45 Ecology Master's Degree Programs

Water challenges and ecosystem restoration are highly relevant topics on the global agenda. The Erasmus Mundus Joint Master in Applied Ecohydrology (MAEH) focuses on finding and implementing solutions that ensure the sustainability of the uses and good ecological status of water and aquatic ecosystems, by merging ecohydrology with water engineering and integrated water management. MAEH graduates will have the holistic perspective and technical knowledge needed for solving the complex and multifactorial problems of water security and aquatic ecosystems sustainability, now and in the future.

The goal of this program is to educate specialists for research, development, education, business, and the public sector to solve problems in modern biomedical sciences, environment, and ecology. You will gain a good knowledge of general principles of operation and pathology in live systems, the capabilities, and limitations of modern biophysical methods, principles of data analysis, and planning of the scientific investigation.

The study program meets the requirements of Directive 2005/36 / EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 7 September 2005 on the recognition of professional qualifications (this act has been changed, current consolidated version: 24/04/2020), which apply to regulated profession "veterinarian". The Master's degree program in Veterinary Hygiene and Ecology corresponds to the current state and level of science and the needs of practice in Europe. The study contains theoretical knowledge and enables the acquisition of the necessary practical skills needed for the performance of the profession, including employment in creative activities, and also prepares students for study in a doctoral study program.

The goal of the Ecology and Climate Change study program is to prepare ecology masters who understand the impact of climate change on ecosystem processes, principles and systems of environmental management and protection, factors influencing species diversity and distribution.

The master's degree in Ecology, Environmental Management and Restoration aims to train professionals capable of developing and applying preventive and corrective techniques to address aspects of environmental degradation problems and for the correct management of natural systems; and to train specialized, competitive researchers in the field of ecology to study populations, communities and the functioning of ecosystems.

Applied Ecology is a field within ecology that puts the science of ecology into practical use to address contemporary challenges. This includes the application of ecological concepts to environmental problem solving, policy, and management including the sustainable use and management of biological resources and services such as wildlife, fish, and forest. 

Would you like to answer ecological questions using molecular techniques? This unique master’s programme in Molecular Ecology will teach you how to do so while allowing you to combine ecology studies with molecular biology and bioinformatics. This new interdisciplinary field will provide you with several career opportunities.

Ecology and evolutionary biology offer a perspective on biology from the level of genes to communities of species. In the Master’s Programme in Ecology, Evolution and Biodiversity Conservation, you become familiar with a wide variety of topics in three areas: ecology, evolutionary biology and conservation biology.

Applied ecology is a crucial aspect of knowledge in today's world, taking into account one of the main challenges facing Man today: global changes and the consequent loss of biodiversity in ecosystems. In this way, it is intended with this Master in Applied Ecology that the student acquires an in-depth and specialized understanding of the main ecological processes, the issues related to the loss and management of Biodiversity, as well as its importance, including the interactions between the different components, biotic and abiotic, of the Ecosystems themselves. To this end, this Master offers a set of 6 Curricular Units of mandatory choice and 5 Curricular Units of flexible choice (Free Option I to V): this will allow for solid training in precise and essential tools for the analysis, management and conservation of biodiversity, namely experimental planning and ecological data analysis, not only of wild and urban biological resources, but also competences in science communication and learning outcomes; on the other hand, the flexibility of the study plan will allow each student to adapt their curriculum to their training interests, choosing areas such as bio-entrepreneurship or management or any other area offered to the 2nd cycle of studies by the University of Aveiro. The Curricular Unit Dissertation/Project/Internship will deal with an original theme in the area of ??applied ecology, at the student's choice, which may take the form of an internship in another external entity, namely companies, nationally or internationally, with whom the UA establishes collaboration protocols.

If this is an area that interests you, and you want to make a contribution to science and sustainability, a Master's programme in Ecology and Evolution at VU Amsterdam is for you. You'll study ecology from a plant, animal, fungal, bacterial and systems perspective. You'll also explore ecological and evolutionary processes at a molecular level and on a regional and global scale. In addition, you'll carry out field observations and experiments to identify evolutionary and/or ecosystem patterns and functions.

The Master’s programme in Ecology gives you a deeper knowledge of how fishing, forestry, river regulations, pollution and climate changes affect biodiversity and ecosystem function in forests, lakes, mountains and sea. You learn how to identify and characterize ecological problems, plan and execute research and analysis. The programme has a special profile in nature conservation.

The International Curriculum "Global Change Ecology & Sustainable Development Goals - GCE & SDG" aims to train a generation of scientists and managers able to analyze complex problems related to global change and to propose solutions for mitigation and adaptation with a multi-scale and multidisciplinary approach, applied to both natural and anthropized systems.

The Bio-Integrated Design MArch is a postgraduate program that combines principles of architecture, ecology, and biology to shape sustainable urban environments. The course explores how living systems can be integrated into built spaces, promoting de…

The Natural Systems Management programme aims to provide students with the latest theoretical and practical knowledge in the field of ecology, for the successful preservation and recovery of our natural and semi-natural ecosystems. Students learn to assess the balance of terrestrial ecosystems and to propose decisions enabling sustainability. They will develop competencies in the use of inland waterways and terrestrial natural resources.

The marine environment and coastal areas are of strategic importance associated with the large number of uses, resources and services they provide. A large part of the activities carried out in these environments can cause environmental impacts on the ecosystems and, on occasions, be a source of conflicts between users. This means that the sustainable management of the marine environment constitutes one of the basic objectives of the European Union to guarantee both environmental sustainability and the competitiveness of the economic activities that are nourished by this environment.

Aquatic ecosystems are both highly diverse and threatened by anthropogenic disturbances such as pollution, global change, eutrophication, harvesting, habitat loss, and fragmentation. These disturbances can have selective effects, or interact with selective factors, in a way that can impact evolutionary processes. As these processes may either promote population resistance/resilience through adaptation or accentuate the threat through maladaptation, understanding evolutionary forces at work in natural and disturbed aquatic environments is paramount to assessing the fate of biodiversity and managing it in a sensible way in the long term.