Master´s Programme of Science in Ecology, 120ECTS

The MSc in Ecology and the Environment will provide students with a range of practical and theoretical skills and insights required of a professional in the field of ecology and the environment. It also prepares students for PhD studies. Students will develop a critical scientific approach to ecology and an awareness of its role in society. Courses cover theories in population, community and systems ecology and how they relate to current environmental problems. Furthermore, students train their skills in experimental design and ecological field methodology both in the courses and during the individual project in the second year. The project can be conducted in close linkage with current research projects at the department - e.g. in grassland and weed ecology, ecology and biogeochemistry of shallow waters or conservation biology - or at external universities and other institutions.

This Master program also emphasizes the need for, and use of, mathematical models and statistical analyses for addressing complex ecological problems. Such methods serve as powerful tools to e.g. identify crop management strategies for effective biological control, understand life-history strategies and the risk of population extinction in a variable environment, or evaluate the preservation status of nature reserves and the impact of management schemes. Projects in this field are offered in cooperation with the research group in Theoretical biology, as well as at other universities and organizations. With a Master of Science in Ecology and the Environment from Linköping University the student is prepared to continue as a PhD student or to work with environmental and conservation biology at national and international levels, as well as with sustainable use of natural resources such as forestry and agriculture.

For detailed questions, please contact study counselor Eva Mattsson at the Department of Physics, Chemistry and Biology: biologi-utbildning@ifm.liu.se