What will you learn? - Natural Resources Management - Master's Programme
What will you learn?
Do you want to contribute to the UN's sustainability goals through natural resources management?
The Master in Natural Resources Management programme is a two-year international interdisciplinary programme, consisting of the specializations Biology and Geography.
The specially designed programme gives the students an understanding of the importance of managing natural resources sustainably, while developing an understanding of the connections between different disciplines and actors. It will also help you to be able to communicate with actors across disciplines. This programme aims to give an outstanding, and unique, education and the required knowledge that will contribute to finding sustainable solutions to interdisciplinary challenges related to the management of natural resources.
The study program contributes to NTNU’s strategy «Knowledge for a better world», as well as the strategy at the Faculty of Natural Sciences whose vision is to achieve the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.
Management of natural resources
Natural resources provide us with essential ecosystem services such as clean water, energy, minerals, and biological resources in terrestrial, aquatic and marine ecosystems, crucial for human well-being. However, the increasing demands for these natural resources due to the growth of the human population combined with the decline of infinite resources urgently calls for a shift towards a more sustainable management.
Such management requires an interdisciplinary approach encompassing in-depth knowledge about specific resources as well as a holistic perspective, including ecological, economic, and social aspects. It also requires a strong ability to communicate to establish dialogues between the different disciplines involved. This can include between the stakeholders and a good understanding of the connections between other actors.
Specialisations:
We offer a two-year international research-based MSc programme integrating Norwegian/Nordic and international students. The Master’s in Natural Resources Management is an interdisciplinary cooperative programme involving two NTNU faculties, administrated by the Faculty of Natural Sciences (NV).
The programme offers two specialisations:
- Biology
- Geography
The Master’s in Natural Resources Management comprises a total of 120 ECTS credits. The average workload for a full-time student during one academic year is 60 ECTS credits. The study is structured around four core courses, elective courses and a master’s thesis (60 ECTS credits). The Master’s thesis work will involve students in ongoing research projects and national/international issues suited for the individual student according to their specialisations. Each student will be assigned an academic supervisor from a relevant research group.
Learning outcomes
Learning outcomes
Learning outcome
Knowledge
After completing Natural Resources Management, the MSc graduate will be able to:
- Demonstrate substantial interdisciplinary knowledge about sustainable management of natural resources related to the research in general and within the specialization.
- Demonstrate substantial knowledge in a specific area within the field of natural resource management based upon the research experience from their own masters projects.
- Demonstrate substantial knowledge about choosing the relevant methodological and analytic approaches appropriate for their masters projects.
Skills
After completing Natural Resources Management, the MSc graduate will be able to:
- Independently carry out a scientific work process, including the theoretical background, hypotheses generation, collection and analysis of data, and the interpretation of, and the reflection on results and their presentation under supervision, according to scientific and ethical norms.
- Critically evaluate methods and results within the fields of specialization.
- Contribute in a multidisciplinary team towards the management and sustainable use of natural resources, including ethical dilemmas regarding perceived justice in resource allocation conflicts, and
- Implement regulations within Health- Environment and Safety in general, and within the specialization in particular.
General competencies
After completing Natural Resources Management, the MSc graduate will be able to:
- Work on a project independently and in collaboration with others in interdisciplinary groups with expanded perspectives of the prerequisites for good interdisciplinary teamwork.
- Communicate research results to specialists and to a broader audience in written and oral presentations in English.
- Contribute to innovative thinking within the specialization in particular.
Specialization: Biology
The MSc Student choosing a specialization within biology will hold an in-depth knowledge within the fields of conservation biology and/or ecology. The student specializing in biology will through the master project acquire in-depth knowledge within a research topic directly or indirectly related to the natural resource management issue in question.
In addition to the learning outcomes common to both specializations the MSc Students in Natural Resources Management (described above) the MSc graduate specializing in biology will be able to:
Knowledge
- Demonstrate a deep understanding of ecological and evolutionary processes within the field of biology, and in particular, how these relate to natural resource management.
- Demonstrate advanced knowledge about biological diversity, ecosystem services and other aspects of conservation biology and how this knowledge can be applied to find environmentally sustainable solutions.
Proficiency/Skills
- Evaluate and apply relevant theory, methods and analytic approaches within the respective field of biology, including statistical methods.
- Integrate knowledge from several research fields within biology and how this can be applied to environmental issues.
Specialization: Geography
The MSc Student choosing a specialization within geography will hold an in-depth knowledge about selected geographical concepts and theories, and the necessary skills for applying this competence to natural resource management issues, including an in-depth competence in relevant geographical research methods. The student specializing in geography will through the master project acquire in-depth knowledge within a research topic directly or indirectly related to the natural resource management issue in question.
In addition to the learning outcomes common to both specializations MSc Students in Natural Resources Management the MSc graduate specializing in Geography will be able to:
Knowledge
- Demonstrate a deep understanding of general concepts and theories in the field of geography, in particular how these relate to natural resource management.
- Demonstrate knowledge about research fields in geography such as environmental geography, political ecology, natural resource management or other relevant specializations in geography, and how this knowledge can be applied to environmental issues.
Proficiency/Skills
- Evaluate and apply relevant theory, methods and analytic approaches within the field of geography on natural resources management issues.
- Integrate knowledge from several research fields and disciplines and apply this to real situations.
- Apply geographical knowledge as well as knowledge about management of natural resources in public administration, governmental and non-governmental organisations »