Admissions are open for the Joint MSc programme in Geography of Environmental Risks and Human Security. The joint master’s programme is being offered by the geography departments of the University of Bonn and the United Nations University, Bonn. The University of Bonn is a public research university in Germany. Established in 1818, the University has produced 11 Nobel laureates, 4 field medalists and its alumni include Karl Marx, Max Ernst, Friedrich Nietzsche, Jurgen Habermas, Carl Schmitt as well as many influential thinkers and scientists. The United Nations University is the academic arm of the United Nations and acts as a think-tank conducting research on the environment and human security.
The main purpose of the two-year Master of Science programme is to provide postgraduate students with detailed knowledge, critical understanding, strategies and the tools required to take an interdisciplinary approach towards environmental risks and human security. The Master’s programme addresses theoretical and methodological debates in geography to better understand the complex emergence of environmental risks and natural hazards, their implications for human-nature relations (vulnerability, resilience, adaptation) and how to deal with them in practice.
As a joint programme offered by the Department of Geography at the University of Bonn and the United Nations University, the course provides a unique combination of advanced conceptual and applied engagements within the field of environmental risks and human security in an international context. Fields of expertise include Vulnerability Assessment, Ecosystem Services, Sustainable Development, Disaster Management, Climate Change Adaptation, Human-Nature Relationships, Science & Technology Studies, Development Geography, Geomorphology, Socio-Hydrology, Future Studies, GIS and Remote Sensing.
The Master’s programme offers great visibility and exposure to international organizations, federal agencies, academic and non-academic research organizations, as well as private companies and corporations involved in disaster risk reduction and preparedness, humanitarian aid, international relations, research on climate change, food security, spatial planning and policy. Career opportunities could be explored in all these areas depending on individual interests and professional goals.
To be eligible for the course, the applicants must have a higher education qualification (Bachelor’s degree or equivalent) in Geography or a related/relevant academic field. All applicants need to provide proof of their English language proficiency. Moreover, a strong motivation to contribute to the area of human security and management of risks related to environmental change is a necessary attribute to study this Master’s Programme. Also, this Joint Master’s is part of a select group of international postgraduate degrees that benefits from the EPOS funding scheme offered by the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD). A number of fully-funded scholarships can be offered to students from developing countries through this scheme.
For further information regarding this master’s programme, please click here.
