Welcome to the University of Gävle and Master in Sustainability Science - Enviroment and Decision Making
On this page you can read more about your programme, the introduction for international students and how to get started with your studies!
Get started with your studies!
To be able to use the university web services, register for your courses, take out library books and more, you need to first go through our "Five steps to get started".
Introduction Day for all our international students Autumn 2024
About the programme
Programme introduction and registration
Registration and an introduction to your programme will be held online 30 August at 13:00.
Programme information from your programme director
Welcome to the Master in Sustainability Science - Environment and Decision Making at the University of Gävle!
Waiting to meet you all at the end of the summer, I wish to give you here a brief reminder of some key details about the university study and the Master programme.
To study by distance
The Master in Sustainability Science – Environment and Decision Making is a full time (100%) online distance programme. This means that you can study in this Master programme wherever you are if you have access to a suitable internet connection. This may suggest that you can, to some extent, enjoy a high level of flexibility and freedom throughout your studies. However, studying by distance in this programme does not mean that you can decide your study schedule fully by yourself. Each course in this programme requires active engagement and attendance in several real-time online sessions and group tasks. Several courses may also require for you to schedule and attend to real-time online meetings with your classmates to carry out group activities for assignments and exams.
The schedule of each course will be available on the platform Kronox four weeks before the course starts. Instructions and details of each course will be provided through the learning platform Canvas.
Program structure
The two-year Master programme comprises 120 higher education credits and leads to the master’s degree in Sustainability Science. It means that one semester of full-time studies corresponds to 30 credits. The programme is arranged in a way that you will sequentially read full time courses of 7.5 credits throughout the entire programme, with a few exceptions, most notably the master's thesis, which comprises 30 credits and runs the last semester of the programme.
Read more about the start of autumn and spring term
Semester 1
The first semester of the programme starts on the 2nd of September 2024 (week 36). In this semester you will study the following courses:
Week 36-40 Sustainability Science and Systems Theory (7.5cr) - MIA006
Week 41-45 Philosophy of Science, Research Ethics, Quantitative and Qualitative Research Methods (7.5 cr) - MIA007
Week 46-50 Group Decision Making and Leadership for Sustainability (7.5cr) - MIA008
Week 51-03 Natural Resource Management and Resilience Building of Social-Ecological Systems (7.5cr) - MIA009
Please note that the courses in the first semester are particularly important since they are prerequisites to register to some courses in the second semester and second year.
Wishing you all the best for this enlightening journey of learning and discovery into Sustainability Science. Good luck with your studies!
Daniele Silvestro
Programme director of the Master in Sustainability Science – Environment and Decision Making at University of Gävle
In preparation for your first courses
Below you will find welcome letters for the first course(s) that you will take as part of your programme. You will find information about course registration, links to the course syllabus and reading list, timetable and more in your course welcome letter. Welcome letters for courses are published at the latest four weeks before the course start date.
Welcome information - Sustainability Science and Systems Theory (7.5cr)
Contact
If you have any questions about the programme, please contact the programme director, Daniele Silvestro.
E-mail: sustainabilitymaster@hig.se
Service and Support
Accommodation
You need to apply for accommodation yourself. Please remember to do it in good time before your arrival. The University of Gävle does not provide any student accommodation.
Free Microsoft Office
As a student at the University of Gävle you have the opportunity to install
Microsoft Office on up to five computers. The Office package includes Word, Excel, Powerpoint, Outlook and Onenote.
- Library
The library is located in the middle of campus and is open to everybody. You can reach all digital resources such as e-books and e-journals after logging in with your user account.
- Residence permit
- If you are a non-EU citizen you need to apply for a residence permit. Start the process of applying for a residence permit as soon as possible. This can be a slow process and take several months. It is therefore good to get started as soon as possible!
Student Centre
At the Student Centre you will meet knowledgeable staff that can assist you in just about anything regarding your studies at the University of Gävle. The Student Centre is located in building 22. You will also find a café in this area and TV displays showing current information and the daily timetabling. If you have any study-related questions, you can contact the Student Centre at studentsupport@hig.se
Student Support
- Sometimes you need help to manage your studies and student life. At the University of Gävle we have several support functions to help you deal with various study-related situations, such as, for example, study guidance counselling, student health and welfare, and support for disabled students.
Tuition fees
- If you have any questions about tuition fees, please find more information in our FAQ.
Web meetings with Zoom
- Zoom are a services for web meetings at the University of Gävle. You usually need a webcam and headset with a microphone.
- Web meetings with Zoom
Wireless network (wifi)
Eduroam (EDUcation ROAMing) gives you access to the Internet when you are staying on the University campus. It also provides internet access at other universities and colleges that are connected to eduroam. Eduroam also works at many airports, railway stations and hotels.