University master's degrees
University Master's Degree in Master in Interdisciplinary Studies in Environmental, Economic and Social Sustainability

Advanced studies addressed at graduates in Environmental Sciences and many others who wish to incorporate environmental skills into their curriculum vitae

Official Master's Degree in Master in Interdisciplinary Studies in Environmental, Economic and Social Sustainability

Ideal student profile

The ideal master’s student should demonstrate a clear interest in the challenges of sustainable development in its environmental, economic, and social dimensions, and a personal motivation to contribute to its improvement from different areas of action —scientific, technological, managerial, and public policy—. The student is expected to be willing to work in interdisciplinary and international teams, as well as to show sensitivity to ethical, social, and equity issues related to sustainability.

The preferred entry profile corresponds to university graduates from fields of knowledge related to environmental, experimental, technical, or social sciences, as specified in section 3.1.b of this document. Likewise, an interdisciplinary background in environmental sciences and previous professional experience in sectors linked to sustainability are positively valued, as they contribute to enriching learning in the discipline.

Knowledge

  • Relate the advanced and interdisciplinary theoretical and methodological foundations of environmental, economic and social sustainability, with their application in research contexts and applied projects.
  • Define the principles, tools and advanced methodologies of industrial ecology, including Life Cycle Analysis and Material Flow Analysis, for the improvement of production and urban systems.
  • Describe the strategies and technologies for the sustainable management of waste and materials within the context of the circular economy, including their valuation and minimisation of impacts.
  • Describe the drivers, interactions, and types of impacts of global change (including climate change) on terrestrial and marine ecosystems, as well as on biogeochemical cycles.
  • Explain the methodologies for analysing and evaluating environmental changes at different scales in natural spaces, recognising their implications for conservation and management.
  • Define the theoretical principles and fundamental concepts of ecological economics, including the relationship between economics, biophysical systems, and equity issues.
  • Explain political ecology as a critical approach to understanding power dynamics, unequal ecological distribution, and environmental governance, in relation to environmental issues.
  • Describe the theories, concepts and resources for scientific communication and dissemination in the field of sustainability, considering the diversity of audiences and the ethics of communication.

Skills

  • Apply interdisciplinary knowledge and methodologies to address complex environmental, economic, and social sustainability issues in new or unexplored contexts aimed at improving products, processes, and services.
  • Be able to run computer programmes specialised in environmental and statistical analysis, within environmental studies.
  • Independently select relevant information in the scientific literature to support and propose research in the field of environmental studies.
  • Summarise knowledge, arguments and conclusions on sustainability in an academic format aimed at expert audiences, clearly and unambiguously, both orally and in writing.
  • Independently apply information and continuous training resources to update knowledge in sustainability.
  • Determine possible strategies for applying co-production tools in the field of transdisciplinary environmental studies.
  • Select relevant actors in the context of an interdisciplinary project in the field of sustainability.
  • Select the appropriate methodologies for each environmental, economic and social sustainability project, depending on its spatial scale.

Competences

  • Analyse complex socio-environmental problems considering interactions between ecological, economic, and social systems, from an interdisciplinary approach.
  • Design innovative strategies and proposals to solve current environmental challenges, using assessment tools and methods that allow for sustainable management of resources and ecosystems.
  • Implement sustainable management solutions, integrating the critical analysis of environmental impacts and the application of assessment tools (such as LCA, environmental valuation and climate scenarios) for the mitigation of complex problems.
  • Work effectively in international and interdisciplinary contexts, fostering inclusion and diversity, and engaging in collaborative projects to address complex global sustainability challenges.
  • Effectively communicate research results and environmental management strategies to expert and amateur audiences (academic, political, business, and social), adapting the message to the context and adopting a critical and inclusive approach.
  • Critically evaluate the ethical and social implications associated with the sustainable management solutions developed.
  • Propose measures to reduce social inequalities, paying particular attention to the gender perspective, in the development of sustainable management projects that take into account environmental, social and economic aspects in a comprehensive manner.
  • Demonstrate ethical responsibility and respect for fundamental rights, diversity and democratic values in the development of projects in environmental, economic and social sustainability.