Master's Governance of Sustainability Transformations
To address sustainability challenges related to climate, water, energy, food and biodiversity, transformative changes are needed in the way we think, organise, decide and act. But how to bring such fundamental changes about? Can governments, businesses and civil society organise or steer these transformations? If so, how? What are the types of resistance and barriers to change? How is governance embedded in a turbulent, multi-level and polycentric world?
These are several of the big governance questions that are at the core of this exciting social science programme, which aims to educate future leaders and change-makers in governments, NGOs and academia. You will develop in-depth understanding of the sociological, political and legal dimensions of transformative governance and put this to work through future scenario-building exercises, individual and group-based skill and personal development sessions, an internship, a thesis and more. Small-scale collaborative learning is at the centre of this program in which the constructive dialogue between students and teachers is key. The programme’s embeddedness in one of the world’s leading life sciences university creates ample opportunities for the development of true interdisciplinary skills and science for impact, which are needed to address today’s and future grand sustainability challenges.
Why this programme?
- Join an advanced social science programme that applies governance knowledge to the causes and consequences of current and future global sustainability challenges in food, climate, water, energy and biodiversity systems.
- Become an expert in social science theories on transformative change processes across different scales of governance and regional contexts.
- Develop state-of-the-art research skills and methodologies to unpack the complexity of today’s sustainability challenges and to analyse the functioning, design, and implications of sustainability governance arrangements.
- Learn hands-on skills to develop solutions and scenarios for transformative and sustainable futures.
- Join an interdisciplinary and real-life consultancy project to solve real-world problems and become a responsible change-maker.
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Study programme of Governance of Sustainability Transformations
This is a two years programme, including five main courses, space for electives, a hands-on consultancy course, an internship, and a major thesis. If you want to know more, check the Programme of Governance of Sustainability Transformations.
Application and admission
If you have a BSc in in a relevant Social Science field (such as environmental policy, public administration, science & technology studies, sociology, political science, urban planning, international development studies) or a BSs in Environmental Sciences with a substantial social sciences component, you may be eligible for this master. Check Admission requirements and application procedures for more information.
Student experiences
The best way to get to know a place is by getting to know the people. Students share their experiences with you about the master's programme and student life in Wageningen on the page Student experiences.
In my experience, students attending on campus make special effort to include online students and are always willing to lend a helping hand where necessary.
Future career
As a graduate you have various career opportunities. Typically graduates of this master programme end up in a role in which they contribute to sustainable change, in (policy) advisory roles as part of governments, NGOs, start-ups and international organizations. Read more about Career perspectives and opportunities and stories of alumni.