Studying at the chair
The international Master´s programme Ecosystem Services provides students with the knowledge base and the methods to analyse pressing environmental problems and develop socially relevant solutions. A special focus lies on inter- and transdisciplinary approaches from the natural and the social sciences in order to conserve and sustainably use biodiversity, as well as to secure the sustainable provision of ecosystem services for present and future generations.
© N. Hagemann
Study contents
Ecosystem services as the direct and indirect contributions of ecosystems for human well-being are gaining increasing attention in science, politics and society. Identifying, mapping and capturing the values of ecosystem services and the integration of this knowledge in public and private decision-making are important objectives of national, European and international biodiversity and sustainability strategies. The M.Sc. programme Ecosystem Services is devoted to understanding the causes of biodiversity loss and ecosystem degradation, as well as to analysing their impacts on ecosystem functioning and human well-being in an interdisciplinary manner.
Compulsory courses include the basics of ecosystem services, biodiversity and ecosystem governance, as well as ecological economics. Courses on applied ecology, taxonomy, intercultural communication or empirical methods in social sciences complement the subjects taught in the first two semesters.
In the second half of their studies students can choose among a variety of optional courses to deepen their knowledge in fields such as Environmental Social Sciences, Ecology and Collections, Forest Sciences, Biotechnology or Spatial Development and Natural Resource Management. Depending on the focus area chosen, the courses are taught in Zittau, Görlitz, Dresden or Tharandt.
Additionally, students can acquire methodological skills (such as in quantitative methods in empirical social sciences or ecological modelling) and apply these in case studies. Students are also introduced to work with actors from the local to the international level. Alternatively, students can choose to spend a mobility semester abroad during the third semester. The fourth semester is dedicated to the Master´s thesis. Further information is provided in our Master´s programme flyer.
You can find more detailed information in the study documents of the master´s programme. Please note that only the German versions of the documents are legally binding that you find here. Below, we provide the legally non-binding English reading versions of the study documents:
If you are interested in writing your Master´s thesis at the Chair of Ecosystem Services, do not hesitate to contact us. We will gladly support you in defining a topic. For further information on the procedure, please refer to the examination and study regulations.