stakeholder analysis Social network analysis: working with Pajek Discourse network analysis: working with DNA, Gephi, Webcrawler Experimental analysis: working with lab research, games & simulations Grounded theory Qualitative data analysis: working with NVIVO
Preparation for
meetings
Students are expected to prepare themselves for lectures and practicals by reading
the assigned texts, as stipulated in the course syllabus.
Contribution to group work
Part of the assignments will be made in pairs. In these cases, team members are jointly responsible for the quality of their end product.
Assessment
Explanation - 1 Exam (20%); - 8 Assignments (10% each)
Study materials
Literature
The titles of the required readings will be provided in the syllabus. All articles can be accessed
through the UU library system (e.g. Scopus)
Academic skills Research Methods, Academic writing
SUSD-International Governance for Sustainable Development
Code: GEO4-2305 Credits: 7,5 EC Level: M
Programme SD
Status Obligatory for track EG
Period/Timeslot 3 B
Language English
Coordinator dr. C. Dieperink
Instructor(s) dr. C. Dieperink ([email protected])
Open to other
students
Yes, but only students with social sciences background
Entry requirements
Entry requirements
None
Recommended pre-requisites
Some BA courses on policy or governance. Open for students with policy or social sciences background. Non SUSD students should contact the course coordinator before registering for the course.
Course content
Objectives
After completion of the course, the student is knowledgeable regarding the way international governance systems operate and the factors that account for this.
More specifically, this implies that he or she is able to:
demonstrate knowledge on the institutional aspects of international governance for sustainable development;
apply theoretical concepts and perspectives in research on international
governance for sustainable development;
analyze international environmental issues as expressions of conflicts of
interest between actors in different sectors of international society;
demonstrate knowledge on the potentials of and barriers to international governance for sustainable development;
evaluate (the effects of) international governance systems;
report on international governance in clear language;
formulate sophisticated arguments in group discussions.
Content
This course addresses the institutional aspects of international governance for sustainable development and seeks to provide an overview of the key concepts and approaches related to the subject. During the course we will focus on international cooperation on different levels. Attention will be paid to relevant UN organisations
and the European Union, the intergovernmental treaty-protocol approach, river basin management and to private sector partnerships. The central question of this course is “What are the main institutional characteristics, developments, strengths and weaknesses of international governance for sustainable development?
Entry requirement for
This course is an entry requirement for: N/A
Instructional modes
Instructional
modes
Lecture (Required)
Tutorial (Required)
Assessment
Explanation The final mark will be based on a weighted average of assignments and an exam
Study materials
Literature
Required: Reader International Governance for Sustainable Development Additional literature will be announced later (see course manual)
Academic skills Writing papers, debating
SUSD-Policy analysis
Code: GEO4-2306 Credits: 7,5 EC Level: M
Programme SD
Status Obligatory for track EG; elective for IS, SBI and ES
Period/Timeslot 2 B
Language English
Coordinator dr. H.A.C. Runhaar ([email protected])
Instructor(s) dr. H.A.C. Runhaar
Open to other
students
Yes
Remarks Maximum 60 students. Students for whom this course is obligatory have priority.
Entry requirements
Entry requirements
Students must be registered for one of the following degree programmes: Innovation Sciences, Sustainable Development, Energy Science, Sustainable Business and Innovation
Recommended pre-requisites
None
Course content
Objectives
After completion of the course, students should: Be able to characterise the various methods of policy analysis; Be able to combine and apply concepts, methods, and criteria from policy
analysis theory in specific policy situations; Have insight into the role of the policy analyst in the policy process.
The emphasis will be on the second course objective.
Content
Policy analysis involves a wide variety of activities related to the study of public policy, which can be defined as “political agreement on a course of action (or
inaction) designed to resolve or mitigate problems on the political agenda – economic, social, environmental and so on”. Within the field of policy analysis usually distinction is made between analysis of policy and analysis for policy. The primary goal of research in the field of analysis of policy is to develop a better understanding of public policy and the policy-making process. Analysis for policy is usually defined as “the use of analytical techniques and knowledge for and in
policy-making”. The aim of policy analysis in this meaning is to support policy-makers, by producing and transforming ‘policy-relevant information’. This course will focus on analysis of policy. Students will acquire both theoretical knowledge and practical skills concerning four methods of policy analysis:
Reconstruction of policy theory
Impact Assessment
Cost-Benefit Analysis and Cost Effectiveness Analysis
Discourse analysis
Entry requirement for
This course is the entry requirement for: N/A
Instructional modes
Instructional
modes
Lecture (Required in the case of guest lectures)
Tutorial (Required)
Assessment
Explanation The final mark will be based on the average of four assignments.
Study materials
Literature Required: Course manual, Supplementary literature (articles etc.)
Academic skills
SUSD-Themes in Global change and Ecosystems
Code: GEO4-2310 Credits: 7,5 EC Level: M
Programme SD
Status Obligatory for track GCE
Period/Timeslot 1 D
Language English
Coordinator prof. dr. ir. M.G. Rietkerk ([email protected])
Instructor(s) prof. dr. ir. M.G. Rietkerk
Open to other
students
Yes
Entry requirements
Entry requirements
None
Recommended pre-requisites
None
Course content
Objectives
After completion of the course the student:
has insight in primary drivers of land use change and the consequences for
physical/chemical processes in soil, water and atmosphere, and hence global change processes, such as climate change, environmental pollution, enrichment, acidification and fragmentation;
has insight in how global change influences the quality and functioning of
aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems and the composition, structure and stability of biological communities and biological diversity;
has insight in strategies that aim to counteract adverse environmental
effects and create restoration and conservation of ecological and biological values;
has insight in recent development in scientific research concerning global
change and ecosystems;
can analyse the interrelationships between land use, environmental quality and biodiversity;
can define research questions and hypotheses on the basis of scientific
literature and in how research programs should be organized in order to answer the raised questions and test the proposed hypotheses;
can provide scientific reports in the form of a paper, an oral contribution, a
poster and as a co-referent.
Content
The primary drivers of land use change are demographic, economic and social pressures related to human activity. Area distributions designated to urbanization, agriculture and nature will have consequences for processes in soil, water and atmosphere, and hence on environmental processes like climate change, pollution, acidification, enrichment and fragmentation. These environmental factors determine in important ways the functioning of many aquatic and terrestrial
ecosystems, in terms of quality (levels of contamination, richness) and functioning (cycling of materials, energy and nutrients). Such environmental effects currently cause adverse effects on and deterioration of life-support functions and
productivity in ecosystems, as well they are thought to cause declines in biological diversity on various scales (regional-global) and levels of ecological organisation (species, ecosystems, landscapes). The course will especially pay attention to
strategies how to solve these questions and problems and how to develop, adopt and apply strategies that counteract adverse environmental effects leading to sustainable restoration and conservation of the quality and functioning of ecological and biological systems.
Entry requirement for
This course is an entry requirement for: N/A
Instructional modes
Instructional
modes
Lectures (Required)
Tutorials (Required)
Assessment
Explanation Test, paper, co-reference, poster presentation
Study materials
Literature
Required:
Course reader Scientific articles
Academic skills - Reading scientific articles - Defining knowledge gap - Write research proposal - Participate in scientific discussions
SUSD-Policies for Energy & Materials Transitions
Code: GEO4-2311 Credits: 7,5 EC Level: M
Programme SD
Status Obligatory for track E&M. Elective for IS, SBI, Energy Science and Earth Sciences
Period/Timeslot 4 A
Language English
Coordinator dr. R. Harmsen ([email protected])
Instructor(s) dr. R. Harmsen ([email protected]), dr. J.C.M. Farla ([email protected])
Open to other
students
Yes
Entry requirements
Entry requirements
Students must be registered for one of the following degree programmes: Earth, Life and Climate, Energy Science, Earth Structure and Dynamics, Earth
Surface and Water, Innovation Sciences, Sustainable Business and Innovation, Sustainable Development.
Recommended pre-requisites
None
Course content
Objectives
After completion of this course, the student is able to:
apply and synthesize theoretical models on the dynamics of energy & material transition processes;
analyze and evaluate current policy practices related to the transformation
of the energy & materials system;
analyze barriers & drivers for innovative and sustainable energy technology deployment;
analyze the various steps of the policy cycle
analyze and evaluate current energy & materials policy targets &
instruments in terms of effectiveness (environmental impact) and
coherency (accounting for policy interaction);
apply and analyze the three building blocks of policy/program theory:
impact theory, service utilization plan and organizational plan.
Content
In this course we make a distinction between two policy perspectives on the energy system. Both perspectives share the underlying notion that the energy system needs to change in order to become more sustainable. The first perspective (part 1 of the course) focuses on the dynamics of these systemic change processes. This involves insight in sustainable energy innovation processes and factors that influence the transformation of the energy system. We label this view as the “Energy Transition Perspective”. The second perspective (part 2 of the course) is
concerned with the impact of the energy system on issues like climate change, energy security, employment, local air quality and national interests of governments (e.g. regarding national energy and material reserves) and industry, and aims to design policy instruments that push or pull the energy system in the desired direction. Both views are strongly related and should be well aligned for optimal policy
outcomes, however in reality they are quite far apart. The challenge for policy
makers is to develop consistent and well aligned policy instruments that contribute to meeting targets, ambitions and agreements embedded in the policies. The challenge for firms and entrepreneurs in the energy system is to develop smart strategies in response to these policies.
Entry requirement for
This course is the entry requirement for: N/A
Instructional modes
Instructional
modes
Lecture (Required)
Tutorial (Required)
Presentation (Required)
Explanation
The course setup of part 1 includes two tutorials per week (2 hours each). In part 2
of the course two (guest)lectures per week are provided. Both in part 1 and part 2 of the course students need to work on assignments, both individually and in groups. .
Preparation for
meetings
Part 1 tutorials need to be prepared in advance. Preparation includes the reading of
scientific literature and the answering of assignment questions.
Contribution to group work
Students are expected to make a balanced contribution to group work. Free-riding is not accepted.
Assessment
Explanation Assignments, presentation
Study materials
Literature Required: Journal articles and book chapters as indicated in the course manual or
assignments
Academic skills Communicative skills (writing, presentation, discussions and
argumentation). Social and organizational skills (working together, functioning in a team and
planning your own work and time). Literature research (analyzing and using literature). Self-reviewing (reflect on your own knowledge and skills).
SUSD-Sustainable energy systems
Code: GEO4-2312 Credits: 7,5 EC Level: M
Programme SD
Status Obligatory for track E&M
Period/Timeslot 2 B
Language English
Coordinator dr. W.H.J. Crijns-Graus ([email protected])
Instructor(s) dr. W.H.J. Crijns-Graus
Open to other
students
Yes, but not for Energy Science students
Remarks This course has been identified as an “early exit course” for exchange students from abroad that need to return to their home university before Christmas. In consultation with the lecturer it may be possible to finish this course early, for
fewer credits.
Entry requirements
Entry requirements
None
Recommended
pre-requisites
Applied Thermodynamics (GEO2-2212), Energy Analysis (GEO3-2223),
Introduction to the Energy & Resource System or Tools for Energy & Materials (GEO4-2326) or equivalent courses.
Course content
Objectives
This course will provide an understanding of the energy supply system (with a focus on the power system), including generation and distribution of electricity. After completion of the course, the student is able to:
understand the physical principles underlying energy conversion
technologies;
calculate energy supply and costs for different types of energy conversion technologies;
understand the role of materials in the energy supply system;
use relevant energy statistics and apply scenario analysis to assess (future)
developments of the energy supply system.
Content
The energy supply system is currently not sustainable. Energy conversion is one of the key sources of air pollution, and the main contributor to climate change. This course will deepen the knowledge on the energy supply system, including fossil and nuclear power generation, renewable energy and transport of electricity. A systems perspective is central throughout the course, and the elements of the supply system will be discussed in depth. Furthermore material demand related to energy
supply will be explored.
Entry requirement for
This course is an entry requirement for: Publishing your Research (GEO4-2318) Master’s Thesis SD (GEO4-2321)
Instructional modes
Instructional
modes
Lecture (Required)
Tutorial (Required)
Explanation
The course setup includes two hours of lecture per week, two hours of tutorials,
two computer practicals and an assignment. The assignment explores scenarios on country level where pathways towards sustainable energy supply are explored.
Preparation for meetings
As preparation for the lectures it is recommended to read indicated chapters in the text book “Energy science” and/or papers.
Contribution to group work
The assignment is performed in groups of two. The time spend on the assignment is about 74 hours.
Assessment
Explanation The assessment of the course consist of two exams (midterm and final exam) and
one assignment.
Study materials
Literature
Required: J. Andrews & N. Jelley, “Energy Science; Principles Technologies and impacts”
Second edition. Oxford University Press
Academic skills Data gathering and analysis, writing a paper.
SUSD-Research design Environmental Governance
Code: GEO4-2314 Credits: 7,5 EC Level: M
Programme SD
Status Obligatory for track EG
Period/Timeslot 4 C
Language English
Coordinator prof. dr. P.P.J. Driessen
Instructor(s) prof. dr. P.P.J. Driessen ([email protected]), dr. H.A.C. Runhaar ([email protected])
Open to other students
No
Remarks This course is only available to students of the track SUSD-EG
Entry requirements
Entry requirements
Students must be registered for the following degree programme: Sustainable Development, track EG
Recommended pre-requisites
None
Course content
Objectives
After completion of this course the student:
has knowledge of the principles of designing a research project
is able to give a critical review on the research design of other students
is able to design a research with respect to the societal aspects of sustainability issues and the solutions that can be reached through policy.
Content
This course provides insights, guiding principles and methodology for developing a conceptual research design. Attention will be paid to the formulation of a feasible and effective research objective, to the development of a clear research framework
and to the determination of relevant research issues.
After some introductory lectures about developing a research design, students have to discuss the issue of an attainable and effective research design with several PhD-students. In addition, students have to develop their own research design, from the perspective of 'Governance for Sustainable Development'.
Entry requirement for
This course is an entry requirement for: Publishing your Research (GEO4-2318)
Master’s Thesis SD (GEO4-2321)
Instructional modes
Instructional modes
Lecture (Required) Presentation (Required) Tutorial (Required)
Explanation Practical training, Lectures, Tutorials
Assessment
Explanation Individual and group assignment
Study materials
Literature
Required: Course manual
Book: P. Verschuren & H. Doorewaard (2010). Designing a Research Project, Publisher Lemma, Utrecht, 2nd edition
Academic skills Designing a research project
SUSD-Publishing your research
Code: GEO4-2318 Credits: 15 EC Level: M
Programme SD
Status Elective for all tracks
Period/Timeslot N/A
Language English
Coordinator dr. P.P. Schot ([email protected])
Instructor(s) dr. C. Dieperink ([email protected]), dr. W.H.J. Crijns-Graus ([email protected]), prof. dr. ir. M.G. Rietkerk ([email protected]), dr. A.C.M. van Westen
Open to other students
No
Entry requirements
Entry requirements
Number of credits achieved for examination: 90EC for Master Students must be registered for the following degree programme: Sustainable Development One of the following courses must be completed:
- SGPL-Master thesis, internship IDS (GEO4-3509) - SUSD-Internship ID (GEO4-2333) - SUSD-Energy and resource efficiency (GEO4-2324) - SUSD-Research in GCE (GEO4-2319) - SUSD-Research design EG (GEO4-2314) - SUSD-Sustainable energy systems (GEO4-2312) Approval to enter this course by your Master's thesis supervisor before you finish
the Master's thesis. Students in the SUSD-Joint programme will need to have passed 90 EC, including one of the mobility tracks.
Recommended pre-requisites
None
Course content
Objectives
After completion of this course the student is able to:
control the process of writing and publishing a scientific article;
select an international journal and adapt his/her writing to the requirements set by the journal;
apply general conventions about writing in scientific journals into his/her article;
review articles of others critically;
write a publishable article.
Content
This elective course is linked to SUSD Master’s thesis SD. In the same procedure regarding approval of the Master’s thesis, the choice for writing a paper based
upon the thesis must have been motivated and accepted. Extensive and important information on that procedure can be found in the Blackboard community Sustainable Development. During this course you will work towards a draft article, ready to be submitted to
an international peer reviewed journal. You will write the article about the empirical results of your Master’s thesis research. During the course you will be guided
through a series of steps, demonstrating the process of publishing scientific work. These steps include:
Selecting most suitable journals, applying scientific journal databases (ISI, Scopus);
Analysing the editorial requirements of these journals and their policies as regards to the content and structure;
Screening and identifying articles connected to your subject in these
journals;
Enhance the literature review about your subject,
Getting acquainted with the review process;
Analysing the editorial instructions of Malmfors e.a., Writing and Presenting
Scientific Papers (Malmfors et al, 2004) and applying these to 3 of the selected articles;
Write a plan on the content of the article addressing the limitations set by the journal;
Write the first draft article;
Review a draft paper of a colleague student;
Reflect on the reviewer comments to your article and plan improvements
Write the final draft paper.
Entry requirement for
This course is an entry requirement for: N/A
Instructional modes
Instructional modes
Individual (Required)
Explanation
Individual supervision.
Your thesis supervisor will be your coach you through the steps, using the Course Instruction Manual, which describes the various steps to be set. During the course you need to identify another student writing his/her article, to
act as your reviewer. Your supervisor and this student will be the virtual journal reviewers.
Assessment
Explanation
During the course you will produce 3 documents, all to be part of the assessment: - Your journal selection & writing plan (20%); - The review of another student's draft article (15%); - Your final draft article (65%)
Study materials
Literature
Required:
Course Instruction Manual Malmfors, B. , Gransworthy, P. & Grossman, M., Writing and Presenting Scientific Papers. Nottingham: Nottingham University Press, 2004 (2nd edition).
Academic skills
SUSD-Research in Global change and ecosystems
Code: GEO4-2319 Credits: 22,5 EC Level: M
Programme SD
Status Obligatory for track GCE
Period/Timeslot 3 A, C (half-time) 4 A, C (full-time)
Language English
Coordinator dr. M.B. Eppinga
Instructor(s) dr. M.B. Eppinga ([email protected]), dr. M.J. Ferreira dos Santos
Open to other students
No
Entry requirements
Entry requirements
Students must be registered for the following degree programme: Sustainable Development
Recommended pre-requisites
Themes in Global Change and Ecosystems (GEO4-2310)
Recommended
pre-requisites can be gained by
Students enrolling in the fall semester have followed Themes in Global Change and
Ecosystems. Students enrolling in spring semester are advised to contact the course coordinator prior to the course to discuss possible projects that would match with their background.
Resources for self study
The research project results in a scientific report written in English. There are some useful reference available for writing a scientific report. Recommended examples are: Hamp-Lyons, L. and Heasley, B. 2010. Study Writing. Cambridge University Press.
[ISBN 0521534968]
Malmfors, B., Gamsworthy, P. and Grossman, M. 2004. Writing and presenting scientific papers. Nottingham University Press. [ISBN 1-897676-12-3]
Course content
Objectives After successful completion of this course the student is able to:
Apply methods, techniques and skills to investigate effects of global change or land-use on ecosystem functioning
Formulate a problem definition, research questions, hypotheses and
research design
Make a detailed time schedule for a research project, including milestones
and deliverables, and be able to follow this schedule
Make use scientific literature to identify current gaps in knowledge and to
place research findings in their scientific context
Design a strategy for data collection and collect these data
Write a scientific report.
Content
The aim of the course Research in Global Change and Ecosystems is to let the student execute the complete research cycle. This process starts with summarizing the state of the art using current literature, identifying a gap in knowledge (i.e. a scientific problem definition), and formulating a research question and an
accompanying hypothesis. Then, the process continues with developing a plan for the research design, the data analyses and a strategy for processing the results so
that an answer to the research question is generated. This is all part of the research plan.
Once an appropriate research plan has been formulated, the data collection
procedure can begin. Data collection comes in many forms, including: building a model and running simulations, analyzing imagery data, performing a field survey, doing a laboratory analysis, or compiling a new dataset by collecting existing data from different sources. For research on global change and ecosystems, the possibilities of the latter type of activity are rapidly increasing, as a lot of data is being generated and becoming publicly available. An example includes remotely sensed (e.g. satellite) data. To get acquainted with the potential of using remotely
sensed data, this course includes a module on Remote Sensing and Geographic Information Systems. All these activities lead to a collection of data, which holds the key to answering the research question. Extracting the answer to the research question from the data, however, is not always straightforward. It is important that the data is analyzed in a formal, reproducible way, as objective as possible. These goals can be (largely) met by means of statistical analysis. To get acquainted with the statistical way of thinking and learn how to use the most standard means of
analysis using SPSS, this course also includes a module on statistical analysis.
Entry requirement for
This course is an entry requirement for: Publishing your Research (GEO4-2318) Master’s Thesis SD (GEO4-2321)
Instructional modes
Instructional modes
Lectures (Required) Computer labs (Required) Presentations (Required)
Explanation Introductory lectures on: 1) The course 2) Statistical analysis 3) GIS 4) Remote
Sensing. Computer labs on: 1) Statistical analysis 2) GIS 3) Remote Sensing Presentations on: 1) The research plan (period 3) 2) The final report (period 4).
Preparation for meetings
Students need to study to course guide, and indicate their preferences for Research projects prior to the start of the course.
Contribution to group work
Students are assigned to a peer group, which will meet regularly during the course. Active participation in peer group meetings is required.
Assessment
Explanation Final report (70%)
Research Process (20%) Presentation of the final report (10%)
Study materials
Literature Students will collect the literature relevant to their specific research project.
Academic skills Design and execution of research Analytical skills needed for data interpretation Presentation of research plans and findings
Provide feedback to fellow students
SUSD-Tailor-made course Sustainable Development
Code: GEO4-2320 Credits: 7,5 EC or 15 EC Level: M
Programme SUSD
Status Elective
Period/Timeslot N/A
Language English
Coordinator dr. P.P. Schot ([email protected])
Instructor(s) Various lecturers
Open to other
students
No
Entry requirements
Entry requirements
Students must be registered for the following degree programme: Sustainable Development.
Number of credits achieved for examination: 45 EC for Master.
Recommended pre-requisites
None
Course content
Objectives Build on competences of the student in relation to the degree requirements of the Master’s programme.
Content In the IEES Master’s programmes, there is room for electives, depending on the programme and the number of EC for the Master’s thesis. The Master’s electives may be extra courses or any other type of activity that aids to the competences of the student in relation to the degree requirements of the Master’s programme. Examples are research projects, workshops, summer schools, etc. These Master’s activities may be incorporated in a Tailor-made course. The student takes the initiative to formulate a proposal for a Tailor-made course
(GEO4-2320) and must find a staff member willing to provide guidance and grading during the course. The proposal must be approved by the Board of
Examiners and should contain at least the following elements: a) start with “Proposal for a Tailor-made course within the Master’s programme
SUSD”; b) Name and studentnumber; c) Date;
d) Supervisor (staff member); e) Title for your course; f) Requested EC (7,5 or 15); g) Intended learning outcomes; h) Relation of learning outcomes to Master’s programme degree requirements; i) Short description of activities;
j) End products; k) Mode of assessment; l) Time planning. After the proposal has been written, it must be signed by the staff member who is supervising and grading the course, and then be sent to the Board of Examiners.
Please note that these procedures take time, so start with organising your Tailor-
made course well ahead of the start date. The course will not start until the Board of Examiners has approved your proposal. The Board of Examiners may take a maximum of 6 weeks to assess your proposal. If you have any questions regarding the possible content of your Tailor-made course please contact your Master’s programme leader.
Entry requirement for
This course is an entry requirement for: N/A
Instructional modes
Instructional modes
Individual (Required)
Explanation Dependent on the content of the proposed Tailor-made course.
Assessment
Explanation Dependent on the identified ways of assessment in the proposed Tailor-made course.
Study materials
Literature Dependent on the content of the proposed Tailor-made course.
Academic skills Dependent on the content of the proposed Tailor-made course.
SUSD-Master’s thesis Sustainable Development
Code: GEO4-2321 Credits: 30 EC or 45 EC Level: M
Programme SD
Status Obligatory for all tracks
Period/Timeslot N/A
Language English
Coordinator dr. P.P. Schot ([email protected])
Instructor(s) dr. C. Dieperink ([email protected]), dr. R. Harmsen ([email protected]), prof. dr. ir. M.G. Rietkerk ([email protected]), dr. P.P. Schot ([email protected]), dr. A.C.M.
van Westen ([email protected])
Open to other students
No
Entry requirements
Entry requirements
Number of credits achieved for examination: 60EC for Master Students must be registered for the following degree programme: Sustainable Development One of the following courses must be completed:
- SGPL-Master thesis / internship IDS (GEO4-3509) - SUSD-Internship ID (GEO4-2333) - SUSD-Energy and resource efficiency (GEO4-2324) - SUSD-Research in GCE (GEO4-2319) - SUSD-Research design EG (GEO4-2314) - SUSD-Sustainable energy (GEO4-2312) Students in the SUSD-JP will need to have passed 60 EC, including one of the
mobility tracks.
Recommended pre-requisites
None
Course content
Objectives
After completion the student is be able to:
translate a relevant issue in the field of sustainable development into a
research question, based upon the state of art in the scientific literature
elaborate a research strategy, using existing theories and methodologies;
develop a research plan, choosing and justifying appropriate methodologies
for data collection;
conduct the empirical work needed and analyse the collected data;
interpret the finding in the light of the existing scientific literature;
write a scientific report about the findings.
Content
Extensive and important information on the procedure (attending presentations,
approval, supervision, handing in, presenting, assessment etc.) can be found in the Master’s thesis course manual. The Master’s thesis is the final research project in which the student will show that he/she is able to conduct independent research, in which new methods are developed and/or applied or existing methods are applied to a new problem. The research should be relevant from both a scientific point of view (it should expand
the body of scientific knowledge) and a societal point of view (it should produce
knowledge that can contribute to a better understanding or the solution of a problem). Learning-by-doing is part of the project. The student is encouraged to attend conferences and Copernicus-seminars etc. that are relevant or related to the research work. The student proves his specialist knowledge of an issue related to his track and/or one of the other environmental themes of the research programme of the
Copernicus Institute or International Development Studies and his mastering of the relevant research methods. The Master’s thesis is the optimal preparation for a further research career as PhD-student at a university or as a research-worker in a company, research institute or other organisation. The thesis can be based on the
wide variety of research methods that are taught in the various courses of the Master’s programme. Whereas the work is generally not expected to be
experimental in character, it should not be ruled out that experimental work may be part of the research project.
The research may be carried out at Dutch or foreign university departments, but also (partly) at research institutes, consultancy firms, or government agency, etc. (provided that the work has an acknowledged scientific status). Note The student needs to motivate their choice for either a 30 EC or 45 EC thesis and this motivation needs to be approved by the supervisor.
Entry
requirement for
This course is an entry requirement for: N/A
Instructional modes
Instructional modes
Individual (Required)
Explanation See course manual
Assessment
Explanation content (70%); process (20%); presentation (10%), attending at least ten other students' presentations
Study materials
Literature Required:
B. Malmfors et al., Writing and Presenting Scientific Papers. Nottingham: UP, 2004 (2nd edition).
Academic skills
SUSD-Environmental Ethics and Sustainable Development
Code: GEO4-2323 Credits: 7,5 EC Level: M
Programme SD/IS/WSM/ES/SBI
Status Elective
Period/Timeslot 1 A
Language English
Coordinator dr. F. van den Berg
Instructor(s) dr. F. van den Berg ([email protected])
Open to other
students
Yes
Entry requirements
Entry requirements
You must be registered for a Master’s programme.
Recommended pre-requisites
None
Course content
Objectives
After completion of the course, the student is able to:
describe the philosophical dimensions of sustainable development;
perform an in-depth analysis of the concepts ‘sustainability’ and ‘development’;
give an overview of contemporary environmental ethics;
perform an integral and critical assessment of moral stances on
environmental problems and sustainable development;
write an article for a general audience on environmental issues, using philosophical tools & knowledge.
Content
The present-day political and economic systems are not sustainable and we are heading for global environmental disasters (ecocide). The notions ‘sustainability’,
‘development’ and ‘sustainable development’ have gradually entered political and social debates, and scientific and philosophical investigations. It is rooted in concern about environmental degradation of our planet. Philosophical reflection about sustainable development and the human-nature relationship starts with clarifying key concepts of environmental science. Sustainable development should at least encompass three dimensions: (1) the environment (conservation and
preservation), (2) economy (growth vs. steady state), and (3) the social structure (equity, welfare). These dimensions form the pillars of sustainable development and will be studied from a philosophical viewpoint in Blewitt’s book Understanding Sustainable Development. This course aims at providing philosophical reflection on sustainable development-related issues as part of environmental philosophy. We start with reflection on
three kinds of relationships from the perspective of sustainability: humans-humans, humans-animals, and humans-nature. During the course key concepts and methods of environmental philosophy are dealt with. We will explore concepts such as biodiversity and vulnerability, demographic transition and inter- and intragenerational (environmental) justice.
The emphasis of the course is normative deliberation on the environmental crises
and sustainable development. What insights can science and environmental philosophy give to sustain life, future generations and a healthy ecosystem of planet Earth?
Entry requirement for
This course is an entry requirement for: N/A
Instructional modes
Instructional Lecture (Required)
modes
Explanation Lectures and seminars
Assessment
Explanation 5 columns (700-1000 words), 5 newspaper comments (200-300 words), 1 presentation (15 minutes), 1 paper (2500-3000 words)
Study materials
Literature
Required:
Blewitt, John, Understanding Sustainable Development Curry, Patrick, Ecological Ethics, Polity, 2011 Recommended: Berg, Floris van den, Philosophy for a Better World.
Academic skills Writing, presentation
SUSD-Energy and Material Efficiency
Code: GEO4-2324 Credits: 7,5 EC Level: M
Programme SD
Status Obligatory for track E&M; Elective for IS, SBI, ES.
Period/Timeslot 4 B
Language English
Coordinator prof. dr. E. Worrell
Instructor(s) prof. dr. E. Worrell ([email protected])
Open to other
students
Yes
Entry requirements
Entry
requirements
Students must be registered for one of the following degree programmes:
Energy Science, Innovation Sciences, Sustainable Business and Innovation, Sustainable Development
Recommended pre-requisistes
Energy Analysis (GEO3-2223), Tools for E&M Analysis or Introduction to the Energy & Resource System (GEO4-2326), or equivalent
Course content
Objectives
The nexus between energy, materials and resources like water stresses the need to understand the interrelations. From a systems perspective, this course will focus on
understanding the drivers and factors affecting the use of energy and resources, placing them in the nexus debate. At the end of the course you will understand the key uses of energy and resources in the economy, the interrelations, as well as the opportunities to improve energy and resource efficiency. You will have gained experience with various tools to analyse energy and resources demand.
Content
Consumption and use of energy and materials is the key driver for the accelerated growth of energy use, and hence the burden placed on the environment. The
course is a mix of basic knowledge and learning-by-doing to walk you through the
tools used to analyse and understand the factors shaping energy and materials use. You will learn the basic process and end-uses for energy and materials and learn to understand the drivers for energy use. The course also looks at selected materials to understand the role of material demand on resource and energy use, as well as
waste generation, followed by the opportunities to address the impacts through material efficiency, recycling and others. The course takes a systems-perspective to highlight the interrelations (“nexus”) between the drivers in society and demand of energy, resources (and to a lesser extent water). In a small group you will work on a research assignment, most likely as part of the project Sustainable Uithof.
To assess developments, various tools and methodologies that are commonly used will be introduced, including thermodynamic principles, process analysis, gross energy requirements, degree days, indicators, decomposition analysis, cost-benefit analysis, conservation supply curves, environmental Kuznets curve, material flow analysis, and life-cycle analysis.
Entry requirement for
This course is an entry requirement for: Publishing your Research (GEO4-2318) Master’s Thesis SD (GEO4-2321)
Instructional modes
Instructional modes
Lecture (Required) Presentation (Required) Tutorial (Required)
Explanation Lectures, exercises, project work
Assessment
Explanation Exam, paper, presentation
Study materials
Literature
Required: K. Blok, Energy Analysis, Techne Press (background material) course reader
Academic skills
SUSD-Fossil resources: past, present and future
Code: GEO4-2325 Credits: 7,5 EC Level: M
Programme SD
Status Obligatory for track E&M
Period/Timeslot 3 C
Language English
Coordinator dr. J.H.P. de Bresser
Instructor(s) dr. J.H.P. de Bresser ([email protected])
Open to other
students
Yes
Entry requirements
Entry requirements
Students must be registered for one of the following degree programmes: Earth, Life and Climate, Energy Science, Earth Structure and Dynamics, Earth
Surface and Water, Sustainable Business and Innovation, Sustainable Development.
Recommended pre-requisites
None
Course content
Objectives After completion of the course, the student:
has obtained an in-depth understanding of the various concepts and techniques applied to predict the distribution of hydrocarbons in the subsurface;
is capable of evaluating the present-day status of hydrocarbon exploration
and exploitation with an eye on future developments;
has developed practical skills to interpret hydrocarbon plays;
shows a professional and critical attitude towards environmental and/or social impacts of fossil resources and is able to formulate this opinion in an academic report.
Content
This course focuses on the basics of the geology and geophysics for oil- and gas-
exploration and production, the historical, economical and societal aspects of petroleum science and the new developments within the industry for future exploration of fossil resources (including geothermal energy, shale gas, oil enhanced recovery). Aspects covered include requirements for finding and producing oil or gas, societal consequences of petroleum production, future endeavours and consequences. Part 1 Past:
Geological parameters of petroleum systems (trap, charge, reservoir)
Studying the subsurface: Looking through time and space
Part 2 Present:
Current exploration and exploitation of hydrocarbons
Environmental impacts and solutions (incl. technological developments and
health, safety and environmental management)
Using empty reservoirs for storage of CO2 (CCS; chances and risks)
Part 3 Future:
Unconventionals: coal bed methane, tight gas and shale gas
Alternatives: geothermal energy
Entry requirement for
This course is an entry requirement for: N/A
Instructional modes
Instructional modes
Lecture Practical (Required)
Explanation Most weeks, there will be a mix of lectures and class assignments (practicals) on both Monday and Thursday. However, depending on the guest lecturer, the actual
learning activities might change, but not outside the planned hours. Practical reports made by teams of two students
Assessment
Explanation Written exam, assignments (practical reports) and oral presentation. Weighing will be outlined in the study guide.
Study materials
Literature
Required:
Study guide: Key papers to be announced in class
Academic skills Problem solving ability Ability to integrate knowledge Presentation skills Team / interpersonal skills
SUSD- Tools for Energy and Materials Analysis
Code: GEO4-2326 Credits: 7,5 EC Level: M
Programme SD
Status Obligatory for track E&M
Period/Timeslot 1 B
Language English
Coordinator dr. R. Harmsen
Instructor(s) dr. R. Harmsen ([email protected])
Open to other
students
Yes
Entry requirements
Entry requirements
None
Recommended pre-requisites
Energy Analysis (GEO3-2223) or similar course
Course content
Objectives
After completion of this course, students have deepened their knowledge and understanding of widely applied tools for energy and material analysis.
Content
The course will put the developments of the energy and materials system in the
context of sustainable development. Focusing on the interaction between the energy and material nexus, it will elaborate on various tools and methods to analyze the energy and material system (scenarios, potentials, marginal abatement cost curves, cost analysis & learning curves, energy life cycle analysis0, decomposition analysis). Next to a series of lectures and tutorials, assignments will be worked on in which
the methodological skills acquired in the course will be applied.
Entry requirement for
This course is the entry requirement for: N/A
Instructional modes
Instructional modes
Lecture (Required) Tutorial (Required)
Explanation
The course setup includes 2-4 hours of lecture per week, 2-4 hours of tutorials, and one or more assignments.
Preparation for meetings
For lecture topics, students are expected to have the required knowledge level. Students that need to catch up should do that in advance. Relevant reading
material will be provided. Tutorial exercises need to be prepared at home. Some of the tutorial exercises will be discussed during class. All students are expected to actively contribute to these discussions.
Contribution to group work
Assignments will be worked on in groups. Students are expected to make a balanced contribution to the assignments. Free-riding is not accepted.
Assessment
Explanation Exam, assignment(s)
Study materials
Literature Required: Journal articles (part of tutorials) Recommended reference/background reading (required knowledge level):
K. Blok, Introduction to Energy Analysis, TechnePress
Academic skills Communicative skills (writing, discussions and argumentation). Social and organisational skills (working together, functioning in a team
and planning your own work and time). Literature research (finding relevant literature, analysing and using it).
SUSD-Climate system and adaptation
Code: GEO4-2327 Credits: 7,5 EC Level: M
Programme SD
Status Obligatory for tracks E&M and GCE
Period/Timeslot 3 D
Language English
Coordinator prof. dr. H. Middelkoop
Instructor(s) prof. dr. H. Middelkoop ([email protected])
Open to other
students
Yes, but not recommended for Earth Sciences MSc students who have done similar
courses in the ESW programme
Entry requirements
Entry requirements
Students must be registered for one of the following degree programmes: Earth, Life and Climate, Energy Science, Earth Structure and Dynamics, Earth
Surface and Water, Innovation Sciences, Sustainable Business and Innovation, Sustainable Development. Students in Science Education and Communication: only upon request at the Board of Examiners.
Resources for self study
IPCC AR5 reports 2013-2014
Course content
Objectives Effective adaptation to climate change requires an in depth knowledge of the climate system itself as well as its detrimental effects on our living environment. This course thus focuses on climate adaptation strategies, after treatment of the various components of the climate system, important feedbacks and impacts. After completion of the course the student:
has knowledge and understanding of the climate system, climate forcings
and important feedback mechanisms, over a range of time scales from glacial cycles to the past century;
has knowledge and understanding of the mechanisms and drivers of the
future climate, the role of humans and climate scenarios for impacts studies;
understands why and how climate has impact on the functioning of rivers,
coasts, agriculture, and urban environments;
has understanding of the types and causes of uncertainty associated with climate adaptation;
knows main principles of prevention, mitigation and adaptation strategies;
understands currently available options for adaptation and can apply these to various different domains.
Content
Understanding the climate system (4 weeks)
Components of the climate system
Climate forcings over different time scales
Future climate and climate scenarios
Feedbacks: water and carbon
Feedbacks: carbon and nutrients. Climate impacts (2 weeks)
Rivers
Coastal zone, including the coastal lowlands
Urban environment
Dryland agriculture.
Adaptation Strategies (2 weeks)
Uncertainties
Resilience and resistance
Adaptation strategies
Policy options and perspectives
Entry requirement for
This course is an entry requirement for: N/A
Instructional modes
Instructional modes
Computer practical (Required) Lecture (Required) Presentation (Required)
Explanation Computer practical: Lectures, Practicals (scenarios, management strategies), Paper peer-review, Presentations, Short paper writing
Assessment
Explanation
Lectures and practicals are mandatory. Grading based on hand-in practical assignments, presentations and short paper, mid-term test on the climate system, and final exam.
Study materials
Literature
Required:
Lecture handouts plus papers, distributed through blackboard system.
Houghton (2009) Global Warming – the complete briefing – 4th ed. Cambridge.
Academic skills Literature analysis; presenting; writing; evaluation and application of climate adaptation options and strategies
SUSD- Governance for Sustainable Development: analysing practices
Code: GEO4-2328 Credits: 7,5 EC Level: M
Programme SD
Status Obligatory for track EG
Period/Timeslot 3 C
Language English
Coordinator dr. W.J.V. Vermeulen ([email protected])
Instructor(s) dr. M. Giezen ([email protected]), dr. W.J.V. Vermeulen ([email protected])
Open to other
students
No
Remarks This course is only open to students in track SUSD-EG.
Entry requirements
Entry requirements
Students must be registered for the following degree programme: Sustainable Development, track EG
Recommended pre-requisites
SUSD-Governance for SD: theories (GEO4-2332) and Policy Analysis (GEO4-2306)
Course content
Objectives
After completion of this course students are able to:
describe and analyse the main modes of governance applied and recent
shifts in modes of governance in the most relevant issue areas;
identify the policy theories and assumptions underlying these modes of
governance;
describe practices of implementing SD as societal processes of change;
identify the most important analytical approaches applied in studying these
practices;
recognise core variables in the explanation of impacts;
assess critically the empirical methods applied by key researchers in
justifying claims on the impacts of various modes of governance;
design a conceptual model showing the most relevant dependent and
independent variables for analysing specific applications of governance modes;
construct causal models for the analysis of effectiveness of modes of governance;
contribute to debates about the successfulness of modes of governance for SD.
Content
The central objective of this course is to familiarise students with developments in applying different modes of governance and the theories applied in analysing the
progress made in achieving progress towards sustainable development. During this master course students will analyse the main social science theories and research approaches applied in the academic analysis of governance in four most relevant fields:
Water
Biodiversity
Sustainable Production and Consumption
Urban Development After a series of introductory lectures on the four fields, students will elaborate these four issue fields. They will work in small groups analysing and comparing the
theories and a wide variety of examples of empirical analysis of different governance modes applied in practice. The construction of causal models, choice of variables and impact indicators and the justification of claims on effects of governance modes in these exemplary studies will be discussed. Students will learn to develop conceptual models for analysing the implementation and impacts of governance modes.
Entry requirement for
This course is the entry requirement for: N/A
Instructional modes
Instructional modes
Lecture (Required) Tutorial (Required)
Explanation Lectures, group papers, presentation and debate.
Preparation for
meetings
Readings for lectures; readings for 4x tutorials;
Contribution to group work
Prepare presentations and paper in duo (4x)
Assessment
Explanation 4x small group paper (40%), Individual paper (60%)
Study materials
Literature Required: reader and online resources
Academic skills Critical analysis of academic research; constructing explanatory models; academic presentation.
SUSD-Sustainability science: modelling and indicators
Code: GEO4-2331 Credits: 7,5 EC Level: M
Programme SD/WSM
Status Obligatory
Period/Timeslot 2 C, D
Language English
Coordinator dr. S.C. Dekker ([email protected])
Instructor(s) Various lecturers
Open to other
students
No
Entry requirements
Entry requirements
Students must be registered for one of the following degree programmes: Water Science and Management, Sustainable Development
Recommended pre-requisites
Sustainable Development: Integrating Perspectives (GEO4-2301)
Course content
Objectives
After completion of this course, the student is able to:
apply a number of software tools that allow for an integrative assessment
of sustainability issues;
apply basic knowledge of modelling techniques;
explain how the concepts taught in the previous course (GEO4-2301) relate to trend projections and scenarios;
describe and critically analyse the concepts and methodology of existent
SD models and indicators.
Content
To get a more in-depth understanding and appreciation of sustainable development threats and challenges, empirical observations and concepts and modelling techniques to interpret them are needed. In this course, the focus is on the use of software packages to construct simple models by the student and to apply the
insights to a better understanding of the large and diverse sets of models that are
used in studying and resolving sustainability issues. In particular, the role of SD-indicators will be explored in this context. The course will consist of several parts. We will start with system analysis and the use of simple models. Then we will use projections and scenarios and use large simulation models of global change. This is used to investigate the important subsystems (population, land use, resource use, climate) and their interactions.
These Global Change (or World) models provide the basis for a meaningful exploration of future policy strategies. After that students will work on different sustainability indicators, such as: Environmental Performance Index, Human Development Index, Ecological Footprint, Happy Planet Index and quality of life indicators. Through a number of exercises, students get hands-on experience with modelling tools such as Excel and Stella software. This will help them link the theoretical
concepts on system dynamics and global change from the GEO4-2301 course with the use of models and the projections and trends in international or governmental
reports. The course is a sequel to the course SUSD-Sustainable Development: Integrating Perspectives (GEO4-2301) and its content is assumed to be
known.
Entry requirement for
This course is the entry requirement for: N/A
Instructional modes
Instructional Computer practical (Required)
modes Lecture (Required) Tutorial (Required)
Explanation
Focus on work in small groups, practical sessions and tutorials. Lectures, Computer exercises, Assignments in small groups, Individual assignments, Simulation and experimental games
Assessment
Explanation Assignments and exam
Study materials
Literature To be determined
Academic skills
SUSD- Governance for Sustainable Development: theories
Code: GEO4-2332 Credits: 7,5 EC Level: M
Programme SD
Status Obligatory for track EG
Period/Timeslot 1 D
Language English
Coordinator dr. F.S.J. van Laerhoven ([email protected])
Instructor(s) dr. F.S.J. van Laerhoven ([email protected]) C.A. Barnes, MSc ([email protected])
Open to other students
No
Remarks This course is only open to students of the Sustainable Development, Environmental Governance (SUSD-EG) track
Entry requirements
Entry requirements
Students must be registered for the following degree programme: Sustainable Development
Recommended pre-requisites
None
Course content
Objectives
After completion of the course, the student is aware of and is able to apply a varied set of theoretical approaches to the study of governance for sustainable development He/she is able to:
analyze the issues of sustainable development from a social science perspective – i.e. recognize and differentiate between both the basic and
the more specific social science theories that are relevant to the study of governance for sustainable development;
engage in scientific debate on these issues;
compare scientific theories based on their assumptions, their applicability in
research, and their explanatory power regarding the likelihood of success of public intervention strategies;
formulate fundamental critique on the scientific work of others, specifically
with regard to the selection and use of theory;
communicate their research findings verbally and in writing.
Content
During the first half of the course, students will be introduced to basic theories in
social science, specific theoretical approaches to the study of governance for sustainable development, and a number of recurrent themes in the ongoing debates about governance for sustainable development. This part of the course will be assessed by means of an exam. During the second half of the course, students will work on a paper in which they will apply several theoretical approaches of their choosing to a theme. The purpose of this paper is to compare the selected approaches, and thus acquire a more in-depth knowledge of these.
Entry requirement for
This course is an entry requirement for: N/A
Instructional modes
Instructional modes
Lectures (Required)
Explanation
Lectures will be used to introduce students to the following theories: Institutional rational choice Multiple streams framework Social construction and policy design theory Network theory Punctuated equilibrium theory
Advocacy coalition framework Transition theory
Ecological modernization theory Social-ecological system theory Political ecology theory
Preparation for
meetings
Students are expected to prepare themselves for the lectures by reading the
assigned texts, as stipulated in the course manual.
Contribution to group work
A paper will be written in a group of two to three students. Team members are jointly responsible for the quality of their end product.
Assessment
Explanation Exam (60%) Presentation (5%) Group paper (35%)
Study materials
Literature Required: Sabatier, Paul A., ed. 2007. Theories of the policy process. Theoretical lenses on
Public Policy., ed. Paul A. Sabatier. Boulder, CO: Westview Press. The titles of additional readings will be provided in the syllabus. These titles can be accessed through the UU library system (e.g. Scopus)
Academic skills Theories; Academic debate; Academic writing
SUSD-Internship ID
Code: GEO4-2333 Credits: 30 EC Level: M
Programme SD
Status Obligatory for track ID
Period/Timeslot 3 A, B, C, D 4 A, B, C, D
Language English
Coordinator dr. W.H.M. Leung
Instructor(s) dr. W.H.M. Leung ([email protected])
Open to other students
No
Entry requirements
Entry
requirements
Students must be registered for the following degree programme: Sustainable
Development. One of the following courses must be completed: - SGPL-Advanced MT Development Studies (GEO4-3518) - SGPL-Advanced MT Development Studies (GEO4-3517)
- SGPL-Advanced MT Development Studies (GEO4-3508) At least two of the compulsory theoretical specialisation courses must be succesfully completed, as well as the Advanced M&T course. The internship must be approved in advance by the coordinator. This course is only open to students of track SUSD-ID.
Recommended pre-requisites
None
Course content
Objectives
The research internship is designed to give students an opportunity to conduct a
substantial, fieldwork-based individual research on a chosen topic related to international development and hence gain deeper understanding of development
practices. Upon completion of the research internship, students should have acquired theoretical, methodological and practical competency that will be useful for their career in further academic research, development policy and practice sector, as well as other work fields that require analytical, communication and
project implementation skills as well as cross-cultural competences.
Content
The majority of the students conduct a research internship (of minimum 13 weeks) in the Global South on a topic related to the core research themes presented in the Development Themes course. Students are given a broad choice of internships with broad research themes to students during the first period (around October). Students are expected to execute the research plan that they have drafted for Advanced Methods & Techniques course, and work under the supervision of their
supervisors at IDS, in close collaboration with the host organisations in the ‘field’. Essential parts of this internship constitute a critical understanding of the main opportunities and challenges of specific development practice, the application of skills in research methodology and data analysis and the gaining of direct experience into the design and implementation of strategic interventions to tackle problems, including the potentials, limitations and constraints thereof. Drawing on
their fieldwork findings, students write a policy-oriented research report upon their
return from the ‘field’. Note For those who so desire the University Library offers short (2-hour) guided search sessions. These will give you a head start in finding information. Staff will ensure that you do not miss out on any new important databases with journal articles and other information sources. For information and registration go
to: http://www.uu.nl/university/library/en/disciplines/geo/courses/searchsessions/Pages/default.aspx
Entry This course is an entry requirement for:
requirement for Publishing your Research (GEO4-2318) Master’s Thesis SD (GEO4-2321)
Instructional modes
Instructional modes
Individual (Required)
Explanation Research, fieldwork, internship.
Assessment
Explanation Interim report (10%), a journalistic article (10%) and a policy-oriented research report (80%)
Study materials
Literature
Academic skills
ENSM-Energy Systems Modelling
Code: GEO4-2515 Credits: 7,5 EC Level: M
Programme ES
Status Obligatory
Period/Timeslot 3 B
Language English
Coordinator dr. ir. M.A. van den Broek
Instructor(s) dr. M.A. van den Broek ([email protected])
Open to other
students
Yes
Entry requirements
Entry requirements
None
Recommended pre-requisites
Energy Analysis (GEO3-2223) and Advanced Energy Analysis (GEO4-2508)
Course content
Objectives
After completion of this course students are able to:
explain the context in which energy systems models are used and for what
purposes;
explain the technological and economic principles and modelling methods
underlying the state of the art energy system models;
build simple energy systems models (linear programming models and computable general equilibrium models in excel, power system simulation model in Plexos, and system dynamics models in VENSIM).
evaluate the results of an energy systems model based on its modelling
method and inputs;
evaluate scientific articles and reports based on energy system model
results considering the strengths and weaknesses of the models;
understand the uncertainties related to energy system modelling processes;
apply tools to assess uncertainties in energy systems modelling processes.
Content
This course covers:
The uses of energy system models by, among others, energy and climate
policy makers, energy companies, and grid operators.
Distinction between different types of models ranging from macro-economic to technology oriented models, simulation to optimisation models, static to dynamic models.
The way processes in the energy-economic system are modelled in different types of models. These concern short and long term dynamic processes related to energy supply, energy demand, energy conversion, population growth, economic growth, economic structural change, resource
depletion, substitution, innovation, intermittent renewable electricity generation, energy storage, and technological learning.
Uncertainty assessment in energy systems modelling processes.
Techniques of Computable general equilibrium models, System Dynamic
models, Linear programming models, power system simulation models, Monte Carlo analysis, sensitivity analysis, and scenario analysis.
Entry requirement for
This course is an entry requirement for: Master’s thesis (GEO4-2510) Natural Science Research Project (GEO4-2518)
Internship Energy Science (GEO4-2520)
Instructional modes
Instructional Lecture (Presence required: strongly advised)
modes Assignments (Presence required: yes)
Explanation
Assignments and lectures:
The focus of instruction mode will be on computer assignments in which students will work with and create simple energy system models and tools. The basic principles underlying the models and their uses, strengths and weaknesses will be
provided in accompanying lectures.
Preparation for meetings
It is expected that students read the relevant and required literature prior to the lectures and assignments.
Assessment
Explanation Energy systems modelling assignments (peer review and grading by staff and students) and a final exam.
Study materials
Literature
Required: Selection of articles and sections from reports and books, and lecture slides
Academic skills
SGPL-Development theories
Code: GEO4-3505 Credits: 7,5 EC Level: M
Period/Timeslot 1 C
Programme SD
Status Obligatory for track ID
Language English
Coordinator dr. A.C.M. van Westen
Instructor(s) dr. A.C.M. van Westen ([email protected]); guest lecturers
Open to other
students
yes
Entry requirements
Entry requirements
A letter of acceptance of the master's degree programme International Development Studies or of the International Development track of the Master in
Sustainable Development. Students with a completed bachelor programme and with relevant knowledge (social science, development issues, sustainability science) for this course can hand in a documented request to the course coordinator.
Recommended
pre-requisites
None
Course content
Objectives After the course, students should have an overview of, and be able to identify, the major theoretical approaches in development studies at present and of the last several decades. Students should be able to indicate the relevance and validity of respective development theories in different historical and geographical contexts. In this way, students should have acquired the instruments for analyzing and understanding development issues within their contexts and be able to bridge the
gap between theoretical reflections and their applications to real-world situations. Finally, the course should inspire students to critically examine the assumptions
underlying theories and representations of development issues, and find new roads or viable alternatives in conceptualizing sustainable and equitable development.
Content
This module critically examines the major approaches and theories that dominate thinking about development at present, and have done so in the past several decades. The course adopts a multidisciplinary approach, discussing contributions
by geographers as well as those by other development-oriented scholars. In reviewing different theoretical paradigms, the basic understanding is that each theory is embedded in a particular historical and societal context that inspires useful insights but also imposes certain limitations. No theoretical school has a definitive answer to the problems of development, while on the other hand several key ideas persist or recur in different guises as newly formulated theoretical
insights. The following schools of development thinking will be discussed:
dualism, orientalism and the persistence of dichotomies in development thinking;
modernization theories viewing development as a unilinear process;
the dependencia school and political-economy approaches;
neoliberalism and globalization as a development paradigm;
(new) institutional approaches to development and the role of the state;
postmodernism, post-development and actor-oriented approaches;
Sen’s capabilities approach and the purpose of development;
sustainable development and its critics;
social theories of development and the rule of culture;
ethical approaches in development;
complexity theory and development.
Entry requirement for
This course is an entry requirement for: N/A
Instructional modes
Instructional modes
Lectures (14) (Required) Seminars (13)(Required)
Explanation Each of the topics will be introduced in a short introductory lecture (45 mins.). In
the subsequent seminars, students will take a leading role in reviewing the contributions of these approaches and theories. This will be done on the basis of literature, among which classical texts as well as applications and critical assessments of theoretical insights.
Preparation for meetings
Each session has a prescribed set of readings.
Assessment
Explanation Examination (60%); active participation in seminars and short writing assignments
(40%)
Study materials
Literature To be announced in the course manual.
SGPL-Development themes
Code: GEO4-3510 Credits: 7,5 EC Level: M
Period/Timeslot 1 D
Programme SD
Status Obligatory for track ID
Language English
Coordinator prof. dr. A. Zoomers
Instructor(s) prof. dr. A. Zoomers ([email protected])
Open to other
students
No
Entry requirements
Entry requirements
Students must be registered for one of the following degree programmes: International Development Studies, Sustainable Development.
Exclusively for IDS master students & students in the Sustainable Development - ID track.
Recommended pre-requisites
None
Course content
Objectives This course will provide students with conceptual and empirical knowledge of
current development and poverty trends in Asia, Latin America and Africa, offering a geographical perspective on how different actors respond to a variety of institutions, macro-policies and forces of globalization. Upon successful completion of the course, students will better understand processes of development and poverty dynamics in a context of time-space compression and globalization. They are able to define and apply concepts such as macro-micro linkages, translocal development, development corridors and development chains.
Content
Globalization - enabling connections to be made between people and places on a world scale - is changing the world, and this is commonly assumed to have
important implications for development processes, including the opportunities for poverty alleviation. According to the pessimists, globalization - though it has been benign for the majority of the developing world, is not working for the large majority of the poor. On the contrary, it is liable to make them more marginal. The more optimist group of scholars stress the positive aspects of globalization -
facilitating people to use the newly created ‘ladders’ that will help them to escape from poverty. Others focus on the implications of globalization for ‘hybrid development’, showing that globalization will contribute to a new paradigm of development. In a globalizing world, local development is increasingly played out in a matrix of links that connect people and places with other places and people elsewhere. Globalization, after all, is connecting people and places that are distant
in space but linked in such ways that what happens in one place has direct bearing on the other. Any locality can be viewed as a specific node in which numerous networks of different nature meet, possibly creating synergies, or perhaps clashing with each other. To what extent does globalization provide people with additional manoeuvring space, providing them with better opportunities to build sustainable lives and/or escape from poverty? How can local actors benefit from ‘global
opportunities’ in such a way that this will provide a basis for sustainable
development? How is the economic crisis resulting in deglobalization and what is the impact for local development? The course will start with a comparative overview of major development trends in Asia, Latin America and Africa, covering the overarching theme of: Translocal development in the global south: new scarcities, new mobilities. The course will then focus on a number of IDS’s research themes (which are linked to the internship programme):
Private sector development, global value chains and local economic development
Privatization of land, land grabbing and local implications
Sustainable urban futures? Issues of urbanization and urban governance
Public service delivery (education, health and sanitation) and local
development
Deforestation and sustainable forest management
Climate change and natural resource management: Living on the edge
Responsible investments?
Transnationalism, migration and development In addition to lectures by IDS-staff, a number of key-note speakers will be invited (‘meet the professional’); and IDS-students (who just returned from the field) will
be invited to share their experience.
Entry requirement for
This course is an entry requirement for: Internship ID (GEO4-2333).
Instructional modes
Instructional modes
Lecture (Required) Workshop (Required)
Explanation Lectures and literature study; workshops and individual and group assignments.
Assessment
Explanation Written examination (40%) and 2 individual assignments (20 and 40%).
Study materials
Literature
Required:
Literature: Compulsory readings (to be used in the paper). Book: Desai V. and R.B. Potter (eds.) The companion to development studies. New edition 2014. Book: Book or report (to be announced) Items: Journal articles (70 pages a week max.), see sessions
SGPL-Development practices
Code: GEO4-3515 Credits: 5 EC Level: M
Period/Timeslot 2 C
Programme SD
Status Elective
Language English
Coordinator dr. S.R. Soeters ([email protected])
Instructor(s) Various lecturers
Open to other
students
Yes
Entry requirements
Entry requirements
A letter of acceptance of the master’s degree programme International Development Studies or a finished bachelor programme with sufficient relevant
knowledge for this course. Hand in a request with documents to the coordinator of the course, who will decide.
Recommended pre-requisites
None
Course content
Objectives Students are able to gather and analyze relevant information on actual
development policies and interventions in a concrete regional/local context. They can apply a variety of geographical and development-relevant skills and are able to write and present a well-structured report on development interventions. They can successfully defend and substantiate their policy recommendations.
Content
This module complements the IDS modules on ‘Development Theories’ and ‘Development Themes’ and provides insight into how theories are influencing policies of development agencies and how these are translated into concrete
interventions/actions by development practitioners. Class activities and individual work are directed at taking stock of and critically analyzing a variety of
development exercises in practice, both at the regional and the local level. The efforts focus on the role of relevant development agencies and actors in concrete geographical contexts. The course programme focuses on the role of international organizations, of international, regional and local NGOs and community-based organizations, as well as on the role of national and local governments in
development. These are considered both autonomous actors or agencies and groups targeted by official development assistance providers. Are these development cooperation agencies informed by specific development theories or paradigms? If so, are the intentional (and unintentional) effects of their interventions in accordance with that? Does experience accumulate into improved projects and/or programs for development? How does monitoring and evaluation
influence development practices? What are the respective strengths and weaknesses of specific development interventions? These are some of the questions that are central to the course. The programme includes various in-house presentations and discussions organized by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, co-financing agencies and other development related NGOs and companies based in The Netherlands. Guest speakers from development agencies and from other
relevant professional organizations are also invited.
Entry
requirement for
This course is an entry requirement for: N/A
Instructional modes
Instructional modes
Lecture (Required) Tutorial (Required)
Explanation Lectures, literature study, workshops, clinics, visits
Assessment
Explanation Individual and group assignments
Study materials
Literature Course manual, core literature and recommended literature. Literature: To be decided
SGPL-Advanced M&T Development Studies
Code: GEO4-3518 Credits: 7,5 EC for SUSD students; 10 EC for IDS students
Level: M
Period/Timeslot 2 B
Programme SUSD
Status Obligatory for track ID
Language English
Coordinator dr. H.J. van Noorloos ([email protected])
Instructor(s) Various lecturers
Open to other students
No
Remarks The course is 10 EC for IDS students. SUSD-ID track students will obtain 7,5 EC.
Entry requirements
Entry requirements
Students must be registered for one of the following degree programmes: International Development Studies, Sustainable Development
Recommended pre-requisites
Knowledge of research design in social science at intermediate level Knowledge of quantitative data analysis i.e. descriptive statistics; bivariate
analysis; correlations
Recommended pre-requisites can be gained by
Reading (see below) and practice e.g. online tutorials
Resources for self study
Bryman, A. (2012). Social research methods (4th edition). Oxford University Press. Field (A.) (2013). Discovering statistics using IBM SPSS statistics : and sex and drugs and rock ’n’ roll. (4th ed.) Los Angeles [etc.]: Sage
Bryman, A. (2012). Quantitative Data Analysis with IBM SPSS 17, 18 & 19 : A Guide for Social Scientists. Hoboken: Taylor and Francis.
Course content
Objectives Main objective: The student will appropriate knowledge and skills in analysing, interpreting, designing and carrying out research with a particular focus on geographical research in development contexts. More specifically, after completion of the course the student:
understands various research practices and quality standards relevant for
development studies and can compare and apply these practices and standards;
can compare and analyse the methods and techniques used in development-related research and the background, weaknesses and strengths of these methods;
can select appropriate research methods / techniques to study or to evaluate various kinds of development questions and programmes;
can conduct quantitative, qualitative and evaluation research (data collection, interpretation and analysis);
can prepare for and critically reflect on the ethics and practicalities of
fieldwork in ‘developing and transition countries’ can design quantitative, qualitative and evaluation research and write a
well-structured research proposal in the field of development studies. The
course is to result in a written proposal of the research project which is to be carried out during the student’s research-oriented internship at a professional organisation in a developing or transition country;
can analyze and position the main concepts and theories relevant for their chosen research topic
Content This module deals with research design and advanced research methods and techniques. It is conducted in close cooperation with the IDS staff and Methodology
and Statistics section of the SGPL. During a series of lectures, tutorials and practicals students are introduced to a wide range of aspects pertaining to the
design, conducting and analysis of research as well as actually working in other cultural settings. The students are trained in the hands-on implementation of a
variety of methods and techniques as commonly applied during the various phases of the project cycle, such as data collection (e.g. interviewing and surveys) and analysis (qualitative and quantitative). In addition, students are trained in research design, including the clear formulation of the research problem, the research objective and the leading research questions; in the presentation of the relevant contextual information and theoretical perspectives, including the construction of a conceptual model and a set of working hypotheses. Guided by their internship
supervisors, students study a selection of literature that is relevant in terms of their internship. The module concludes with the written and oral presentation of a proposal of the research project which is to be carried out during the student’s research – oriented internship at a professional organization in a developing or transition country.
Entry requirement for
This course is an entry requirement for: Internship ID (GEO4-2333)
Instructional modes
Instructional modes
Lecture (Required) Computer practical (Required) Tutorial / Seminar (Required) Individual supervision
Preparation for meetings
Various preparations and assignments: see course manual
Assessment
Explanation Various assignments, research proposal. Annotated bibliography only for 10 EC. Details in course manual.
Study materials
Literature Required: Regina Scheyvens (Ed.) (2014) Development Fieldwork - A Practical Guide (2nd edition). Sage. ISBN 9781446254776
Articles available on Blackboard
WSM-Quantitative Water Management
Code: GEO4-6001 Credits: 7,5 EC Level: M
Programme WSM
Status Obligatory
Period/Timeslot 3 A
Language English
Coordinator J. Buma, MSc
Instructor(s) J. Buma, MSc ([email protected])
Open to other
students
Yes
Entry requirements
Entry requirements
None
Recommended pre-requisites
- A bachelor level natural sciences background. - One or more of the following courses: GEO2-4203 Physical Hydrology; GEO3-4307: Fluid mechanics 1; GEO4-1434 Principles of groundwater flow; GEO4-4404: Land surface hydrology.
Students without a natural science bachelor's degree should contact the course coordinator before registering for the course.
Course content
Objectives
At the end of the course the student will be able to:
present an overview of quantitative regional and local water management
issues, with focus on drainage (Dutch topic) and design and management of reservoirs (international topic);
perform calculations that promote understanding c.q. proper application of current theory and practice in the above mentioned fields;
appreciate different visions and occasional conflicts between the theory and
practice of regional and local water management;
reflect on current and future developments in quantitative water
management in the context of global change.
Content
Groundwater drainage: Donnan, Hooghoudt and beyond.
Groundwater drainage practice in The Netherlands: agricultural vs. urban
areas.
Urban stormwater drainage and the urban water assignment: pluvial
flooding and sewer management, flooding from regional surface waters, and governance issues.
Side effects of drainage: downstream flooding, land subsidence, salinization and operational water resources management, ecohydrological
drought, and foundation damage.
Reservoir management and irrigation: basics of irrigation scheduling, hydrological change and sustainable reservoir planning and management.
Entry requirement for
This course is an entry requirement for: N/A
Instructional modes
Instructional modes
Lecture (Required) Seminar (Required)
Assessment
Explanation To be decided
Study materials
Literature To be decided
WSM-Water Policy, Governance and Law
Code: GEO4-6002 Credits: 7,5 EC Level: M
Programme WSM
Status Obligatory
Period/Timeslot 4 A
Language English
Coordinator dr. A.M. Keessen ([email protected])
Instructor(s) dr. C. Dieperink ([email protected])
Open to other
students
Yes
Entry requirements
Entry requirements
None
Recommended pre-requisites
None
Course content
Objectives Gaining insight in the policy, governance and legal aspects of water management in order to understand their relevance for water management
Content Governance and Legal aspects will be discussed, taken the international, European
and Dutch levels into account (multi-level governance). Normative, institutional and instrumental (including economic instruments) aspects of water management are part of the course, just as the relation with land use planning, environmental and nature conservation law. The relationship between several stakeholders (governments and private parties) will be discussed, and also the way they can be involved (public participation, private responsibilities and private and public enforcement).
Typical water management topics like flood protection, waste water treatment, drinking water supply, fresh water supply, river basin management, urban water
and urban developments are a major part of the course. During the course there will be attention for specific skills that are needed to deal with legal research and practice.
Entry requirement for
This course is an entry requirement for: Master’s thesis Internship (GEO4-6004)
Instructional modes
Instructional modes
Lectures (Required) Small-group session (Required)
Explanation Lectures, working groups, probably an excursion
Preparation for meetings
Reading book and materials.
Assessment
Explanation Individual (essay) and group assignment
Study materials
Literature Required: H.F.M.W. van Rijswick and H.J.M. Havekes, European and Dutch Water Law,
Europa Law Publishing, Groningen 2012. Reader with additional materials.
Academic skills Academic writing, cooperation, discussion, reading literature, working interdisciplinary
WSM-Drinking Water and Sanitation
Code: GEO4-6003 Credits: 7,5 EC Level: M
Programme WSM
Status Obligatory
Period/Timeslot 4 B
Language English
Coordinator dr. ing. C. Vink
Instructor(s) dr. ing. C. Vink ([email protected])
Open to other
students
Yes
Entry requirements
Entry requirements
None
Recommended pre-requisites
A bachelor level natural sciences background. Students without a natural science Bachelor's degree should contact the course coordinator before registering for the course.
Course content
Objectives
At the end of the course the student will be able to:
describe the basic components of the urban water cycle and their linkages;
describe the main techniques used for drinking water supply and sanitation
in both developing and developed countries;
describe energy and resource use and costs of different drinking water and sanitation techniques;
describe principal chemical and biological hazards pertinent to drinking
water supply and sanitation;
understand the relations between drinking water provision, sanitation and
water related health problems;
understand and apply the principle concepts for design of ground water
wells, sewerage systems, water treatment plants and distribution networks;
demonstrate an understanding of multiple objective optimization trade-offs with respect to drinking water supply and sanitation;
analyse the relations between the urban water cycle and the natural water
system;
evaluate and discuss water resources available and methods of protection;
evaluate the sustainability of drinking water supply and sanitation
techniques and practices.
Content
Hydrological cycles and balances;
WASH: Water, Sanitation and Hygiene, water related health problems;
Water borne and water based diseases and health threats in developing
countries;
Biological and chemical threats (causes of diseases)
History of sanitation;
Sewerage systems;
Drinking water demand, production, treatment, distribution, optimal
supply;
Climate change effects on drinking water supply;
Water quality aspects of drinking water supply;
Drinking water source protection and treatment;
Modeling raw water quality;
Wells, well design;
Distribution, piped supply;
Sewage, design, estimating sewage system flow components;
Waste water treatment;
Drinking water supply and sanitation in sustainable cities;
Drinking water supply and sanitation in lower income countries.
Entry requirement for
This course is an entry requirement for: Master’s thesis Internship (GEO4-6004)
Instructional modes
Instructional modes
Field trip (Required) Lecture (Required) Seminar (Required)
Assessment
Explanation One individual assignment, one group assignment, both with a presentation, one written exam.
Study materials
Literature
Required: Book: De Moel P.J., J. Q. J.C. Verberk and J.C. van Dijk (2012); Drinking Water; Principles and Practices. Kiwa/TUDelft. Reader: Design of distribution networks for drinking water, OCW TUD ct5550 (pdf)
Reader: Urban Drainage, (2011), OCW text book TUD - sanitary engineering -
ct3420 (pdf) Reader: Waste Water treatment (2011), OCW text book TUD - sanitary engineering - ct3420 (pdf) Reader: Introduction drinking water, OCW TUD ct5550 (pdf)
Academic skills Academic reasoning, conceptual thinking, analysing a problem, asking critical questions, thinking from different perspectives. Effective teamwork, oral presentation skills, writing skills.
Energy and Environmental Economics
Code: ECMENE Credits: 7,5 EC Level: M
Programme SD/ES
Status Elective
Period/Timeslot 3 B
Language English
Coordinator dr. M.W.J.L. Sanders ([email protected])
Instructor(s) dr. M.W.J.L. Sanders
Open to other
students
Yes; if you want to take this course, please send an email before 30
November 2015, to [email protected] stating your name, studentnumber and programme. No registration via Osiris. Please note: placement is not guaranteed by sending the email.
Entry requirements
Entry requirements
You have to be registered for one of the following degree programmes: Economics of Public Policy and Management Energy Science International Economics and Business
Sustainable Development
Recommended pre-requistes
All students are assumed to have or acquire a BSc. level understanding of basic economics (micro, macro, finance and econometrics). Students should contact the coordinator is case of doubt.
Course content
Objectives At the end of the course the student is able to: Combine theory and empirical skills to the issues related to energy
production and use; Critically evaluate work of others on these dimensions;
Formulate and complete a scientifically researched policy proposal on energy transition.
Content Research on global climate change, geopolitical considerations and environmental degradation have established the necessity and desirability of a transition towards a more environmentally and strategically sustainable energy system. At the other end, scientists and engineers have developed many options and technologies that would make this transition feasible. Still the transition is taking place at a
painstakingly slow pace if at all. As energy is such a fundamental input in modern economies, the challenge of bringing this transition about is huge. In this course we study what economics has to offer in understanding this challenge. In the first part of the course we turn to environmental policy making with a focus on the European context from week 1. We discuss the basics of resource and environmental economics, review investment behavior under uncertainty and
input-output and productivity analysis and the economics of innovation and technical change. In designing effective policies for energy transition we will touch upon a wide variety of sub-disciplines, fields and topics in economic research. Given its multidisciplinary and applied nature this course is open to most students in the academic MSc. programs at USE (except for the IBE tracks International Management and International Financial Economics). For all students it offers new
topics but may also have some repetition. For students in the program Competition
and Regulation/Economics and Law the regulation and functioning of network sectors such as electricity will be familiar, students in Economics of Public Policy and Management will know about environmental regulation, taxes and subsidies and students in Globalization and Development will be used to the focus on the international dimension of policies and challenges. The course is also open to master students in other disciplines. You should therefore be prepared to study quite advanced material from less familiar fields in some and explaining concepts
that are by now basic to you to your fellow students from other fields and disciplines in other weeks. By integrating these disciplines we aim to get all students to a level of understanding that is required for addressing the issue at
hand, not the lowest common denominator.
Entry
requirement for
This course is an entry requirement for: N/A
Instructional modes
Instructional modes
Lectures Guest Lectures
Tutorials Assignments
Assessment
Explanation
Written Exam (40% individual); Written Assignment (60% individually graded group assignment).
Study materials
Literature
Natural Resources and Environmental Economics Roger Perman, Yue Ma, Micheal Common, David Maddison, James Mcgilvray (2011) Addison-Wesley (E)
ISBN13: 9780321417534 (Softcover)
Electronic reader
Course manual
SBI-Sustainable Entrepreneurship
Code: ECMSE Credits: 7,5 EC Level: M
Programme SBI
Status Obligatory for SBI; elective for IS, SD, ES, WSM and SBM
Required for the university wide Annotation Sustainable Entrepreneurship & Innovation.
Period/Timeslot 2 B
Language English
Coordinator dr. N.S. Bosma ([email protected])
Instructor(s) dr. N.S. Bosma
Open to other students
Yes
Remarks Registration for this course in Osiris runs from 1-28 June 2015.
Entry requirements
Entry requirements
Students must be registered for one of the following degree programmes: Energy Science, Water Science and Management, Innovation Sciences,
Sustainable Business and Innovation, Sustainable Development, Science and Business Management.
Recommended pre-requisites
None
Course content
Objectives
This course is designed to provide academic knowledge on the development, market introduction and management of new sustainable business. The major course objectives include:
to provide understanding of (sustainable) entrepreneurship (what entrepreneurship is, cognitive foundations of entrepreneurship, and entrepreneurial opportunities, distinctive characteristics of entrepreneurs),
to recognise the economic sources of social and environmental problems and to identify opportunities to alleviate or eliminate these problems and the underlying conditions.
to provide understanding and skills about the processes of starting a new sustainable business (business planning, resource acquisition, capability development for launching a new sustainable business), and
to provide understanding and skills about running and managing a new sustainable business (marketing strategies, operational strategies, growth strategies, and exit strategies).
This necessitates that students understand the concepts of sustainability and sustainable entrepreneurship, and that students learn about the economic, environmental and social problems facing local and global communities and recognize the opportunities that arise from this. Finally, students should be able to evaluate the risks and rewards of undertaking sustainable entrepreneurship, which involves finding ways to measure the economic as well as social and environmental
risks and rewards of a new venture.
Content
Entrepreneurship focuses on identifying new opportunities for creating value for customers or users and commercially developing those opportunities to establish a profitable business. Sustainable entrepreneurship combines the traditional focus of entrepreneurship with an emphasis on opportunities to alleviate social or environmental conditions. Sustainable entrepreneurship is about entrepreneurs striving simultaneously for profit and for improving local and global environmental
and social conditions. This course is addressed to students interested in exploring the challenges of sustainable entrepreneurship, both in SMEs and in larger organizations. The course
will provide academic insights into the entrepreneurial process and in particular: The challenges of launching and sustaining a new business;
The challenges of keeping the entrepreneurial spirit in large organizations. The challenges of aligning profits with social and environmental value.
The course is based on lectures, case discussions and seminars with guest speakers.
The overall objective of this course is to make the students aware of the opportunities offered by an entrepreneurial career, the skills needed for - and academic knowledge about - entrepreneurial processes, in the context of sustainability. The course emphasizes the business & management perspectives to
entrepreneurship.
Entry requirement for
This course is an entry requirement for: Consultancy Project SBI (GEO4-2605) Master’s Thesis Internship SBI (GEO4-2606)
Instructional modes
Instructional modes
This course is an interactive and participatory course that teaches students the key concepts from theory to practice. It adopts a mix of (i) plenary (guest) lectures;
and (ii) case study sessions and workshops in smaller groups.
Preparation for meetings
Students are expected to attend and participate in all plenary lectures and take part in all case discussions. The students will be allocated into groups for the assignments.
Assessment
Explanation The elements that constitute the final grade are the following: Business Case Assignment (group work): Students are required to prepare a case to discuss in the class about how and why key course concepts are applicable and important to that particular case. The evaluation will be based on a written report and contribution to the discussion.
Business Model Assignment (group work): Groups will prepare a business model throughout the course period, in several steps. The evaluation will be based on the quality of the final work, the presentation and the process towards the final document(s).
Written Exam: There will be a midterm exam that consists of open-ended
questions. The questions are based on the key course concepts that are taught and discussed during the course. Assessment method
Evaluation of business case assignment (10%) Written midterm exam with open-ended questions (40)% Evaluation of business model assignment (50%)
Study materials
Literature
Sustainable Venturing: Entrepreneurial Opportunity in the Transition to a Sustainable Economy, 1st edition Dean ISBN-10: 0-13-335406-7, ISBN-13: 978-0-13-335406-5
Syllabus with academic articles Course manual
Appendices
Appendix I Rules for choosing elective courses 1. Students in the Master’s programme choose elective courses from another or
their own Master’s programme. Courses that are obligatory in the
examprogramme cannot be used as elective courses.
2. The student must subject in advance his elective courses to the approval of the
Board of Examiners. The coordinator of the student’s track will advise the
Board in this matter.
3. The Board tests the proposed elective course on the following criteria:
a. They must be thematically linked to the Master’s programme;
b. The track coordinator supports the proposition;
c. It concerns a course at a master level (M);
d. Courses that were taken as a necessary component of the student’s
admission programme will never be approved as an elective in the Master’s
programme.
4. Within these bounds students are free to propose any course (even in
Dutch) from any other programme in the Faculty of Geosciences, the UU or
another recognised University in the Netherlands (see www.vsnu.nl >
universiteiten) or abroad. Useful sources to find electives are the Osiris
webpage (www.uu.nl/osirisstudent), the USI website (www.usi-urban.nl).
5. If the student wishes to choose an elective course, he must do so by a written
request (form) to the Board of Examiners and he must attach written
information on the contents, the level, and the study load of the course,
preferably by means of a copy of the course’s description from the course
catalogue. The ‘Application Form Elective courses IMEW’ can be found in the
Blackboard communities Sustainable Development and Sustainable
Development – Joint programme or it can be downloaded at
http://students.uu.nl/sites/default/files/geo-iees-
application_form_optional_courses.pdf.
6. The student can either ask the track coordinator to sign the application form or
forwards an email containing the track coordinator’s approval to the Board
of Examiners. The form (and email if applicable) and the course description can
be sent to the Board’s secretary, mrs.drs. Erika Dijksma (room 10.23, pigeon-
hole at the 10th floor of the Unnik building).
7. Recommended elective courses as mentioned on the Blackboard community
SUSD do not need to be approved by the track coordinator but must still be
approved before starting by the Board of Examiners.
8. Actual participation is only possible if the student satisfies the course’s
entrance conditions; in case of doubt he should contact the course coordinator
first.
9. In the programme’s course schedule, room has been reserved for taking
electives. However, the student is free to deviate from this planning, e.g.
because he wishes to take an interesting elective course in another period. If
this causes delay in his study planning, the responsibility is for account of the
student! Students are therefore advised to take their electives in the reserved
periods and timeslots, or use a part of the time planned for their internship
and/or Master’s thesis.
Appendix II Teaching and Examination Regulations Graduate
School Geosciences 2015-2016
The Teaching and Examination Regulations set out the degree programme-specific rights and obligations of students on the one hand and of Utrecht University on the other. The University’s student statute sets forth the rights and obligations that apply to all students. These regulations were adopted by the dean of Graduate School of the Faculty of Geosciences on 21 April 2015 with the approval of the Faculty Council on 21 April 2015. SECTION 1 – GENERAL PROVISIONS
Art. 1.1 – applicability of the regulations These regulations apply to the teaching and examinations of the Master’s degree programmes in Development Studies, Earth Sciences, Environmental Sciences, Geographical Sciences, Human Geography, Human Geography and Planning (research), Planning, Science and Innovation (hereinafter called the degree programmes) and to all students enrolled on these degree programmes for the academic year 2015-2016. The degree programmes are run by the Graduate School of Geosciences within the Faculty of Geosciences. Art. 1.2 – definition of terms In these regulations, the following terms have the following meanings: a. the Act: the Higher Education and Research Act. b. student: anyone (m/f) who is enrolled at the University to take courses and/or sit partial exams and
final exams of the programme. c. credit point: a value expressed in EC, where each credit point is approximately equivalent to 28 hours
of learning. d. degree programmes: the Master’s degree programmes mentioned in Art. 1.1 of these regulations. A
degree programme may comprise several Master’s programmes. e. component: a unit of study (course) within the degree programme, as included in the Course Catalogue
and the University’s Course Catalogue. f. course: a unit of teaching and assessment. g. test: partial examination as meant by Art. 7.10 of the Act. h. exam: the final exam of the degree programme, which is completed successfully if all the degree
requirements have been met. i. special needs contract: the contract entered into by the Director of Teaching (or other representative of
the degree programme) and the disabled student specifying the necessary and reasonable facilities which the student is entitled to.
j. International Diploma Supplement: the document attached to the degree certificate that explains the nature and content of the qualification (in an internationally understandable form).
k. Board of Studies: the Board of the Graduate school of Geosciences. l. Student Affairs Geosciences: student information desk and student progress administration unit of the
Faculty. m. course guide: document specifying for each course: the learning outcomes; the requirements (such as
the attendance and effort requirements) that a student must meet to complete the learning outcomes; the way in which the final mark is calculated; the timetable and the instructional formats; name and availability of the course coordinator.
n. summer vacation period: the period between the end of semester 2 and the start of semester 1 of the following year; it follows the University academic calendar.
The other terms have the meanings ascribed to them in the Act.
SECTION 2 – ADMISSION Art. 2.1 – degree programme admission requirements 1. The holder of a Dutch or foreign higher education degree who demonstrates knowledge, understanding
and skills on bachelor’s level in sub-areas of Geosciences as specified in appendix 1, can be admitted to one of the Master’s degree programmes.
2. Selection of students is based on a review of the core competences:
a) Motivation and talent (partly based on GPA and study progress);
b) Level of relevant knowledge and methods and techniques of the discipline concerned;
c) General level of academic and professional skills;
d) Level of proficiency in the language(s) of instruction used in the programme.
This information is used to assess whether a student is able to complete the Master’s Programme
successfully within the nominal duration. Art. 2.2 – English language 1. Prior to undertaking the degree programme (taught in English), students must demonstrate proficiency
in English by passing one of the following tests: o IELTS (International English Language Testing System), academic module. The minimum IELTS
score required is an Overall Band Score of 6.5 and no less than 6.0 in the writing section. o TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language). The minimum required TOEFL score is 93 (internet-
based). o Cambridge EFL (English as a Foreign Language) Examinations, presenting one of the following
certificates: - Cambridge Certificate in Advanced English; minimum score B. - Cambridge Certificate of Proficiency in English; minimum score C.
2. The holder of a Bachelor’s degree gained at a university in the Netherlands meets the English language requirement for admission.
Art. 2.3 – proficiency in Dutch for holders of foreign qualifications (in relation to the Dutch-taught Master’s Degree Programmes) Holders of foreign qualifications may only register: 1. if they demonstrate required proficiency in Dutch by passing the state examination in Dutch as a
Second Language, Programme 2, or by obtaining the certificate in Dutch as a Second Language, ‘Academic Language Skills Profile’ (PAT) or ‘Higher Education Language Skills Profile’ (PTHO), and
2. if they demonstrate required proficiency in English by passing one of the following tests: o IELTS (International English Language Testing System), academic module. The minimum IELTS
score required is an Overall Band Score of 6.5 and no less than 6.0 in the writing section. o TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language). The minimum required TOEFL score is 93 (internet-
based). o Cambridge EFL (English as a Foreign Language) Examinations, presenting one of the following
certificates: - Cambridge Certificate in Advanced English; minimum score B. - Cambridge Certificate of Proficiency in English; minimum score C.
Art. 2.4 – deficiencies
1. The Board of Admissions of the Graduate School may require those applicants who do not meet the admission requirements referred to in Art. 2.1 to complete a package of courses to a maximum of 60 ECTS, to be taught by Utrecht University and tailored to the Master’s programme concerned, in order to remove background deficiencies.
2. The Board of Admissions may establish in their decision that deficiencies must be eliminated within a certain period of time and prior to admission to the Master.
Art. 2.5 – admissions procedures
1. Responsibility for admission to the degree programmes of the Graduate School and the different
Master’s programmes lies with the Board of Admissions of the Graduate School. 2. With an eye to admission to the degree programme, the Board of Admissions will review the
knowledge, understanding and skills of the applicant. In addition to documentary evidence of programmes completed, the Board may have specific knowledge, understanding and skills assessed by experts inside or outside the University.
3. With an eye to admission to a Master’s programme within the degree programme, the Board of Admissions will conduct an admissions review to determine if the applicant meets, or will meet in a timely manner, the requirements for admission referred to in Art. 2.4. In its review, the Board will include the applicant’s motivation and ambition for the programme concerned as well as the applicant’s knowledge of the programme’s language of instruction. On the basis of this, the Board of admissions will assess whether the candidate is able to achieve the Master’s degree qualification within the nominal duration of the programme.
4. Requests for admission to the degree programme and to a specific Master’s programme are submitted to the Board of Admissions before 1 April and 1 September. In special cases, the Board of Admissions may consider requests submitted after the deadline dates.
5. The Board of admissions will make a decision within a period of 15 working days from the date of receipt of the complete file. Admission will be granted on the condition that the applicant meets the knowledge and skills requirements referred to in Art. 2.1 by the start date of the degree programme, as evidenced by certificates of programme completion.
6. The applicant will receive written notification of acceptance or non-acceptance into the degree programme and a specific Master’s programme. The decision letter will call attention to the possibility of appeal to the Examinations Appeal Board.
SECTION 3 – CONTENT AND STRUCTURE OF THE DEGREE PROGRAMMES Art. 3.1 – aims of the degree programmes
1. The degree programmes aim to: o equip students with specialised knowledge, skills and understanding in the field of Geosciences,
and to help them achieve the learning outcomes referred to in paragraph 2; o prepare students for a career in one or more sub-fields of Geosciences; o prepare students for undertaking a programme to train as a researcher in the field of
Geosciences. 2. The graduate:
o has a deep knowledge and understanding of the subject matter of Geosciences; o has a thorough knowledge of a specialism in their degree programme, or a thorough knowledge
at the interface of the degree programme and another subject area; o has the skill to independently identify, formulate, and analyse problems in the field of
Geosciences, and to propose possible solutions; o has the skills to conduct research in the field of Geosciences and to report on this research in a
manner that meets the standards usual for the discipline; o possesses professional and academic skills, in particular in relation to research in the field of
Geosciences; o is able to apply knowledge and understanding in such a way that he demonstrates a professional
approach to their work; o is able to communicate conclusions, as well as the knowledge, reasons and considerations
underlying these conclusions, to an audience of specialists or non-specialists. The course catalogues for the Master’s programmes set out the subject-specific learning outcomes for the different Master’s programmes.
Art. 3.2 – study mode The degree programmes Development Studies, Earth Sciences, Environmental Sciences, Human Geography and Planning (research), Science and Innovation are offered full-time. The degree programmes in Planning, Geographical Sciences and Human Geography are offered full-time as well as part-time. Art. 3.3 – language of instruction The degree programmes Development Studies, Earth Sciences, Environmental Sciences, Geographical , Human Geography and Planning (research) and Science and Innovation are taught in English. The degree programmes in Planning and Human Geography are taught in Dutch. The Master’s programme Urban Geography within the degree programme Human Geography is taught in English.
Art. 3.4 – credit value The degree programmes Earth Sciences, Environmental Sciences, Geographical Sciences, Human Geography and Planning (research) and Science and Innovation have a total credit value of 120. The degree programmes in Development Studies, Planning, and Human Geography have a total credit value of 60.
Art. 3.5 – Master’s programmes; start dates 1. The Graduate School of Geosciences offers the following Master’s degree programmes and Master’s
programmes:
The Master’s programmes prepare students for undertaking research in one or more sub-fields of Geosciences.
2. The Master’s programmes Earth Sciences, Environmental Sciences and Science and Innovation start
twice a year: 1 September and 1 February. The Master’s programmes Development Studies, Geographical Sciences, Human Geography and Planning (Research Master), Planning, and Human Geography have one start date a year: 1 September.
Art. 3.6 – components of the Master’s programmes 1. The core components of the different Master’s programmes and their credit loads are described in
Annex 1. 2. Upon approval of the Board of Examiners, the student will choose one or more components. The credit
values for the elective components of the specific Master’s programmes are set out in Annex 1. 3. The Course Catalogue for the Master’s programmes provides more detailed information about the
content and structure of the components of each programme, including any prior knowledge that would help students successfully complete the component concerned.
Art. 3.7 – components taken elsewhere 1. In order to pass the Master’s degree exam the student must complete at least half of the Master’s
programme through components offered by Utrecht University. 2. Components taken elsewhere as part of the programme of study may only be counted towards the
student’s degree requirements with prior approval of the Board of Examiners. 3. Components completed at a higher education institution prior to the start of the Master’s degree
programme may only qualify for exemption pursuant to Art. 5.13. Art. 3.8 – actual teaching structure
In the University’s Course Catalogue and/or course guides and/or in the digital learning environment (Blackboard) the teaching structure of each course is shown, as well as timetables with scheduled classes and assessments. SECTION 4 – COURSES Art. 4.1 – course All courses that may be part of the degree programmes have been included in the course catalogues for the programmes and can be found at the Geosciences-studentwebsite: http://students.uu.nl/en/geo Art. 4.2 – course admission requirements The Board of Studies will decide the order in which the required components of a Master’s programme must be completed. This will be announced in the Course Catalogue.
Master’s degree programme Master’s Programme
Earth Sciences Earth, Life and Climate Earth Structure and Dynamics Earth Surface and Water Marine Sciences Water Science and Management
Environmental Sciences Sustainable Development Water Science and Management
Geographical Sciences Geographical Information and Management Applications
Human Geography and Planning Human Geography and Planning
Science and Innovation Innovation Sciences Energy Science Sustainable Business and Innovation
Development Studies International Development Studies
Planning Planologie
Human Geography Economische Geografie Geo-communicatie Urban Geography
Art. 4.3 – course enrolment A student may only take part in a course if he has enrolled for the course in a timely manner. The Board of Studies will decide how and when enrolment takes place. Enrolment rules and enrolment deadlines will be published through the Geosciences-studentwebsite: http://students.uu.nl/en/geo Art. 4.4 – attendance and effort requirements 1. Every student is expected to actively participate in the course in which he is enrolled. 2. In addition to the general requirement of active participation in class, any additional requirements per
unit are listed in the University’s Course Catalogue and the Course Guide. 3. A student may be granted exemption from attendance if he is incapacitated (for instance as a result of
illness or family circumstances). Any leave or absence must be agreed with the Programme Office in advance by phone. The course coordinator or the director of education can request the student to provide written information that proves the special situation.
4. If participation is inadequate, qualitatively or quantitatively, the course coordinator may decide to exclude the student from the remainder or any part of the remainder of the course.
5. Effort requirements (such as holding a presentation or writing a paper) can never expire. When a student, due to incapacity (art 4.4.3), fails to meet an effort requirement in time, the course coordinator will set a new date for the student to fulfill the obligation.
6. Students who wish to apply for special arrangements as a result of chronic illness, disability or top athlete status, may submit a request to the Board of Examiners.
SECTION 5 – ASSESSMENT Art. 5.1 – general
1. During the course the student will be assessed on academic skills and on the extent to which he has achieved the stated learning outcomes. All assessment activities will be completed by the end of the course.
2. The Course Guide and/or the University’s Course Catalogue detail the achievements the student must demonstrate to successfully complete the course, as well as the criteria on which the student is assessed.
3. If a course has to be repeated, the last acquired judicium counts. 4. Should a student pass for a course, but still wishes to repeat the course, the complete course
should be repeated. 5. The published Regulations of the Board of Examiners outline the assessment process (see:
Geosciences-studentwebsite: http://students.uu.nl/en/geo). Art. 5.2 – Board of Examiners 1. The Dean will establish a Board of Examiners for each study programme or group of programmes and
will ensure the Board of Examiners can operate independently and professionally.
2. The dean will appoint the chair and the members of the Board of Examiners for a period of three years on the basis of their expertise in the field of the programme(s) in question or the field of examining, whereby: at least one member comes from outside the academic programme or group of academic
programmes concerned, and at least one member is a lecturer on the academic programme or group of academic programmes
concerned. Re-appointment is possible. Before making this appointment, the dean will consult the members of the Board of Examiners concerned.
3. Persons holding management positions that include financial responsibilities or who are wholly or partially responsible for course programmes are not eligible for appointment to the Board of Examiners. These persons will in any event include the Dean, the Vice Dean, directors/heads/managers of a department, members of a department’s management/governing team, members or chairs of the Board of Studies of the Graduate or Undergraduate School and the Education Director.
4. Membership of the Board of Examiners will end on completion of their term of appointment. The chair and members of the Board may also be dismissed at their own request. The chair and members of the Board will be dismissed by the Dean if they no longer meet the requirements of paragraphs 2 or 3 of this section. The Dean may also dismiss a chair or members found to be performing their statutory duties unsatisfactorily.
5. The Dean will announce the composition of the Board of Examiners to students and lecturers.
Art. 5.3 – assessment of placement or research assignment 1. The student’s performance during a placement or his research assignment will be assessed by the
supervisor in question and by one or more other internal and/or external experts. 2. Master’s theses will be assessed by two examiners.
Art. 5.4 – grades 1. Grades will be awarded on a scale from 1 to 10. The final course grade will be satisfactory or
unsatisfactory, or, if expressed in numbers, 6 or higher and 5 or lower respectively. 2. The final course grade will be rounded to one decimal place. A grade for a partial test will not be
rounded. 3. The final course grade of 5 and lower will not have any decimal places. An average grade of 4.95 to
5.49 is unsatisfactory (5); an average grade of 5.50 to 5.99 is satisfactory (6) 4. The Course Guide sets out the way in which the final course grade is calculated. 5. Alphanumeric results are awarded in the following cases:
- a student who is registered for a course and has not participated in one of the test modules will be given an NV (Niet Verschenen – No show). In case of approved incapacity the student will be given ND (Niet Deelgenomen– Not participated)
- a student who is registered for a course and has not participated in any or in all the test modules will be given an NVD (Niet VolDaan – Incomplete);
- if the student has complied with a module, but has not received a mark for it, he may be given a V (Voldoende – Satisfactory) as the result
- if the student has not completed a unit but does not receive a mark it, the student can be given an ONV (ONVoloende - Unsatisfactory) as the result
- a student who has been granted exemption by the Board of Examiners will be given a VR (VRijstelling – Exemption);
- if the Board of Examiners establishes fraud, the student may be given an FR (FRaude – Fraud) as
the result. Art. 5.5– repeat exams: supplementary or replacement tests 1. If during the course the student satisfies all the effort requirements and does not receive a satisfactory
grade but does receive a final grade of at least 4.00 before rounding, he will be given a once-only opportunity to take a supplementary test.
2. The teacher will determine the form and content, as well as date and time, of the supplementary test. 3. If the student passes the supplementary test, a final course grade of 6 will be recorded in the student
progress administration system. Partial results that the student has achieved will not be taken into account in establishing the final grade of the supplementary test.
4. If the student does not pass the supplementary test, the initial final grade will be entered into the student progress administration system, thus rendering all partial course grades defunct.
5. Students who miss a test or part of a test owing to circumstances demonstrably beyond their control will be given only one opportunity to sit an alternative test. Only students immediately reporting these circumstances beyond their control to the study programme’s secretariat will be eligible to sit an alternative test.
6. The teacher will determine the form and content of the replacement test. 7. If the student is not present during the replacement test, or fails to meet the terms of the replacement
test, he will not be offered another opportunity. Art. 5.6 – assessment mode 1. Assessment as part of a course will take place as stated in the course guide for the course. 2. Upon request, the Board of Examiners may give permission for a test to be administered in a manner
which departs from the provisions of the first paragraph. Art. 5.7 – oral tests 1. Only one person at a time may be tested, unless the Board of Examiners decides otherwise. 2. Oral tests will be administered in public, unless the Board of Examiners or the examiner concerned
decides otherwise in exceptional circumstances, or unless the student objects. Art. 5.8 – assessment provision for special circumstances 1. If not providing special assessment arrangements were to lead to a ‘compelling case of
unreasonableness’, the Board of Examiners may decide to grant special assessment arrangements. 2. Requests for special assessment arrangements must be submitted as early as possible together with
supporting documentary evidence. They must be submitted to the Board of Examiners through the student adviser.
Art. 5.9 – assessment turnaround time 1. Within 24 hours of administering an oral test the examiner will determine the grade and provide the
student with a statement of the grade received. 2. The examiner will grade a written or differently administered test within 10 working days of the test
date, and will supply the administrative office of the Faculty the information necessary for providing the student with the written or electronic proof of the grade received.
3. Time frames for assessment do not apply during the summer vacation period.
4. The written statement of the grade received includes a reference to the right of inspection, as addressed in Art. 5.11, as well as to the possibilities of appeal to the Examinations Appeals Board.
Art. 5.10 – validity period
1. Successfully completed components of degree programmes have a validity of eight years.
2. Notwithstanding this, the Board of Examiners can, if the student requests, determine a prolonged validity period for a course, or impose a supplementary or replacement test.
3. Partial tests and assignments passed in a component that was not successfully completed will expire at the end of the academic year in which they were passed. Partial tests and assignments expire at the end of the period in which they were passed, if the concerning course is taught more than once per academic year.
Art. 5.11 – right of inspection 1. Within 30 days after the announcement of the result of a written test, the student is allowed to inspect
his graded work upon request. Upon request, a copy of that work will be supplied to the student at cost.
2. During the period referred to in the first paragraph, any stakeholder may inspect the questions and tasks of the test in question, as well as, if possible, the standards on which the grade is based.
Art. 5.12 – retention of assessments 1. The assessment tasks, answers and the assessed work will be retained for a period of two years after
the assessment date. 2. The thesis and its assessment will be retained for a period of seven years after the assessment date. Art. 5.13 – exemption At the student’s request, the Board of Examiners, after hearing the examiner concerned, may grant the student exemption from a programme component if he: a. prior to starting the Master’s programme has either completed a higher education programme
component which is equivalent in content and level; or b. has demonstrated through work or professional experience that he has sufficient knowledge and skills
in relation to that component. Art. 5.14 – fraud and plagiarism
1. Fraud and plagiarism are defined as an action or failure to act on the part of a student, whereby a correct assessment of his or her knowledge, insight and skills is made impossible, in full or in part. Fraud includes:
- cheating during examinations. The person offering the opportunity to cheat is an accessory to fraud;
- being in possession of (i.e. having/carrying) tools and resources during examinations, such as pre-programmed calculators, mobile phones, smartwatch, smartglasses, books, course readers, notes, etc., consultation of which is not explicitly permitted;
- having others carry out all of part of an assignment and passing this off as own work; - gaining access to questions or answers of an examination prior to the date or time that the
examination takes place; - making up survey or interview answers or research data. Plagiarism is defined as including data or sections of text from others in a thesis or other paper without quoting the source. Plagiarism includes the following: - cutting and pasting text from digital sources such as encyclopaedias and digital publications
without using quotation marks and referring to the source;
- cutting and pasting text from the internet without using quotation marks and referring to the source;
- using excerpts from printed material such as books, magazines, other publications and encyclopaedias without using quotation marks and referring to the source;
- using a translation of the abovementioned texts without using quotation marks and referring to the source;
- paraphrasing of the abovementioned texts without giving a (clear) reference: paraphrasing must be marked as such (by explicitly linking the text with the original author, either in text or a footnote), whereby the impression is not created that the ideas expressed are those of the student;
- using visual, audio or test material from others without referring to the source and presenting this as own work;
- resubmission of the student’s own earlier work without source references, and allowing this to pass for work originally produced for the purpose of the course, unless this is expressly permitted in the course or by the lecturer;
- using the work of other students and passing this off as own work. If this happens with the permission of the other student, the latter is also guilty of plagiarism;
- in the event that, in a joint paper, one of the authors commits plagiarism, the other authors are also guilty of plagiarism, if they could or should have known that the other was committing plagiarism;
- submitting papers obtained from a commercial institution (such as an internet site offering excerpts or papers) or having such written by someone else in return for payment.
2. a. In all cases in which fraud or plagiarism is found or suspected, the examiner will inform the board of examiners of this in writing.
b. The Board of Examiners will give the student the opportunity: to respond to that in writing; to be heard.
3. The Board of Examiners will determine whether fraud or plagiarism has occurred and will inform the student of its decision in writing and of the sanctions in accordance with the stipulations of the fourth paragraph, stating the possibility of appeal to the Examination Appeals Board.
4. Fraud and plagiarism will be punished by the Board of Examiners as follows: a. In any event:
o invalidation of the paper or examination submitted o a reprimand, a note of which will be made in OSIRIS.
b. In addition to – depending on the nature and scale of the fraud or plagiarism, and on the student’s phase of study – one or more of the following sanctions:
o removal from the course o no longer being eligible for a positive degree classification (cum laude) as referred to in
art. 6.2 o exclusion from participation in examinations or other forms of testing belonging to the
educational component concerned for the current academic year, or for a period of 12 months
o complete exclusion from participation in all examinations or other forms of testing for a
period of 12 months. c. In the event that the student has already received a reprimand:
o complete exclusion from participation in all examinations or other forms of testing for a period of 12 months.
d. In the case of extremely serious and/or repeated fraud, the Board of Examiners may recommend that the Executive Board permanently terminate the concerned student’s registration for the programme.
5. If the Board of Examiners determines that there has been widespread or organised fraud, on a scale which would affect the examination results in their entirety, the Board of Examiners will decide without delay that the examination concerned is invalid and that all the participants must resit the whole examination at short notice. The Board of Examiners will set the date on which the examination must be retaken. This date will be no later than two weeks after the fraud was established, so that the participants can still benefit from their preparatory work for the examination.
Art. 5.15 – right of appeal The student has a right to appeal decisions taken by the Board of Examiners or by examiners. The appeal must be made in writing, and explaining the basis for the appeal, to the Examinations Appeals Board within six weeks of taking the test or examination, or of the decision being made, pursuant to Article 7.61 WHW 1992.
SECTION 6 – EXAMINATION Art. 6.1 – examination 1. At the moment a student meets the requirements of the examination programme, the Board of
Examiners determines the result of the examination and grants the certificate to the student, as described in Article 6.4.
2. Prior to determining the examination result, the Board of Examiners may examine the student’s knowledge of one or more components or aspects of the programme of study, if and in so far as the results of the tests concerned give them reason to do so.
3. Review of the student’s assessment file constitutes part of the final examination. The examination date will be the last working day of the month in which the Board of Examiners has determined that all components have been successfully completed.
4. Conditions to pass the examination are - All components are passed with a sufficient result - The composition of the course package meets the determined level requirements
5. A further condition for passing the examination and receiving the certificate is that the student was registered for the programme during the period in which the tests were taken. If the student does not fulfil this condition, the Executive Board may issue a statement of no objection in relation to the passing of the examination and the issue of the certificate, after the student has paid tuition fees and administration charges owing for the ‘missing’ periods.
6. One who has passed the examination and is entitled for a certificate, may request the Board of Examiners to not yet grant the certificate. This request has to be submitted within two weeks after the student has been informed about the result of the examination. The student will indicate in this request when he does want to receive the certificate. The Board of Examiners will grant the request in 2015-
2016 when the student: - is going to perform board activities for which the Utrecht University grants compensation - is going to do an internship or component abroad
The Board of Examiners may also grant such request if failure to grant the request will result in substantial unfairness because the person involved could not have taken the graduating automatically into account in his individual study planning.
7. After the student has passed the final examination he can request the institution to terminate his registration.
Art. 6.2 – cum laude designation 1. If a student has demonstrated outstanding academic achievement in his Master’s programme, the
degree will be awarded cum laude; this designation will be noted on the degree certificate. 2. The cum laude designation will be awarded if
1. the weighted average of the grades earned for the Master’s programme components is at least 8,00. 2. the student has received a minimum grade of 8.00 for the Master’s thesis. 3. the student has received exemptions for no more than 7,5 credit points (1-year programmes) or no more than 15 credit points (2-year programmes). 4. there has not been any Board of Examiners decision (as meant by Art. 5.14, paragraph 4 under b) that fraud/plagiarism has been committed. 5. all grades have been earned within one and a half year (one-year degree programmes) or three years (two-year degree programme) of beginning the degree programme.
3. The Board of Examiners may decide to award the cum laude designation even if not all the requirements mentioned in paragraph 2 are met. Such a decision must be unanimous.
4. Designations other than cum laude will not be noted on the degree certificate. Art. 6.3 – degree 1. The candidate who has successfully completed the exam will be awarded the degree of Master of
Science. 2. The awarded degree will be noted on the exam certificate. Art. 6.4 – degree certificate 1. As evidence of successful completion of the exam, the Board of Examiners will issue a degree
certificate. 2. The Board of Examiners will append to the degree certificate the International Diploma Supplement,
which, for the sake of international transparency, gives information about the nature and content of the programme of study.
Art. 6.5 - Grade Point Average (GPA)
1. The final Grade Point Avarage (GPA) is stated on the International Diploma Supplement, and represents
the academic performance of the student concerned). 2. The final GPA is the average figure from the results achieved within the course’s examinations
programme, weighted by the course credits and expressed on a scale of 1 to 4 with two decimals. 3. The final GPA is calculated as follows:
- all applicable examinations achieved as part of the examination programme of the master’s degree, are converted to quality points;
- quality points are the applicable examination result x the number of course credits (EC) for the section in question;
- the total number of quality points achieved divided by the total number of course credits (EC) obtained, results in the average examination result;
- the average examination result is converted into the final GPA. SECTION 7 – STUDENT SUPPORT AND GUIDANCE Art. 7.1 – student progress administration 1. The Faculty records each student’s individual grades and makes these available through Osiris-student. 2. Certified student progress files may be obtained from Student Affairs Geosciences. Art. 7.2 – student support and guidance 1. The Faculty is responsible for providing student support and guidance to students enrolled on the
degree programmes. 2. Student counselling encompasses:
encouraging students to feel part of the community; supervising programme choices; assisting a student to get his or her bearings on the job market. an orientation/introduction programme in the first week of the first year of study providing referral and support for students experiencing difficulties during their studies.
Art. 7.3 – disabilities Students with special needs are afforded the opportunity to take classes and sit tests in the manner agreed in their Special Needs Contracts. Requests for special needs contracts are submitted to the student adviser.
SECTION 8 – TRANSITIONAL AND FINAL PROVISIONS Art. 8.1 – safety net arrangements If a circumstance arises for which the regulations do not provide, do not clearly provide or seem to have unreasonable effects or lead to unreasonable results, the matter will be determined by or on behalf of the Dean, after having heard the Board of Examiners. If, on the basis of the law, the decision falls within the competence of the Board of Examiners, the dean will send the request to the Board of Examiners for it to handle. Art. 8.2 – cum laude for students who have started before September 1, 2013. The cum laude designation will be awarded if
1. the weighted average of the grades earned for the Master’s programme components is at least 8.00. 2. the student has received exemptions for no more than 15 credit points. 3. there has not been any Board of Examiners decision (as meant by Art. 5.14, paragraph 4
under b) that fraud/plagiarism has been committed. 4. all grades have been earned within one and a half year (one-year degree programmes)
or three years (two-year degree programme) of beginning the degree programme.
Art. 8.3 – amendments 1. Amendments to these regulations will be laid down by the Dean after having heard the Degree
Programme Committee and after consultation with the Faculty Council or Degree Programme Council, in separate resolutions.
2. Any amendments to these regulations are not to be applied to the then current academic year, unless it can be assumed that they will not unreasonably harm the interests of the students.
3. Furthermore, with respect to the students an amendment may not adversely affect any other decision taken pursuant to these regulations by the Board of Examiners in relation to a student.
Art. 8.4 – publication The Dean is responsible for publishing these regulations, and any amendments to them, via the internet. Art. 8.5 – effective date These regulations take effect on September 1, 2015.
APPENDIX 1 Admission requirements Master’s programmes Earth, Life and Climate Admission to the programme Earth, Life and Climate is given to students holding a Dutch or foreign diploma confirming that (s)he has gained the knowledge, insights and skills on a university Bachelor’s level. Furthermore the student needs to prove that (s)he has gained the following specific knowledge, insights and skills:
a) knowledge in the field of Earth Sciences, Biology or Chemistry, on the advanced level of the major Earth Sciences, Biology or Chemistry at Utrecht University, or equivalent to that level.
b) insight in Earth Sciences on the advanced level of the major Earth Sciences, Biology or Chemistry at Utrecht University, or equivalent to that level.
c) academic and research skills of the major Earth Sciences, Biology or Chemistry at Utrecht University, or equivalent to that level.
Earth Structure and Dynamics Admission to the programme Earth Structure and Dynamics is given to students holding a Dutch or foreign diploma confirming that (s)he has gained the knowledge, insights and skills on a university Bachelor’s level. Furthermore the student needs to prove that (s)he has gained the following specific knowledge, insights and skills:
a) knowledge in the field of Earth Sciences or Physics, on the advanced level of the major Earth Sciences or Physics at Utrecht University, or equivalent to that level.
b) insight in Earth Sciences on the advanced level of the major Earth Sciences or Physics at Utrecht University, or equivalent to that level.
c) academic and research skills of the major Earth Sciences or Physics at Utrecht University, or equivalent to that level.
Earth Surface and Water Admission to the programme Earth Surface and Water is given to students holding a Dutch or foreign diploma confirming that (s)he has gained the knowledge, insights and skills on a university Bachelor’s level. Furthermore the student needs to prove that (s)he has gained the following specific knowledge, insights and skills:
a) knowledge in the field of Earth Sciences, on the advanced level of the major Earth Sciences at Utrecht University, or equivalent to that level.
b) insight in Earth Sciences on the advanced level of the major Earth Sciences at Utrecht University, or equivalent to that level.
c) academic and research skills of the major Earth Sciences at Utrecht University, or equivalent to that level.
Economische Geografie Admission to the programme Economische Geografie is given to students holding a Dutch or foreign diploma confirming that (s)he has gained the knowledge, insights and skills on a university Bachelor’s level. Furthermore the student needs to prove that (s)he has gained the following specific knowledge, insights and skills:
a) knowledge in the field of Economische Geografie, on the advanced level of the major Human Geography and Planning at Utrecht University, or equivalent to that level.
b) insight in Economische Geografie on the advanced level of the major Human Geography and Planning at Utrecht University, or equivalent to that level.
c) academic and research skills of the major Human Geography and Planning at Utrecht University, or equivalent to that level.
Energy Science Admission to the programme Energy Science is given to students holding a Dutch or foreign diploma confirming that (s)he has gained the knowledge, insights and skills on a university Bachelor’s level. Furthermore the student needs to prove that (s)he has gained the following specific knowledge, insights and skills:
a) knowledge in the field of Environmental Sciences, Science and Innovation Management, Physics or Chemistry on the advanced level of the major Environmental Sciences, Science and Innovation Management, Physics or Chemistry at Utrecht University, or equivalent to that level.
b) knowledge of Thermodynamics, Energy Analysis and Mathematics c) insight in Environmental Sciences, Science and Innovation Management, Physics or
Chemistry on the advanced level of the major Environmental Sciences, Science and Innovation Management, Physics or Chemistry at Utrecht University, or equivalent to that level.
d) academic and research skills of the major Environmental Sciences, Science and Innovation Management, Physics or Chemistry at Utrecht University, or equivalent to that level.
Geo-communicatie Admission to the programme Geo-communicatie is given to students holding a Dutch or foreign diploma confirming that (s)he has gained the knowledge, insights and skills on a university Bachelor’s level. Furthermore the student needs to prove that (s)he has gained the following specific knowledge, insights and skills:
a) knowledge in the field of Human or Physical Geography, on the advanced level of the major Human Geography and Planning or Earth Sciences at Utrecht University, or equivalent to that level.
b) insight in Human or Physical Geography on the advanced level of the major Human Geography and Planning or Earth Sciences at Utrecht University, or equivalent to that level.
c) academic and research skills of the major Human Geography and Planning or Earth Sciences at Utrecht University, or equivalent to that level.
Geographical Information Management and Applications (GIMA) Admission to the programme Geographical Information Management and Applications is given to students holding a Dutch or foreign diploma confirming that (s)he has gained the knowledge, insights and skills on a university Bachelor’s level, for instance equivalent to the advanced level of the major Human Geography and Planning at Utrecht University. Furthermore the student needs to prove that (s)he has gained the following specific knowledge, insights and skills:
a) knowledge in the field of geo-information, geography, GIS or another GIMA related field of studies.
b) insight in processing geographical data and collecting, processing and dispersing information.
c) Academic skills and research skills.
Human Geography and Planning (Research Master) Admission to the programme Human Geography and Planning is given to students holding a Dutch or foreign diploma confirming that (s)he has gained the knowledge, insights and skills on a university Bachelor’s level. Furthermore the student needs to prove that (s)he has gained the following specific knowledge, insights and skills:
a) knowledge in the field of Human Geography or Planning, on the advanced level of the major Human Geography and Planning at Utrecht University, or equivalent to that level.
b) insight in Human Geography or Planning on the advanced level of the major Human Geography and Planning at Utrecht University, or equivalent to that level.
c) academic and research skills of the major Human Geography and Planning at Utrecht University, or equivalent to that level.
Innovation Sciences Admission to the programme Innovation Sciences is given to students holding a Dutch or foreign diploma confirming that (s)he has gained the knowledge, insights and skills on a university Bachelor’s level. Furthermore the student needs to prove that (s)he has gained the following specific knowledge, insights and skills:
a) knowledge in the field of Science and Innovation Management, Natural Sciences of Life Sciences, on the advanced level of the major Science and Innovation Management, Natural Sciences of Life Sciences at Utrecht University, or equivalent to that level.
b) knowledge in the field of emerging technology issues and complex multidisciplinary problems.
c) insight in Science and Innovation Management, Natural Sciences of Life Sciences, on the advanced level of the major Science and Innovation Management, Natural Sciences of Life Sciences at Utrecht University, or equivalent to that level.
d) academic and research skills of the major Science and Innovation Management, Natural Sciences of Life Sciences at Utrecht University, or equivalent to that level.
International Development Studies Admission to the programme International Development Studies is given to students holding a Dutch or foreign diploma confirming that (s)he has gained the knowledge, insights and skills on a university Bachelor’s level. Furthermore the student needs to prove that (s)he has gained the following specific knowledge, insights and skills:
a) knowledge in the field of Development Geography, on the advanced level of the major Human Geography and Planning at Utrecht University, or equivalent to that level.
b) insight in Development on the advanced level of the major Human Geography and Planning at Utrecht University, or equivalent to that level.
c) academic and research skills of the major Human Geography and Planning at Utrecht University, or equivalent to that level.
Marine Sciences Admission to the programme Marine Sciences is given to students holding a Dutch or foreign diploma
confirming that (s)he has gained the knowledge, insights and skills on a university Bachelor’s level. Furthermore the student needs to prove that (s)he has gained the following specific knowledge, insights and skills:
a) knowledge in the field of Earth Sciences or Biology, on the advanced level of the major Earth Sciences or Biology at Utrecht University, or equivalent to that level.
b) insight in Earth Sciences or Biology on the advanced level of the major Earth Sciences or Biology at Utrecht University, or equivalent to that level.
c) academic and research skills of the major Earth Sciences or Biology at Utrecht University, or equivalent to that level.
Planologie Admission to the programme Planologie is given to students holding a Dutch or foreign diploma confirming that (s)he has gained the knowledge, insights and skills on a university Bachelor’s level. Furthermore the student needs to prove that (s)he has gained the following specific knowledge, insights and skills:
a) knowledge in the field of Planning, on the advanced level of the major Human Geography and Planning at Utrecht University, or equivalent to that level.
b) insight in Planning on the advanced level of the major Human Geography and Planning at Utrecht University, or equivalent to that level.
c) academic and research skills of the major Human Geography and Planning at Utrecht University, or equivalent to that level.
Sustainable Business and Innovation Admission to the programme Sustainable Business and Innovation is given to students holding a Dutch or foreign diploma confirming that (s)he has gained the knowledge, insights and skills on a university Bachelor’s level. Furthermore the student needs to prove that (s)he has gained the following specific knowledge, insights and skills:
a) knowledge in the field of Science and Innovation Management, Environmental Sciences, Environmental Studies or Economics, on the advanced level of the major Science and Innovation Management, Environmental Sciences, Environmental Studies or Economics at Utrecht University, or equivalent to that level.
b) knowledge of sustainable development and/or innovation sciences. c) basic knowledge of natural sciences on Bachelor’s level, including Mathematics, and/or
Chemistry and/or Physics. d) insight in Science and Innovation Management, Environmental Sciences, Environmental
Studies or Economics on the advanced level of the major Science and Innovation Management, Environmental Sciences, Environmental Studies or Economics at Utrecht University, or equivalent to that level.
e) academic and research skills of the major Science and Innovation Management, Environmental Sciences, Environmental Studies or Economics at Utrecht University, or equivalent to that level.
Sustainable Development, track Energy & Materials Admission to the programme Sustainable Development, track Energy & Materials is given to students holding a Dutch or foreign diploma confirming that (s)he has gained the knowledge, insights and skills on a university Bachelor’s level. Furthermore the student needs to prove that (s)he has gained the following specific knowledge, insights and skills:
a) knowledge in the field of Environmental Sciences, Science and Innovation Management, Earth sciences, Physics or Chemistry, on the advanced level of the major Environmental Sciences, Science and Innovation Management, Earth sciences, Physics or Chemistry at Utrecht University, or equivalent to that level.
b) knowledge in the field of thermodynamics and sustainability issues. c) insight in Environmental Sciences, Science and Innovation Management, Earth sciences,
Physics or Chemistry on the advanced level of the major Environmental Sciences, Science and Innovation Management, Earth sciences, Physics or Chemistry at Utrecht University, or equivalent to that level.
d) academic and research skills of the major Environmental Sciences, Science and Innovation Management, Earth sciences, Physics or Chemistry at Utrecht University, or equivalent to that level.
Sustainable Development, track Global Change and Ecosystems Admission to the programme Sustainable Development, track Global Change and Ecosystems is given to students holding a Dutch or foreign diploma confirming that (s)he has gained the knowledge, insights and skills on a university Bachelor’s level. Furthermore the student needs to prove that (s)he has gained the following specific knowledge, insights and skills:
a) knowledge in the field of Environmental Sciences, Earth Sciences, Biology or Chemistry, on the advanced level of the major Environmental Sciences, Earth Sciences, Biology or Chemistry at Utrecht University, or equivalent to that level.
b) knowledge in the field of sustainability issues. c) insight in Environmental Sciences, Earth Sciences, Biology or Chemistry on the advanced
level of the major Environmental Sciences, Earth Sciences, Biology or Chemistry at Utrecht University, or equivalent to that level.
d) academic and research skills of the major Environmental Sciences, Earth Sciences, Biology or Chemistry at Utrecht University, or equivalent to that level.
Sustainable Development, track Environmental Governance Admission to the programme Sustainable Development, track Environmental Governance is given to students holding a Dutch or foreign diploma confirming that (s)he has gained the knowledge, insights and skills on a university Bachelor’s level. Furthermore the student needs to prove that (s)he has gained the following specific knowledge, insights and skills:
a) knowledge in the field of Environmental Studies, Human Geography and Planning, Public Administration and Organization Science, Economics or Social Sciences, on the advanced level of the major Environmental Studies, Human Geography and Planning, Public Administration and Organization Science, Economics or Social Sciences at Utrecht University, or equivalent to that level.
b) knowledge in the field of sustainability issues. c) insight in Environmental Studies, Human Geography and Planning, Public Administration
and Organization Science, Economics or Social Sciences on the advanced level of the major Environmental Studies, Human Geography and Planning, Public Administration and Organization Science, Economics or Social Sciences at Utrecht University, or equivalent to that level.
d) academic and research skills of the major Environmental Studies, Human Geography and Planning, Public Administration and Organization Science, Economics or Social Sciences at Utrecht University, or equivalent to that level.
Sustainable Development, track International Development Admission to the programme Sustainable Develoment, track International Development is given to students holding a Dutch or foreign diploma confirming that (s)he has gained the knowledge, insights and skills on a university Bachelor’s level. Furthermore the student needs to prove that (s)he has gained the following specific knowledge, insights and skills:
a) knowledge in the field of Environmental Studies, Human Geography and Planning or Social Sciences, on the advanced level of the major Environmental Studies, Human Geography and Planning or Social Sciences at Utrecht University, or equivalent to that level.
b) knowledge in the field of sustainability issues and Development Geography. c) insight in Environmental Studies, Human Geography and Planning or Social Sciences on
the advanced level of the major Environmental Studies, Human Geography and Planning or Social Sciences at Utrecht University, or equivalent to that level.
d) academic and research skills of the major of Environmental Studies, Human Geography and Planning or Social Sciences at Utrecht University, or equivalent to that level.
Urban Geography Admission to the programme Urban Geography is given to students holding a Dutch or foreign diploma confirming that (s)he has gained the knowledge, insights and skills on a university Bachelor’s level. Furthermore the student needs to prove that (s)he has gained the following specific knowledge, insights and skills:
a) knowledge in the field of Urban Geography, on the advanced level of the major Human Geography and Planning at Utrecht University, or equivalent to that level.
b) insight in Urban Geography on the advanced level of the major Human Geography and Planning at Utrecht University, or equivalent to that level.
c) academic and research skills of the major of Human Geography and Planning at Utrecht University, or equivalent to that level.
Water Science and Management Admission to the programme Water Science and Management is given to students holding a Dutch or foreign diploma confirming that (s)he has gained the knowledge, insights and skills on a university Bachelor’s level. Furthermore the student needs to prove that (s)he has gained the following specific knowledge, insights and skills:
a) knowledge in the field of Earth Sciences, Environmental Sciences or Natural Sciences, on the advanced level of the major Earth Sciences or Environmental Sciences at Utrecht University, or equivalent to that level.
b) insight in Earth Sciences, Environmental Sciences or Natural Sciences on the advanced level of the major Earth Sciences or Environmental Sciences at Utrecht University, or equivalent to that level.
c) academic and research skills of the major Earth Sciences or Environmental Sciences at Utrecht University, or equivalent to that level.
APPENDIX 2 Structure of master programmes Earth, Life and Climate
Theoretical courses: required electives 45 EC
Deficiency courses 0-15 EC
MSc research/thesis 30-45 EC
Individual programme/ internship Obligatory 2nd report up to 30 EC
Additional theoretical courses, seminar modules, advanced-level courses 0- 45 EC
Earth Structure and Dynamics
Theoretical courses: required electives 45 EC
Deficiency courses 0-15 EC
MSc research/thesis 30-45 EC
Individual programme/ internship Obligatory 2nd report up to 30 EC
Additional theoretical courses, seminar modules, advanced-level courses 0- 45 EC
Earth Surface and Water
Theoretical courses: required electives 45 EC
Deficiency courses 0-15 EC
MSc research/thesis Obligatory 2nd report 30-45 EC
Individual programme/ internship up to 30 EC
Additional theoretical courses, seminar modules, advanced-level courses 0- 45 EC
Economische Geografie
Required / theoretical 22.5 EC
Methods of research 7.5 EC
MSc research/thesis 30 ECTS
Energy Science
Required / theoretical 22.5 EC
Methods of research 15 EC
MSc thesis / internship 30 – 52.5 EC
Elective 22.5 – 37.5 EC
Geo-communicatie
Required / theoretical 30 EC
Individual project/ internship 7.5- 15 EC
MSc research/thesis 15-22.5 EC
Geographical Information Management and Applications
Required / theoretical 40 EC
Methods of research 20 EC
MSc research/thesis 30 EC
Internship or Individual programme 30 EC
Human Geography and Planning
Required / theoretical 60 EC
Elective 15 EC
MSc research/thesis 45 EC
International Development Studies
Required / theoretical 20 EC
Methods of research 10 EC
MSc research/thesis 30 EC
Marine Sciences
Theoretical courses 45 EC
Elective courses 15-30 EC
MSc research / thesis / individual programme / internship Obligatory 2nd report
30-45 EC
15-30 EC
Planologie
Required / theoretical 22.5 EC
Methods of research 7.5 EC
MSc research/thesis 30 EC
Innovation Sciences
Required / theoretical 37.5 EC
Methods of research 22.5 EC
MSc research/thesis 45 EC
Elective 15 EC
Sustainable Development
Required / theoretical 45 EC
Methods of research 15 EC
MSc research/thesis 30-45 EC
Elective 15-30 EC
Sustainable Business and Innovation
Reguired / theoretical 45 EC
Methods of research 15 EC
Msc thesis/ internship 45 EC
Elective 15 EC
Urban Geography
Required / theoretical 22.5 EC
Methods of research 7.5 EC
MSc research/thesis 30 EC
Water Science and Management
Required / theoretical 75 EC
MSc research/thesis (obligatory external internship format) 30 - 45 EC
Elective / MSc individual programme 0 - 15 EC
Appendix III Teaching periods Innovation, Environmental and Energy Sciences 2015-2016 This holds only for Master’s courses offered by the department IEES (codes GEOX-22XX, 23XX, 25XX and 26XX); this might deviate from courses with other (GEO-)codes.
36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45
1 31/8-6/9
2 7-13/9
3 14-20/9
4 21-27/9
5 28/9-4/10
6 5-11/10
7 12-18/10
8 19-25/10
9 26/10-1/11
10 2-8/11
31/8 GEO Intro break
46 47 48 49 50 51 52 53 1 2 3 4 5
1 9-15/11
2 16-22/11
3 23-29/11
4 30/11-6/12
5 7-13/12
6 14-20/12
Xmas break
Study week
7 4-10/1
8 11-17/1
9 18-24/1
10 25-31/1
11 1-7/2
1/12 rep. 1 8/12 rep. 1 break
6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16
1 8-14/2
2 15-21/2
3 22-28/2
4 29/2-6/3
5 7-13/3
6 14-20/3
7 21-27/3
8 28/3-3/4
9 4-10/4
10 11-17/4
11 18-24/4
8/2 GEO Intro
1/3 rep. 2 8/3 rep. 2
25/3 Good
Friday 28/3 Easter
Friday 15/4 no
classes break
11/2 UU Careerday
17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 29
1 25/4-1/5
2 2-8/5
3 9-15/5
4 16-22/5
5 23-29/5
6 30/5-5/6
7 6-12/6
8 13-19/6
9 20-26/6
10 27/6-3/7
11 4-10/7
Break Break
Onder-
wijsvrij
27/4 King’s day 5/5
Liberationday 17/5 rep. 3 24/5 rep. 3
break 11-14/7 rep. 4
5/5 Ascension
day 16/5 Whitsun
6/5 break
IMEW (IEES)
GEO wide
Appendix IV UU-time table 2015-2016
Teaching periods
Semester I:
Period 1: Monday 31 August – Friday 6 November
Period 2: Monday 9 November – Friday 5 February
Semester II:
Period 3: Monday 8 February – Friday 22 April
Period 4: Monday 25 April – Friday 15 July
Timeslots
A Monday morning and/or Wednesday morning
B Tuesday morning and/or Thursday afternoon
C Monday afternoon and/or Thursday morning
D Wednesday afternoon, Friday morning and/or Friday afternoon
E Monday evening, Tuesday evening, Wednesday evening, Thursday evening
and/or Friday evening
Course registration (only via Osiris Student: www.uu.nl/osirisstudent)
For period 1: 1 June 2015 up to and including 28 June 2015
- late registration 17 and 18 August 2015
For period 2: 14 September 2015 up to and including 27 September 2015
- late registration 26 and 27 October 2015
For period 3: 2 November 2015 up to and including 29 November 2015
- late registration 18 and 19 January 2016
For period 4: 25 January 2016 up to and including 21 February 2016
- late registration 4 and 5 April 2016
For period 1, 2016-2017 (provisionally): 30 May 2016 up to and including
26 June 2016
- late registration 15 and 16 August 2016