Ecology and the Environment

The Ecology and the Environment master's programme prepares students for working with the management of ecosystems, ecological communities and populations, based on a thorough knowledge of ecological concepts and theories.

The programme has a critical scientific approach to ecology and to its applications in society. Students acquire training in practical areas such as: experimental design, data interpretation, ecological fieldwork and theoretical modeling, both in a classroom setting and during hands-on fieldwork.

We have a strong focus on the practical application of ecological knowledge in society, e.g. environmental and natural resource management, involving interaction with various stakeholders. The courses cover population ecology, community ecology and ecology systems theories, including their relation to current environmental problems. Furthermore, the programme has an internship period and one course that focuses on ecological decision support for forestry and agriculture. Students also have the opportunity to add elective courses to the curriculum, such as environmental impact assessment, for instance.

The key part of the programme is the one year master project where students apply their theoretical and methodological knowledge. The project can be linked to current research projects at the Biology department such as: conservation ecology, ecology of shallow waters, design and management of treatment wetlands, spatio-temporal ecology or population and community ecology. Alternatively, the master thesis can be done at universities or research institutes abroad, in fields like tropical ecology or ecological engineering.

This programme also emphasizes the need for and the use of mathematical models and statistical analyses to address complex ecological and environmental problems. Examples of such applications are: identification of crop management strategies for effective biological control, understanding the impact of life history strategies on the risk of population extinction in a variable environment, or evaluating the preservation status of nature reserves and how they should be managed.

Career opportunities

Graduates of the Ecology and the Environment programme are well prepared to work with environmental issues and conservation biology in areas such as: sustainable use of natural resources in forestry, agriculture or limnology. Graduates are also well prepared for further studies towards a PhD.

Degree: Master of Science with a major in Biology.

Course details

Year : 2015

Study Programme : ECO

Specialisation : ECO

Course code / Course name

1Ht1

• NBID53 Methods in Ecology

1Ht2

• NBID31 Modelling of Biological Systems
• NBID57 Population Ecology: Theories and Applications

2Vt1a

• NBID58 Ecological Applications in Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries

2Vt1b

• NBID47 In situ Conservation
• NBID58 Ecological Applications in Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries

2Vt2

• NBID59 Internship in Ecology

4Vt2

• NBID43 Communicating Science

Programme specific requirementsApplicants shall have:a bachelor's degree with a major in the field of biologyat least 5 ECTS credits in the field of ecology English Language Requirements IELTS band: 6.5 TOEFL paper-based test score : 575 TOEFL iBT® test: 90

Scholarships

LiU International Scholarships

Linköping University offers scholarships to new students with excellent academic results. Scholarships within the programme LiU International Scholarships will result in a tuition fee waiver.

Who is eligible?

• Students who have applied for master’s programmes at Linköping University in time (before 15 January)
• AND who have chosen a programme at Linköping University as the first priority (ranked as No.1 out of 4)
• AND who are required to pay tuition fees