Master's Programme in Public Planning for Sustainable Development

The focus of the program is sustainable development as a vital challenge to our society, which needs to be seriously addressed by the government and public administration. The program is a cooperation between human geography, political science, and sociology and is a one-year Master's program of 60 credits.

In the first semester, you take multidisciplinary courses that focus on sustainable development as a political and professional challenge and contribute to theoretical and empirical insights into the complexity of different environmental problems and their connection to social and economic dimensions. You will develop an understanding of how environmental problems are framed and how these frames impact what strategies and solutions are chosen, as well as help, explain why some problems are not handled at all.

You will also gain knowledge of what the role as a professional public official and planner can, and ought to, mean when working for a more sustainable society. Sustainable development is further described and analyzed from a comparative perspective to give insights into why and how conditions, problem patterns, and strategies vary around the world. In the courses, we problematize theoretical perspectives on sustainable development and apply theories in relation to concrete cases of sustainable planning. The methods of instruction are varied and include practical applications and problem-based learning (PBL).

During the second semester, you choose between three courses that are focused on sustainable development with a specialization in either human geography, political science, or sociology. These three courses start with a joint course module in method and analysis, which develops your insights and skills in methods and analyses of particular relevance to sustainable development. You practice your abilities and skills in operationalizing by working with different sustainability indicators and by working creatively to develop new, alternative indicators. You will also have the opportunity to develop your knowledge and abilities in traditional field studies. In addition, you will acquire knowledge and skills in forward-looking studies, like scenario techniques and prognosis. The second semester ends with thematic studies and an independent project.