Designing Environmental Studies in Sustainable Development, 7.5 credits

Main field of study

Course level

Advancement level

Course offered for

• Master´s Programme in Science for Sustainable Development

Entry requirements

• Bachelor's degree equivalent to a Swedish Kandidatexamen in one of the following areas: 
  - natural sciences, 
  - social sciences,
  - health sciences 
  - humanities
  - engineering
  or equivalent 
• English corresponding to the level of English in Swedish upper secondary education (English 6/B)
  (Exemption from Swedish)
• 45 ECTS credits of semester 1 and 2 from the programme (including the courses Critical Perspectives on Sustainable Development (7.5 ECTS), Environmental and Resource Use Challenges (7.5 ECTS), and Climate Science and Policy (15 ECTS)

Intended learning outcomes

On completion of the course the student should be able to:
- design a study in sustainable development
- analyse and discuss different scientific methods, their strengths and limitations, in relation to relevant examples within the field of knowledge
- formulate, analyse and present an environmental problem orally and in writing
- critically discuss the design and methodology of studies for sustainable development.

Course content

The course contains of own field work, experimental design, laboratory exercises, workshops, lectures and seminars.

The content of the course is research design based on research questions within science for sustainable development, relevant in both natural and social science. It will include methods for sampling and gaining of data, analysis and presentation of results. The students will acquire knowledge and skills of various quantitative and qualitative methods for analysis of relationships between the environment and the society. The students will also design an own field study, including individually in-depth studies of chosen methods.

Teaching and working methods

Field work, experimental design, laboratory exercises, workshops, lectures and seminars. Language of instruction: English.

Examination

The course is examined through a combination of active participation in seminars and workshops, written assignments and a final paper. Each student shall act as a discussant on another student’s paper. Detailed information about the examination can be found in the course study guide.

Grades

Other information

Planning and implementation of a course must take its starting point in the wording of the syllabus. The course evaluation included in each course must therefore take up the question how well the course agrees with the syllabus. 

The course is carried out in such a way that both men´s and women´s experience and knowledge is made visible and developed.

Department