Master "Environmental Humanities"

The interdisciplinary master's program Environmental Humanities combines concepts, theories, and methods from the humanities, social sciences, and natural sciences to investigate the historical, cultural, ethical, and aesthetic dimensions of environmental and ecological issues, such as climate change, mass extinction, pollution, or resource depletion. The program focuses in particular on the cultural practices and patterns of thinking that have shaped modern humanity's conflicted relationship with its environment.

Environmental Humanities is an interdisciplinary program that offers students the opportunity to study across three faculties: the Faculty of Arts (Philosophische Fakultät), the Faculty of Human Sciences (Fakultät für Humanwissenschaften), and the Biocenter (Biozentrum). Disciplines involved in the program include English and American Studies, European Ethnology, Biology, Political and Social Sciences, Theology and Ethics, and many more. Additionally, students are integrated closely into ongoing Environmental Humanities research, publishing, and outreach, including the Environmental Humanities Colloquium, the Environmental Humanities Workshop Series, and the university's Nachhaltigkeitslabor WueLAB.

The program is taught in English and German, meaning that students need to have adequate skills (CEFR B2) in both languages. 

Environmental Humanities is designed for a study period of two years (four semesters) and can be studied as a single subject Master (120 credit points).

Who is this program aimed at?

Are you interested in exploring environmental challenges as cultural and societal questions, in addition to scientific ones? If you hold a B.A. or B.Sc. in a related field and enjoy interdisplinary exchange, this program offers you the opportunity to engage with students and faculty across different subject areas. In addition to research-focused work in fields such as literature, culture, and the environment, environmental ethics, environmental politics, education, or conservation biology, this program also provides space for practical academic work, science communication, and other ways of engaging environmental concerns in transdisciplinary ways.

Applications are accepeted once a year, and the deadline is July 15 (for the winter term). 

Further information (English | German).