This master’s programme trains you to assess the sustainability of agro-ecosystems and to design environmentally sensitive land-management and conservation strategies. You will study how agro-ecosystems function across different world regions and learn practical and scientific measures for conserving partly or fully managed landscapes. The course emphasizes applied methods — from field and laboratory techniques to computational modelling — so you can evaluate and predict how land-management decisions affect biodiversity and ecosystem services.
The programme also builds communication and planning skills needed to work with land users, farmers and other stakeholders. Through team-based applied and research projects, you will practice planning and implementing conservation measures in agricultural landscapes, advising practitioners, and carrying out independent scientific work. Training focuses on adaptability to methodological, environmental and societal change, and on developing the social competencies required for working in diverse, interdisciplinary teams.
Key competencies and expectations
This double-degree MSc runs over four semesters (including the examination period) and always starts in the winter semester. Intake can begin either at the home university at the beginning of October or at the partner university abroad; if you begin at the partner institution, courses at the home university commence in the following summer semester and are then followed by the winter semester. Study combines modular, theory-based teaching with practice-oriented learning and culminates in a jointly supervised Master’s thesis that is defended in a colloquium.
The program’s first two semesters deliver an intensive core curriculum. Core topics in semester one build foundations in biogeography and ecosystem analysis, landscape ecology and agroecology, applied statistics, and project planning and implementation. Semester two focuses on global environmental challenges and international nature conservation, sustainable land management, advisory work in (agro-)ecological management, and project sampling and data processing. Students also select one elective from a list of applied options that include geoinformatics/remote sensing, ecological modelling, ecological restoration, molecular methods for conservation, and feeding ecology/wildlife–livestock management. Teaching and learning methods are application-oriented and include seminars, practical projects and exercises, and field excursions.
In semester three you study at a partner university abroad and follow the partner’s curriculum equivalent to 30 ECTS. The fourth semester is devoted to Master’s thesis research carried out at the partner institution but jointly supervised with the home university. Graduates will gain interdisciplinary, field-based and analytical skills—ranging from ecosystem assessment and statistical analysis to geospatial methods, restoration techniques and advisory competencies—preparing them for careers in sustainable land management, conservation practice, research or international environmental organisations.
This program requires applicants to hold a relevant undergraduate qualification and demonstrates a combination of strong academic performance and personal suitability. Your bachelor's degree (or a comparable three-year diploma) should be in a closely related subject so you have the foundational knowledge needed for advanced study and fieldwork. International degrees are acceptable if they are equivalent to the listed areas.
Candidates are also evaluated on overall academic merit and on personal motivation and interpersonal skills. The admissions process looks at transcripts and documented achievements to confirm above-average performance, and asks for a motivation letter that explains your interest and fit for the programme. Personal attributes such as clear communication, ability to work in teams, flexibility and adaptability to new situations are important for success in this double-degree, often collaborative and field-oriented, environment.
Admission requirements
Winter Semester (International)
15 March 2026
Winter Semester (EU/EEA)
15 March 2026
Graduates are prepared for careers planning and implementing nature conservation and sustainable land-management measures in agricultural and managed landscapes. Typical roles include environmental consultant, land/landscape manager, conservation practitioner with NGOs or governmental agencies, advisor to farmers and other land users, and project officer in national or international development projects.
The programme also provides a solid basis for scientific work and further research (PhD), particularly in agroecology, landscape ecology and conservation science, thanks to its methodological training (field and lab methods, modelling, geoinformatics) and joint thesis supervision across partner universities.