Biology

This Master's specialisation offers an international programme for future water managers, combining ecology, hydrology and socio-economics.

What is the best way to handle invasive species in a river ecosystem? Or how do you protect a city like New Orleans from floods? In this double degree programme, you'll learn to tackle these kinds of problems on the basis of ecological, hydrological and social-economic aspects. We focus on ecological solutions, which are often more effective than technical adjustments. Think of estuaries with sea grass fields breaking the waves instead of reinforcing dikes, or self-purification of drainage-basins, making dredging unnecessary. The Master's specialisation in Transnational Ecosystem-based Water Management (TWM) is partly taught at Radboud University and partly at the University of Duisburg-Essen in Germany. This means that you'll profit from the expertise at two universities and become familiar with different cultures and research approaches. And after successful completion of the programme, you'll receive a German and a Dutch diploma. With that broad background, our graduates often find a job as manager or project leader, with an all-encompassing view in national or international water-related projects.

This Master's specialisation lets you dive into ecological issues on all size scales and connecting scientific findings to societal implications or environmental policies.

In this specialisation you'll be trained to become an environmental expert, analysing the human impact on nature. This might require a change of perspective: whereas biologists are used to argue from a specific organism, we start with a stressor, such as the emission of carbon dioxide or toxic agricultural pesticides. You'll learn to unravel the effects of such stressors on all size scales, from cells to ecosystems. This all-encompassing view is a great advantage at the job market, where there's a great need for environmental experts who can make the connection between science and society. Think of researchers, policy makers, risk analysers or project managers. Because we focus on aquatic ecosystems and wetlands, our graduates have a head-start when it comes to pertaining positions at water boards or within water-related projects. Interested in obtaining a double Dutch-German degree in this field of science? Please have a look at our double degree Master's in Transnational ecosystem-based Water Management .

Equipping you with the tools and skills to become a professional intermediary between science and society whilst getting a broader societal perspective that will be useful in a scientific career.

Science and technology clearly have a profound influence on society, but the reverse is also true: society significantly shapes the ways in which science and technology evolve. Economic interests, public opinion and policy shifts are decisive for the shaping of science and technology. However, experience has shown that scientists on the one hand and the general public, government and businesses on the other aren't always able to clearly understand one another. That is why experts with a background in science and an understanding of social processes are indispensable. This specialisation will therefore teach you how to build a bridge between scientific expertise and societal practices. You'll become a biologist, chemist, mathematician, etc. that reflects on the implications of scientific results and advises on how to turn this knowledge into practical use for policymaking or communication purposes. This reflection will not just be scientific; you'll also learn how to detect the philosophical, political and ethical side of issues. You'll make scientists familiar with social perceptions as much as you'll be advising governments and businesses or informing the general public.

For the theme Climate and Energy we created courses directly geared to students interested in management and innovation.

For the theme Health we created courses directly geared to students interested in management and innovation.

Only for Computing Science Master's