Climate, Earth, Water, Sustainability | Master

To tackle the global climate crisis, we need interdisciplinary approaches. Graduates of our English-language master's degree program Climate, Earth, Water, Sustainability will be trained to become experts in the field of climate science research in order to address the consequences of global warming in a science-based manner with regard to research, politics, and the public.

Climate, Earth, Water, Sustainability (CLEWS) is a research-oriented degree program with close ties to research projects at the university and at extramural institutions in Potsdam. A majority of the master’s theses will be completed within the framework of such research projects. Module content is also closely linked to research activities of the partners, integrating the latest research topics, research results, and research methods into the courses. The modules and examinations are designed to be competence-oriented. Subject-specific knowledge is just as much of a focus as the acquisition of methodological, social, and personal skills and abilities. The contents of courses, learning objectives, and examinations will be adjusted to one another.

In the research-oriented master's program CLEWS, students will develop a deeper understanding of the climate system, other subsystems of the Earth system, and their transformations. The program focuses on quantitative environmental research, physics, climate and hydroscience. In addition, it covers important aspects of risk analysis, environmental economics, communication, and energy policy. Methodologically, the focus is on methods of data analysis, numerical modeling, and data acquisition using remote sensing.

Graduates will have an understanding of statistics, data analysis, programming, and numerical modeling, and will be able to collect and process data from the field or the laboratory. They will learn to effectively formulate scientific questions related to climate change and environmental issues and provide science-based, long-term solutions that also integrate economic aspects and issues of sustainability and communication. Future graduates will also have developed the soft skills they need to effectively explain scientific problems and communicate scientific data and findings, thereby reaching the general public outside of academia.

The program builds the foundation for research activities at a high academic level, qualifies students to work on complex issues, and generally cultivates the skills relevant to a career in this field. Graduates will therefore be able to take on specialist or leadership roles at universities, research institutions, environmental and planning offices, government agencies, NGOs, and relevant departments in banking, insurance, and industry. This opens up very good career prospects for graduates of the program.

Prerequisites for Admission to the Master’s Program

In general, the prerequisite for master’s studies at the University of Potsdam is a first academic degree, such as a bachelor’s degree. Your first degree should be in a subject relevant to the program. Since this is an English-language degree program, a very good knowledge of English, corresponding at least to level B2 of the Common European Framework of Reference, is expected.

A first undergraduate degree from an institution of higher education in Geoecology, Environmental Sciences or Physics amounting to at least 180 CPs; or a first undergraduate degree in the natural sciences with evidence of successfully completed modules amounting to at least 12 credit points each in physics, 12 CP earth and environmental sciences, 12 CP mathematics, and at least another 12 credit points in the natural sciences.

You can read more about the subject-specific admission requirements in the respective admission regulations.

In the four-semester master’s program, you earn a total of 120 credit points, consisting of the following modules and your master’s thesis.

For additional information, please consult the subject-specific degree regulations or the Departmental Advisory Office.

This description is based in part on information from the Discipline-Specific Regulations for Study and Examinations for the Master’s Program in Climate, Earth, Water, Sustainability at the University of Potsdam dated February 10, 2021 (AmBek No. 10/21, p. 313).