External collaborations and international opportunities
Already in the second semester, you will work closely with professionals during a six-week internship. You can have your internship at a government agency, company, or organization in Sweden or abroad. It gives you work experience and the opportunity to establish a professional network for your future work life. Working closely with external partners provides you with the knowledge, skills, and attitudes necessary to be a professional in the field.One-year thesis project
A key part of the programme is the one-year thesis project, which offers further opportunities for professional networking and research contacts, including international experiences. The 60-credit thesis gives you a unique opportunity to explore areas of interest more deeply and to gain the necessary experience for a diversity of meaningful and rewarding career paths. For instance, students with an interest in conservation biology or a particular organism group can perform extensive field studies, often in the summer when study organisms are most active. Others may address ecological problems using computational methods.At LiU you are close to nature
Many students pass the Valla nature reserve on their way to campus and in just 10 minutes you can walk to the forest after the final lecture of the day. If you instead take a 10-minute bike ride, you will reach one of the most species-rich nature reserves in Sweden, Tinnerö oak landscape, hosting more than 400 red-listed species. During excursions in the region around Linköping university you will explore old-growth forests, open semi-natural grasslands, rich bird lakes with grazed coastal meadows and the unique archipelago in the Baltic sea along the coast. Right on campus you can also experience species-rich nature. Many initiatives for biodiversity are underway here, with lawns turning into meadows, creation of high-cut stumps when old trees die and fauna depots in the form of piles of dead wood for a rich insect and bird life.
Future opportunities
There is a growing demand for professionals with expertise in ecology and sustainable development in various sectors, such as government agencies, academia, business, and conservation organizations. As a graduate, you can work on environmental and nature conservation issues, such as the management of ecosystems, ecological communities, and populations, to conserve life on land and below water. You will learn cutting-edge skills and be well-prepared for doctoral studies in ecology and sustainable development.
As a graduate, you can work with environmental and nature conservation issues such as the management of ecosystems, ecological communities, and populations to conserve life on land and below water. You may find employment with consultancy firms, government agencies, forestry companies, or international environmental organisations. You will also be well prepared for further postgraduate studies towards a doctoral degree.
