M.Sc. "Sustainability, Society and the Environment" (SSE)

Goals and target group of the programme

The SSE programme has been designed to empower students to become change leaders for sustainable development. The programme helps you to develop your competences in two complimentary areas:

  1. Research skills to analyze social, environmental and economic challenges of sustainable development.
  2. Creative and entrepreneurial skills to develop and implement sustainability projects and social enterprises.

We look for applicants with a strong motivation to make this world a better place. We expect successful applicants to have been actively engaged in sustainable development and social innovation initiatives, either as volunteers, in internships, or in jobs.

Kiel School of Sustainability and the master SSE attract a highly diverse group of students, from Germany and many other countries, with a wide range of previous degrees and practical experiences. The programme is taught in English.

Learning approach

The SSE programme is focused on problem solving based learning. In the SSE's "sustainability lab", students plan and implement their own projects, equally research projects as sustainability projects and social enterprises. In addition to project-oriented learning, students choose from a wide range of modules in geography, social and environmental sciences, environmental and resource economics, and sustainable development in coastal zones. The SSE provides a high degree of freedom to design your individual learning programme. You should bring strong motivation to work independently and in small student teams.

Career opportunities

Graduates of the MSc Sustainability, Society and the Environment have been employed in sustainability-related roles in organisations such as:

  • social enterprises, often their own organizations and startups
  • local government
  • research institutions (PhD positions)
  • national sustainability policy think tanks
  • non-governmental organizations
  • further education
  • environmental and social consultancy
  • local and regional climate protection agencies
  • development cooperation
     

What our students like about the programme

It's brilliant, adaptable, and there's a lot of passion behind it. 

The international students and their diverse backgrounds make the program appealing to me. I can choose whether I would like to study more practical (i.e., choosing the changemaker path) or more theoretical (i.e., choosing the research path). This also gives me the opportunity to try out different things before starting my career. 

The SSE programme offers a wide range of perspectives from different disciplines (social sciences, economics, political sciences, philosophy, environmental sciences) and therefore helps to grasp the complexity and different narratives/needs for transformation. I like that it enables practical, real-world studies grounded in theoretical frameworks.

I like that the SSE program is international and interdisciplinary. We're able to choose classes from different faculties, have the opportunity to get practical and locally implement ideas for the change we want to make. Interaction between students is supported and encouraged, and I love how inspiring everyone in our program is, due to our very different backgrounds of studies and countries. 

I love how disciplines are thought jointly and how international the environment is. I enjoy being around my cohort as it is a great size to know everybody.

Improves critical thinking; interdisciplinary approach; interesting modules; being closer to the professors; small and intense groups; exchange with likeminded people; activist character.

I really like the freedom to think, plan, and develop which ever project you want.

Flexibility, small working groups, close contact with teaching staff.

Freedom, nice people, constructive way of working with another.

International learning group, lots of freedom and flexibility in the study.

Diversity, feeling welcomed, feeling appreciated by the lecturers as well and feeling like everyone is really motivated to change the world. And the feeling that having impact beyond the university context is possible here.

What our students would like to tell prospective applicants

Moving to Kiel is definitely recommended!

You are joining a really strong programme with plenty of other like-minded students.

The programme is to help oneself flourish. It provides a variety of topics one can choose from and pushes you towards thinking more critical and tries to implement holistic approaches. In the end it is your own responsibility to take it further. If one is motivated you get good support that helps you to develop.

This programme is unique in a sense that the modules and the main programme class stimulates students not only to think about what project/research they want to carry out but also to gain a lot insights on how to implement projects/research. This is a lot helpful in terms of pursuing future career path.

Be prepared to study among a highly sustainability-driven cohort and to be fully invested in the program for two years. Although I personally work next to the programme it might be very challenging to people who feel like they can't deal with too many things at a time.

The project module is really demanding great personal effort, but you will learn a lot and become way more autonomous. You'll find inspiring and very well qualified fellow students in SSE. 

It's good to be clear on what your interests are as otherwise you may find it hard to choose modules, they are so wide-ranging and all very interesting!

SSE gives you the option to conduct a change project, that might only last during your master programmes time, but is still worthwhile, because you learn so much along the way about project planning, team, management etc. Furthermore SSE provides you with theories and concepts for critical thinking about the current system and the socio-ecological crisis

It really is a lot of work, but worth it!

Tuition fees

Kiel University does not charge tuition fees.

The student services organization charges a fee of 250,-€ per semester.

This includes free public transport in the State of Schleswig-Holstein and Kiel.