Environmental Studies

The Bachelor’s programme in Environmental Studies is open to graduates of all kinds of secondary schools, providing them with a broad overview of links between society and the natural world. The three-year day studies largely focus on protection of nature, landscape and the environment and its cultural, social, economic and political contexts.

“Society, nature and environment”

The mission of the study program is to prepare university educated specialists to be capable of reflecting in their practice on environmental issues. Graduates of this field will be ready to work in a wide range of organizations communicating environmental issues, whether in a position of public administration, self-government, or non-governmental non-profit organizations.

The study program further supports students' interpersonal competences, i.e. their ability to collaborate in a team and to reflect on their activities.

The Bachelor’s courses explore connections between natural sciences, environmental science, geography, biology etc., social sciences (environmental economy, sociology, philosophy, history etc.) and the offer includes a wide range of courses with practical focus (business, environmental education, NGOs, landscape management etc.). Each student experiences over 80 hours of practice relating to the environment.

For the sake of clarity, the programme is organized in so-called blocks of study focus. The first block consists of compulsory subjects that every student has to pass. These are typically methodological subjects and subjects mediating fundamental insights into environmental issues (from the perspective of natural sciences as well as humanities). Another three blocks consist of compulsory options structured by their thematic focus, whose completion will provide the student with basic knowledge in the narrower field. They are the following:

A) Social-environmental business: specialization in business with goals other than making profit, whether in social, environmental or cultural domain. The primary focus is thus on practical skills useful in the world of business while at the same time surpassing this world through theoretical and critical insights.

B) Cultural environmental studies are designed for students interested in the roots and wider contexts of environmental issues. You will get unique fundamental cultural-historical knowledge which will provide you with a solid basis for continuing your studies in social sciences and humanities.

C) Civic activism and public administration is an integral study block for all who want to contribute to protecting natural environment in non-profit organizations, in state administration or through self-governing administrative bodies. The courses provide insights into the operation of environmental organizations and teach practical knowledge and skills such as project management, fundraising for non-profit organizations, cooperation in teams etc.

All of the three blocks (tracks) are optional; the main goal of the structure is to make the individual areas of research and teaching by the Department and its degree programmes more transparent.

Practical training

Internship of 80 hours is a compulsory component of the degree programme; students get 2 ECTS credits for this and the credits are awarded after the Internship Report has been submitted. The internships take place in bodies of state administration and local administration, and in non-governmental and private institutions whose activities are related to environmental issues. During the internship, the student gets acquainted with the nature of work and organization of the institution and its activities and/or selected projects. It is up to the student to choose the semester in which they want to do the internship. The Department has a list of institutions with which a long-term cooperation has been going on and where the internship can be accomplished. The list is being subject to updates.

Further information

http://humenv.fss.muni.cz/english

https://www.fss.muni.cz/about_us/workplace/kat_env/env_about?lang=en

https://www.fss.muni.cz/admission?lang=en

Graduates of environmental studies typically find jobs in institutions where strictly technical or natural-scientific approaches to environmental issues do not suffice. They can work, for instance, for state administration bodies, natural protection institutions, natural reservations’ administration and environmental counselling (the common denominator of which jobs is understanding social contexts and necessity to communicate), in environmental education at all levels, in non-governmental environmental and civic organizations with professional ambitions etc.

The graduates can be attractive to their potential employers by their knowledge of the basics of natural-scientific contexts of environmental protection and their knowledge of the principles of their social contexts and of communicating environmental issues. They can also be attractive by knowing how to prepare, implement and explain clearly environmental research and understanding and being able to explain findings of previous research.

No information available

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Minimum score and numbers of accepted applicants in past years

The graduate of the Bachelor’s degree programme can carry on studying in any of the Master’s programmes offered by the Faculty of Social Studies (after they have complied with the entrance requirements). They are best prepared for the Master’s programme in Environmental Studies.