Ecosystem Services - a master’s degree that connects countries, culture, academic backgrounds through nature

One day you are sitting at home, reflecting upon your life, what you have achieved till that moment, what to do now? Probably, you just finished your Bachelor’s, or maybe you had already started working, but you had the feeling to get back to university for a master’s degree to enhance your capacities and open new doors. You start browsing the internet and find an interesting master’s degree in Germany. The biggest advantage of the master’s degree in “Ecosystem Services” is its accessibility to international students; the program is not only in English, but it is also open to students with different academic backgrounds. Not to mention, that Germany is a great country to study due to its accessible fees and good quality education. So, you decide to apply, and a new journey begins.

Nicole Heise

I came all the way from Peru and arrived in Zittau to start this master’s course. On the first day, I met my classmates, who told me about the process they went to arrive here. For many, this involved a year-long visa process and overcoming various challenges. We all came from different backgrounds but with the same hope to excel in our skills. Being in a new country and away from home was sometimes difficult, but as a student community, we learned how to support each other.

There are few opportunities for social scientists to study an environmental career, so, for me, as a sociologist, the Ecosystem Services master’s degree allowed me to have this opportunity. Although it turned hard at moments, as my last biology course was 10 years ago in School, my classmates were always supportive, sharing their ideas and previous knowledge. A year has passed since my new life here in Germany started, and I already feel more confident and at home. Right now, I am already in the second year of my studies and working as a tutor supporting students in their first semester.

Laura Hoffmann

For me as a Biologist, the economic and political parts were very new and difficult to grasp. My classmates supported me to understand concepts and struggles of the economy and politics regarding sustainability. We also could exchange different perspectives on nature and its services. For me, nature was always something that needed to be preserved because of its beauty and recreational value. During my studies, I quickly realized that the economic and social perspective of nature conservation is also very important to be included. Now I'm nearing the end of my studies and I'm excited to see what opportunities will open for me with this new interdisciplinary knowledge.

Experiences by Ricardo Urrego

In 2021, I obtained a Master's degree in Ecosystem Services at TU Dresden/IHI Zittau. Initially, I was looking for a master's in territorial planning and urban development, but I found the approach to urban ecosystem services something innovative and I decided to choose this over my other options. I liked the degree's interdisciplinary content, which gave me the background I needed for my master's thesis on urban ecosystem services and how they could be included in urban greening strategies. Nowadays I work for a consulting company in the areas of architecture/urban planning/sustainability and my knowledge on ecosystem services has been very useful when rating the ecological performance of new and in-use buildings, as well as some criteria of the environmental, social and governance (ESG) aspects in sustainability assessments.

What next?

As our testimonies show, one can learn a lot about all three pillars of sustainability – social, economic, and environmental – through interdisciplinary classes, but also about different cultures beyond the classroom. However, what comes after studying for a Master’s? For those who have been asked by their parents “what can one do with THIS master's degree?” one answer is definitely: do a PhD. Apart from TU Dresden itself, especially nearby research centres in Leipzig (Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research – UFZ and the German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle-Jena-Leipzig) are geographically and topic-wise close to “Ecosystem Services” and many students fulfil their internship at these institutes. Nevertheless, this Master also opens opportunities to build a very diverse network of people who are willing to support you following a different career.

Authors: Nicole Maria Heise Vigil & Laura Hoffmann