Globalization, Environment and Social Change

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Climate change and rapidly growing slum settlements in big cities are two examples of major global environmental problems. Within this programme you will learn how to explain the underlying social factors for natural disasters and the economic, demographic and political processes that are root causes of increased vulnerability. This requires an analysis of global socio-economic processes and knowledge of long-term earth system processes.

Purpose and learning objectives

The programme is designed for students with a background either in social sciences or in biology and/or earth sciences who want to develop a multidisciplinary perspective.

The overall aim of the programme is that students will develop a capacity to communicate across the disciplinary boundaries between social theory and natural sciences. Among the more specific aims are that students, after the programme, should be able to critically integrate knowledge from the socio-economic and bio-geographical spheres of study and make interdisciplinary analyses in the areas of globalization, environment and social change.

They should also be able to use interdisciplinary methods and theory and independently develop a research question, plan and carry out a study within the fields of globalization, environment and social change.

Programme content and structure
The first year consists of the four following courses: 1 Introduction Course: Globalization, Environment and Social Change (15 credits). 2 Global Climate and Environmental Change (15 credits). 3 Urbanization and Environment (15 credits). 4 Theory and Method (15 credits).

In the autumn semester of the second year, you take optional courses (15 credits) from a list of courses available at any of the three involved departments in order to provide for specialization. You also have 15 credits available for a course of free choice at any recognized university. The whole spring semester of the second year is devoted to writing your masters thesis (30 credits).

The Department of Human Geography hosts the Masters programme and cooperates with the Department of Economic History and the Department of Physical Geography and Quaternary Geology.

Degree and career options
You will improve your ability to communicate with different groups of people dealing with global environmental questions. This programme targets students who want to do research on global environmental and social issues or work at government authorities, international organizations and private companies.

General requirements for Master's programmes:- An academic degree (i.e. a Bachelors degree or the equivalent, at least 180 ECTS.) Stockholm University does accept applicants in their last year of Bachelor's studies. See note below: Previous university records- Proficiency in English, which must be demonstrated in one of the following ways: * IELTS score (Academic) of 6.5 or more (with no section scoring below 5.5) * TOEFL score 20 in written test, total score of 90 (internet based) * TOEFL score 4,5 in written test, total score of 575 (paperbased) * Cambridge/Oxford - Advanced or Proficiency levelTOEFL test scores must be sent directly from Educational Testing Service (ETS), to University Admissions in Sweden (institution code: SWEDEN 3477). English language test exemptions Some students may be exempt from submitting formal test evidence. These are: * Students who have a Bachelor's degree from a university where English is the only language of instruction, according to the latest edition of International Handbook of Universities. * Students who have a Bachelor's degree (a Swedish Kandidatexamen or equivalent academic qualifications) with English as the major subject. * Students with a 4-year university degree in Engineering, Science or Technology from India and Pakistan. * Students who have 30 HE credits from a Nordic country and the language of instruction of the course/programme/university is English. English Language Requirements IELTS band: 6.5 TOEFL paper-based test score : 575 TOEFL iBT® test: 90