Is this program right for you?  

Rate on a 5-point scale how applicable the following statements are to you:  

For the “Master of Science (MSc) in Environmental Governance and Adaptation to Climate Change” program: 

1. I am passionate about protecting and restoring environment and want to deep-dive into the complexities of air, soil, water pollution, and biodiversity loss.
2. I am curious about the scientific principles underlying climate change and its impacts, which inform environmental policies and regulations.
3. I thrive on problem-solving and seek to explore innovative solutions for addressing environmental challenges, from renewable energy to natural resource management.
4. I am committed to making a positive impact on the environment through effective governance and adaptive strategies, both locally and on a global scale.
5. I am eager to learn from experts working in different fields, ranging from climatology and public policy to biological oceanography and ecosystem restoration.  

18-25 points "This curriculum is perfect for you!"  

Your values and interests seem to match the objectives of the curriculum to a large extent. Our curriculum offers you the opportunity to deepen your knowledge and skills. Your positive attitude, passion and previous experience will set you in good stead to study this curriculum and become a future professional. We welcome you to study! 

13-17 points "You are well equipped to study the curriculum."  

It seems that your interests and values match quite well with the objectives of our curriculum. Studying with us will give you additional knowledge and skills, as well as confidence and a deeper understanding of the subjects that interest you. We encourage you to take this opportunity to grow both personally and professionally. Take this step and start studying!  

0-12 points "We are not sure whether this curriculum is the right choice."  

At the moment, it seems that your interests and goals don't quite match the objectives of the curriculum. This doesn't mean that you can't still advance your knowledge and skills in this area, although we encourage you to consider other options that better match your current interests and future plans. Find out more about our other specialisations! 

What and how will you learn? 

In what areas will you gain in-depth knowledge?  

• You will get the lay of the land covering a wide range of environmental and climatic areas, such as weather science; carbon cycle; biodiversity; circular economy, ecotechnology, among others. 

What will you learn?  

• You will get the knowledge and skills essential to succeed in environment and climate careers in public and private sectors, or within academia. Courses offered to prepare students as future professionals and leaders include Pollutants in environment and ecotoxicology; Environmental management and policy; Atmospheric and climate sciences; Energy flow and material cycles; Wastewater and sludge treatment technologies; Mineral resources of future and mining technologies; Geospatial analysis with Python and R; Introduction to programming, among many others.
• As a Master-level student, you can successfully complete your mandatory and elective courses during the first three of all four semesters. You can reserve your fourth and very last semester for your thesis, in which you go deep into your research topic guided by your supervisor at any, or both, of the two universities.
• To see the detailed course distribution over the four semesters please visit ÕISlink opens in new page. 

How will you gain practical experience? 

• The degree program includes fully practical courses such as Practical Course in Environmental Biotechnology and Ecotechnology; Practical Training in Environmental Monitoring and Sampling; Practical Training in Ecological Engineering; and Estonian Nature and Cultural Landscapes. These courses are designed for participants to get hands-on experience in different departments in the field of environment. Generally, that involves lab work or field work or both. In the end, participants write an academic report, as guided by the course instructor, and may also present in front of class. Participants get to scientifically monitor, collect empirical evidence (like soil and water samples) and report their findings. Be it identifying tree species, measuring tree heights/age and vegetation sampling in a forest, or root analysis and DNA testing inside a lab. Special emphasis is placed on developing report-writing and public-speaking skills among participants.
• Courses like Wastewater Treatment and Solid Waste Management, which mostly demand on-desk learning inside and outside class, also include field trips built in into their respective course plan. Students get to visit Tartu’s sewage treatment and recycling facilities as part of their studies to get a real feel of how things are managed in the real world. 

Virtual tours of University of Tartulink opens in new page’s and Estonian University of Life Scienceslink opens in new page’ campuses are available online. 

Contact for admission requirements: [email protected]

Is this programme right for you?  

Rate on a 5-point scale how applicable the following statements are to you:  

1. I enjoy experiencing different kinds of outdoor spaces.
2. I am interested in how we can make cities more liveable.
3. I would like to find ways of combining science with art.
4. I like to use my creative talents to produce new ideas.
5. I want to help to make the environment more sustainable. 

18-25 points "This curriculum is perfect for you!"  

Your values and interests seem to match the objectives of the curriculum to a large extent. Our curriculum offers you the opportunity to deepen your knowledge and skills. Your positive attitude, passion and previous exposure will set you in good stead to study this curriculum and become a future professional. We welcome you to study!   

13-17 points "You are well equipped to study the curriculum."  

It seems that your interests and values match quite well with the objectives of our curriculum. Studying with us will give you additional knowledge and skills, as well as confidence and a deeper understanding of the subjects that interest you. We encourage you to take this opportunity to grow both personally and professionally. Take this step and start studying!  

0-12 points "Not sure if this curriculum is the right choice."  

At the moment, it seems that your interests and goals don't quite match the objectives of the curriculum. This doesn't mean that you can't still advance your knowledge and skills in this area, although we encourage you to consider other options that better match your current interests and future plans. Find out more about our other specialisations! 

What and how will you learn? 

In what areas will you gain in-depth knowledge?  

• You will learn how to plan and design complex landscape projects in sensitive locations ranging from urban to rural. You will be planning and designing various types of spaces for people - at different scales and in detail. You will soon possess the relevant theories and research evidence providing support for practical landscape design solutions. We also want you to be applying advanced graphical techniques for presenting design works. You will get to know how to prepare and conduct a piece of original research, how to conserve, restore and protect natural and cultural landscapes. You will familiarize yourself with territorial planning and impact assessment of development projects. Finally, you will have knowledge about being a professional and running a business. 

What will you learn?  

• Planning and design of outdoor recreation in sensitive natural environments such as forests, lakes, or wetlands.
• Contemporary landscape theories of relevance for the profession.
• How to design different types and sizes of urban public spaces, such as parks and squares, from the planning level to detailed design, construction, planting design and after care.
• How to maximise the potential of landscapes for human health and wellbeing.
• Advanced presentation graphical methods and tools to suit your own style.
• Landscape and visual impact assessment of potential development projects.
• Research methodology and how to conduct and write up an original piece of research.
• Protection and restoration of cultural heritage sites.
• Professional practice and entrepreneurship.
• To see the detailed course distribution over the four semesters please visit ÕISlink opens in new page. 

How will you gain practical experience? 

• Over half of the teaching and learning takes place in studios where practical planning and design work takes place, either in groups of students or individually, with consultations from different tutors. Studio courses typically last for several weeks as a concentrated block. The project course “Outdoor recreation planning and design” takes an extensive natural environment where there is potential to develop facilities and activities for the benefit of local residents and visitors. This is often a location under management by the state forest management centre (RMK) and we have briefing and feedback from staff working there. The course “Landscape design and construction” uses a real example of a project and develops it from an early stage into a complete project, with critique and feedback from several professionals. The individual master thesis can be another complete design project or a full individual research, depending on the preferences of the individual student and their future direction.
• All studio projects are based on real life locations, often the subject of active planning projects of suggested by external organisations. These enable you to work in realistic conditions and to have the benefit of external stakeholders’ views and feedback on your work.
• There are many field trips to examine different landscapes and to collect materials for the studio projects. These take place around Estonia, including forests and natural areas and different urban sites. They allow for the theoretical aspects to be demonstrated on site under real conditions and to collect data for use in the projects.
• Practical training through internships with private or public offices is a mandatory feature for all students and this helps to ensure that the course teaching can be applied in real situations. Organisation who offers internships provide meaningful training and give feedback to you and the department on how successful the experience was.
• There is a computer class with up-to-date versions of all programs you will need, free to use outside formal teaching times. 

Contact for admission requirements: [email protected]