Atmosphere, Climate and Ecosystems, Master's Programme

How is the program structured?

The program begins with four mandatory courses during the first semester:

1. Global change - problem, analysis, measures (ES2613)
2. Climate Change in an Earth System Perspective (GVN460)
3. Atmospheric Chemistry 1 (KEM171)
4. Nature based solutions – potentials, pitfalls and goal conflicts (ES2618)

In the second term of the first year, you choose a specialization in either atmospheric science, climatology, or ecosystems. Proposed courses within each specialization are listed below. You can also mix courses from more than profile.

Atmospheric Science:

Period 3: Energy and Environment: Processes, Efficiency, and Impacts (ES2417), 15 HEC
Period 4: Aerosols (KEM720), 15 HEC

Climatology:

Period 3, octil 1: Climate change history (GVN360), 7,5 HEC
Period 3, octil 2: Advanced Climate Data Analysis (GVN370), 7,5 HEC
Period 4: Earth Systems, Field Course, 15 HEC

Ecosystems:

Period 3: Plant ecophysiology in a global change perspective (BIO506), 15 HEC
Period 4: Plant ecology in a global change perspective (BIO503), 15 HEC

Year 2

In the final year, you do your degree project, which comprises 60 higher education credits (alternatively 45 higher education credits degree project + 15 elective higher education credits). 

Read more about the program's structure here

When do I need to apply for courses and how do I know which ones I can choose?

You are automatically admitted to the four introductory courses during semester one. You then have to apply yourself to the courses you want to study through www.antagning.se. The only exception is if you are doing a degree project that spans two semesters, in which case you will automatically remain registered for the course in the following semester.

The study advisor sends out program information before choosing the course for the coming semester. In the program information, you will find information for your particular cohort about which courses apply to you. These can be compulsory courses or proposals for courses.

To obtain a master’s degree in atmosphere, climate and ecosystems, you must have completed at least 75 credits in atmosphere, climate and ecosystems, of which at least 45 must be in the form of an advanced level thesis. Additionally, a total of at least 90 credits must be at the advanced level. However, there is room to supplement your education with courses in other relevant subjects.

You can find the complete course offerings for the University of Gothenburg under Find courses. You can sort them by subject, level, and semester, among other criteria.

Who decides on the program?

The bachelor’s program in environmental sciences is run by the Department of Biological and Environmental Sciences (BioEnv). The program board (“PRÅM”) is responsible for coordinating all environmental sciences programs. It is led by the program board chair, who is also the director of studies at the Department of Biological and Environmental Sciences.

Who should I contact?

If you have specific questions about our various courses and educational programs, please contact our study counselors or study administrators first. You can find the contact information at Service and support/Study counselling.

If you have more general questions about the education at the department, contact the education director (deputy head of department with responsibility for undergraduate education) or the program board chair. Contact information for staff at BioEnv (especially under Educational matters).

Contact information for those responsible at the Department of Chemistry and Molecular Biology, as well as the Department of Marine Sciences, can be found on their respective external websites.

Time for the thesis - what do I need to consider?

What is meant by a thesis?

The thesis is an independent project carried out within the framework of one of our degree project courses, aimed at providing you with in-depth knowledge in one of the research areas of biology and preparing you for work or further studies. Assessment is based on a written report as well as an oral presentation of your results. In addition, a number of lectures and seminars are included.

General information about theses in biology and environmental sciences and what to consider when looking for suitable projects can be found under Degree project(go to Your studies/Exams). There you can also find lists with current projects.

Also, see course-specific information on open course pages in Canvas (go to Search courses and search for ES2521 eller ES2561).

You need to find a supervisor and project yourself

All projects must have a supervisor. Typically, you will work in one of our research groups, where your project will be an important part of advancing research. This means you cannot expect to have the freedom to come up with your own project.

Every semester, we offer a variety of exciting and current projects. Your work can, for example, focus on climate, resource efficiency, energy issues, ecophysiology and much more. Regardless of focus, your work must be within the natural sciences, have a scientific question and deal with anthropogenic impact on the environment and/or opportunities to limit it. You are expected to have contacted potential supervisors within the university well before the course starts.

You may also find projects outside of the departments, for example, at companies or authorities. In that case, the project must first be approved by the course leader/examiner, and you must also have an internal supervisor affiliated with the university.

What is required to start a thesis?

To undertake a project course, you must have a bachelor's degree in natural sciences and be approved in the two introductory courses of the program; “Global changes - problems, analysis, measures” and “Climate change in an earth system perspective”. In addition, you must have applied for and been admitted to a degree course.

Which degree project course should I apply for?

ES2561/ES2521 Master Thesis in Atmospheric Science with orientation towards Environmental Sciences (45/60 HEC)

You apply for the course via antagning.se. The degree courses (both ES2521 and ES2561) starts at the beginning of the autumn semester in September. There is no web registration for these courses, that is you will be registered at the start of the course when your project has been approved by the course leader.

Please note! If you get registered on any other master thesis course than ES2521 or ES2561 you must apply for a credit transfer. You get the form for credit transfer from the study counsellor.