While the global challenges with respect to the environment and sustainability are huge and can only be addressed in an interdisciplinary approach, they also call for specialization. The Energy and Environmental Sciences (EES) programme provides a series of introductory courses that give a general overview of the problem-field, and then allows for specialization towards any of a broad range of subjects within energy or sustainability, treating it from a natural science perspective. However, it trains the students that the natural sciences/technical approach to, and solution for problems is only a part of the story and collaboration with other scientific disciplines is vital.

As the programme has a strong focus on the natural sciences; a bachelor’s degree in one of the natural sciences or related engineering studies is an entry requirement. The exact background, however, can be very different, both in discipline (e.g. Marine Biology, Engineering, Nuclear Physics, Astronomy, etc.) and in nationality and culture (about 50% of the students come from abroad and it is not unusual to have over 10 nationalities). This educational and cultural setting makes for a most interesting and challenging learning environment. Here you can benefit and learn from each other’s knowledge and backgrounds and become accustomed to working in interdisciplinary and intercultural teams.

Lecturers of the programme are staff members of the Energy and Sustainability Research Institute Groningen (ESRIG). Research groups within this institute are: Centre for Isotope research (CIO), Geo Energy, Integrated Research on Energy, Environment and Society (IREES), Energy Conversion (EC), Biomimetics and Nuclear Energy. Research within this institute covers a wide range of topics, from e.g. isotopes research to social acceptance of windmills, and staff members have a background in various natural science disciplines. You can conduct your master’s research project in one of the research groups of ESRIG as well as in an internship in a company. This means that an enormous variety of subjects is available and it is very likely that one of them suits you.

Around their graduation our students find jobs that suit their education and fit their interests. Universities (PhDs), energy companies, environmental consultancies, environmental NGO’s, industry and government are typical employers. These employers mention that the combination of a strong natural science foundation and the ability of working in an international/interdisciplinary context provides our students with extreme value.

Interested to hear what our students have to say? Listen to the first and second episode on this podcast to find out more about this Master's programme!