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

Study guides

Master description

The master’s degree comprises three specialisations, one of which students are required to complete, as well as a compulsory common component shared by all specialisations.

The programme curriculum is structured as follows:

As regards the compulsory subjects common to all specialisations, excluding the Master’s Dissertation (TFM), the programme includes one subject in the first semester, one annual subject, and one subject in the second semester. The first (Interdisciplinary Concepts of Environmental, Economic and Social Sustainability: Theory and Practice of Interdisciplinarity) focuses on interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary working methodologies. The second (Interdisciplinary Concepts of Environmental, Economic and Social Sustainability: Interdisciplinary Project) consists of a project in which students are required to apply this knowledge. The third (Interdisciplinary Concepts of Environmental, Economic and Social Sustainability: Scientific Communication and Dissemination) focuses on scientific communication and dissemination, enabling students to apply these skills in the common project subject, Interdisciplinary Concepts of Environmental, Economic and Social Sustainability: Interdisciplinary Project, and in the Master’s Dissertation. The remainder of the first semester comprises the two compulsory specialisation subjects: Industrial Ecology and Waste Management; Global Change and Analysis and Management of Natural Areas; or Fundamentals of Ecological Economics and Political Ecology, depending on the specialisation chosen, and one elective subject, to be selected from three options. The three options offered in the first semester (Geographic Information Systems, Qualitative Methods for Research in the Social Sciences, and Environmental Law: Essential Foundations for Professionals) are the most methodological and fundamental subjects on the master’s programme.

In the second semester, excluding the compulsory common master’s subjects mentioned above, most of the programme’s elective subjects are offered. Students must select three subjects from the nine available: Corporate Social Responsibility: Corporate Sustainability Reporting; Sustainable Transport and Mobility Policies; Urban Ecology; Climate Change; Biocultural Diversity; Water Management; Tools for Analysing Societal Metabolism; Global Change Mitigation and Adaptation Strategies; and Internships in Institutions. Students also complete the Master’s Dissertation.

Teaching timetable

Classes will usually be held in the afternoons at the Faculty of Science. Occasionally, field trips will also be scheduled in the morning or as full-day activities.

Detailed schedule for the academic year 2026-27.

Study plan structure

 

	Compulsory	Optional	Final Project
First Year	15	35	10
Totals	15	35	10

Specializations

• Specialisation in Industrial and Urban Ecology
• Specialisation in Science and Management of Global Change
• Specialisation in Ecological Economics

Compulsory training

First semester 45780 - Interdisciplinary Concepts of Environmental, Economic and Social Sustainability: Theory and Practice of Interdisciplinarity Second Semester 45782 - Interdisciplinary Concepts of Environmental, Economic and Social Sustainability: Scientific Communication and Dissemination 45795 - Master's Degree Dissertation Yearly 45781 - Interdisciplinary Concepts of Environmental, Economic and Social Sustainability: Interdisciplinary Project

Optional subjects

43054 - Analysis and Management of Natural Landscapes (1) (3) 45789 - Climate Change ( 5 credits ) 42404 - Global Change ( 9 credits ) (1) (3) 45790 - Biocultural Diversity ( 5 credits ) 45785 - Environmental Law: Essential Foundations for Professionals ( 5 credits ) 42405 - Industrial Ecology ( 9 credits ) (2) (3) 42406 - Political Ecology (1) (2) 45788 - Urban Ecology ( 5 credits ) 45792 - Tools for Analysing the Metabolism of Societies ( 5 credits ) 45793 - Strategies for Mitigation and Adaptation to Global Change ( 5 credits ) 42407 - Foundations of Ecological Economics ( 9 credits ) (1) (2) 45791 - Water Management ( 5 credits ) 42408 - Waste Management (2) (3) 45784 - Qualitative Methods for Research in Social Sciences ( 5 credits ) 45794 - Work Placement ( 5 credits ) 45786 - Corporate Social Responsibility: Company Sustainability Report ( 5 credits ) 45783 - Geographical Information Systems ( 5 credits ) 45787 - Sustainable Transport and Mobility Policies ( 5 credits )

(1) Students who choose the Specialization in Industrial and Urban Ecology will not be able to take the specific courses of the other specializations, namely:

(2) Students who choose the Specialization in Science and Management of Global Change will not be able to take the specific courses of the other specializations, namely:

(3) Students who choose the Specialization in Ecological Economics will not be able to take the specific courses of the other specializations, namely:

Specialisations

ECTS to be taken : 15.0

Specialisation in Science and Management of Global Change	Specialisation in Ecological Economics
43054 - Analysis and Management of Natural Landscapes 42404 - Global Change ( 9 credits )	42406 Political Ecology 42407 Foundations of Ecological Economics ( 9 credits )
Specialisation in Industrial and Urban Ecology
42405 - Industrial Ecology ( 9 credits ) 42408 - Waste Management

All subjects are worth 6 credits unless otherwise stated.
All optional subjects are not scheduled each year.