This two-year, English-taught Master of Science trains students to create sustainable solutions across the whole raw materials value chain — from exploration and extraction to materials development and recycling — with the ultimate goal of supporting a circular economy. The curriculum emphasizes both technological and systemic approaches, so you learn to reduce environmental impact while improving economic performance across extraction, processing and recovery stages.
The programme is delivered by a consortium of three European universities that together cover the full spectrum of raw materials expertise. Uppsala University contributes strengths in exploration of rare geo-resources and offers innovation management and entrepreneurship training. TU Bergakademie Freiberg brings expertise in sustainable, environmentally sound extraction technologies. Ghent University adds leading competence in circular economy, resource recovery from waste, and sustainability assessment. Close collaboration with industry partners feeds practical insights into teaching and project supervision.
Graduates are prepared as T-shaped professionals: they gain a broad, multidisciplinary understanding of the entire value chain plus in-depth knowledge in selected topics. The course places particular weight on innovation management, entrepreneurship and project-based work — often supervised with active involvement from non-academic partners — so students develop the skills to design new technologies, re-engineer material cycles and implement more sustainable value-chain solutions. That combination of research, education and innovation makes graduates highly attractive to employers across industry, research and policy sectors.
Key facts & features
Overview
In the first year students gain an integrated, hands‑on introduction to the raw materials value chain and the sustainability challenges of a circular economy. The programme begins with a semester focused on recovery, extraction and sustainable mining technologies, followed by a three‑week intensive course in September at TU Freiberg that covers the mineral process chain. The second semester takes place at Uppsala University, where training emphasizes georesource exploration, entrepreneurial thinking and problem‑based technology development. All first‑year students are formally registered at each of the three partner universities, which promotes strong academic networking and social cohesion across campuses.
Key modules and learning outcomes
Course work in year one develops both technical and applied chemistry knowledge — including ore deposit chemistry, precipitation and extraction kinetics, and the chemical basis of hydro‑ and pyrometallurgical processing and recycling — preparing students to design and evaluate recovery and recycling technologies. In the second year students choose a focused major (taught at one partner university) to deepen specialist skills in areas such as georesource exploration, sustainable process engineering, resource recovery and materials, circular societies or sustainable entrepreneurship. Practical experience is reinforced through a supervised internship with an industry or research partner and culminates in a Master’s dissertation worth 30 ECTS, demonstrating the student’s ability to carry out independent research or applied development in sustainable natural resource management.
Program requirements (concise)
Overview
This programme is aimed at students with a strong science or engineering background who want to work on sustainable and innovative management of natural resources. Applicants typically come from disciplines such as chemical engineering, chemistry, environmental science/engineering, geology, geophysics, mining engineering, mineralogy, materials science, metallurgy, bioscience/biotechnology, and process engineering, though other closely related fields are also considered. The course requires solid foundational knowledge in mathematics/physics and chemistry, good academic results, and a clear motivation for how the programme fits your background and career goals.
Admissions decisions are made by the SINReM Student Selection Committee based on the academic record and motivation. You must complete the full online application (uploading all required documents) for your application to be reviewed — eligibility or documents will not be assessed via email. If your prior degree lacks some required coursework but you have outstanding grades, you may still be offered a place but should expect to spend extra time in the first year to build any missing fundamentals.
Admission requirements (summary)
Winter Semester (International)
28 February 2026
Winter Semester (EU/EEA)
31 May 2026
Graduates are prepared for technical and leadership roles across the raw materials sector, including sustainable mining and extraction, resource recovery and recycling, sustainable materials development, process engineering, and consulting. The programme’s close ties to industry and emphasis on innovation and entrepreneurship also make alumni competitive for roles in research & development, technology transfer, start-ups and multidisciplinary sustainability projects.
Employers may include mining and materials companies, recycling and recovery firms, environmental consultancies, technology providers, research institutions and public-sector organisations involved in resource policy and circular-economy implementation.