Friederike, M.Sc. Sustainability Science in Lüneburg
Q: How did the interdisciplinary Bachelor's prepare you for your Master's?
A: As my Master's course was also very interdisciplinary, the Bachelor's prepared me very well. I was also able to build on a lot of what I had learned in my Bachelor's degree and there was a lot of overlap in terms of content.
Q: Which skills or perspectives from your Bachelor's degree are particularly helpful in your Master's degree?
A: The systemic and holistic approach to analyzing problems and finding solutions helped me a lot in my Master's degree. My previous knowledge of environmental psychology and the social sciences also provided a good basis for quickly and easily understanding the content of my Master's degree.
F: Were there any challenges when switching to a specialized Master's programme?
A: My Master's degree was just as generalized and broadly based as the "People and the Environment" Bachelor's degree. "Man and the Environment" prepared me perfectly for this breadth. In contrast, my fellow students who came from more specific Bachelor's degree courses had greater problems coping with the breadth of subjects.
Q: Looking back, what would you do differently (if at all) in your Bachelor's degree?
A: I would take the time to study two profile lines. Environmental psychology and environmental communication interested me equally and are relevant for my future career. Unfortunately, I opted for one profile line. Therefore, I missed out on useful knowledge.
Q: What Master's subjects or programs did you look at - and why did you choose yours?
A:
- Sustainability Science at Leuphana University Lüneburg
- Environmental studies and sustainability science at Lund University, Sweden
- Climate Change at the University of Copenhagen, Denmark
- Human Security at Aarhus University, Denmark
I chose the Master's in Sustainability Science at Leuphana University Lüneburg because the degree program was interdisciplinary and offered a balance of natural and social science subjects. In addition, Leuphana University is the only university in Germany with a faculty for sustainability and therefore has many professorships and a good reputation.
Jule, M.Sc. Ecology, Evolution and Conservation in Potsdam
Q: How did the interdisciplinary Bachelor's prepare you for your Master's?
A: The Bachelor's definitely laid an important foundation in terms of natural sciences. I was also ahead of others in that I was able to incorporate ecological processes into larger concepts, as I was also able to understand the processes at a chemical and soil science level. In addition, my knowledge of environmental law and environmental psychology enabled me to shed light on different perspectives in debates in applied nature conservation and identify the greatest common denominator.
Q: Which skills or perspectives from your Bachelor's degree are particularly helpful in your Master's degree?
A: Perspective-taking, holistic approaches, holistic understanding of human-environment relationships
Q: Were there any challenges when switching to a specialized Master's program?
A: Definitely. I lacked a lot of basic biology and definitely species knowledge. I also opted for an English-language Master's and it took me a while to become fluent and to master the specialist terminology. But if you're interested in the subject, these are minor things.
Q: Looking back, what (if anything) would you do differently in your Bachelor's degree?
A: Maybe actually learn something more sustainable. Or maybe not. The Bachelor's period is also important for personal and social development. Just don't be too dogged and enjoy a bit of freedom. Any other stage of education is automatically more serious.
Q: Which Master's subjects or programs did you look at - and why did you choose yours?
A: In the broadest sense, anything with ecology and conservation in Germany and Sweden. The applications in Sweden went wrong because of a formal error. Then I only had the choice between two universities. I am very happy that I chose Potsdam. The nature is super diverse and so was the degree program.
Selina, M.Phil. Global development Theory and Practice in Bergen (Norway)
Q: How did the interdisciplinary Bachelor's degree prepare you for your Master's degree?
A: I found the interdisciplinary nature of the Bachelor's very challenging. We were used to processing a lot of content in a short space of time and switching between different subject areas. This required a high workload, but also simply a lot of curiosity to work through the jargon, basic theories and applications. It became particularly exciting when I was able to draw connections between the research groups independently after a few semesters - that was very rewarding. The work mode prepared me well for the Master's and everything else. I had the feeling that I had received a solid academic grounding and attitude from the Bachelor's degree - that's worth a lot.
Q: Which skills or perspectives from the Bachelor's degree are particularly helpful in your Master's degree?
A: I think the perspective of a fundamental openness and sincere recognition of different academic areas of study and their methodologies has helped me a lot in my Master's and beyond. While many interdisciplinary groups (whether students in the Master's program or researchers in the project) are made up of people from different disciplines, this often involves intense discussions about how to actually do science. This can be resource-intensive. Overcoming this hurdle and perhaps even bridging it for the team is incredibly helpful and can even be a real competitive advantage.
Q: Were there any challenges in switching to a specialized Master's program?
A: My Master's was not strictly disciplinary, so that was fine. We had enough time in the first semester to familiarize ourselves with basic concepts and I think that's the case in all Master's programs where students from different areas of study are admitted. However, as my Running track progressed, I got into the habit of always paying attention to which discipline or specialization my counterpart comes from. This helps me to better classify feedback and use it constructively. I certainly picked up this sensitivity from the interdisciplinary Bachelor's degree in People and the Environment.
Q: Looking back, what would you do differently (if at all) in the Bachelor's degree?
A: I would definitely study People and the Environment again. The community was enormously formative for me and I am very satisfied with my broad and truly interdisciplinary basic education. At the time, I couldn't have restricted myself so much and chosen a specialized degree - I didn't even know what sociology actually meant, for example, and in retrospect I would probably have always wondered whether something else might have suited me better. I explored so many things here and then chose what I wanted to specialize in. In my case, it was environmental psychology and that was really the right choice for me.
Q: Which Master's subjects or programs did you look at - and why did you choose yours?
A: I looked at a lot of Master's programs and remember these specifically (as I think I was accepted to them):
- Psychology & Sustainability at Leuphana University Sustainability in Lüneburg
- Society and the Environment at the Christian - Albrechts - University in Kiel
- Social-ecological resilience for sustainable development at Stockholm University
I opted for the Master's degree, which I ended up studying, because it seemed very complementary to the Bachelor's degree. There was also a gender specialization that I was interested in and because the location appealed to me the most.
Lara, Research Assistant in Biology Didactics at RPTU
Q: What do you currently do for a living - and how did you get there?
A: I am currently working as a research assistant in biology didactics at RPTU in Landau. I work there in both research and teaching and am doing my doctorate in the field of systems thinking in education for sustainable development. I became aware of the position because I had previously worked as a research assistant in biology didactics. In particular, the appreciative supervision during and after my MuU bachelor's thesis - which has since been published as a scientific paper - showed me how much I enjoy scientific work. That was ultimately the decisive reason for accepting the position.
Q: How does your interdisciplinary background help you in your job?
A: My department is based at the Institute for Science Education, which includes biology, geography, chemistry and physics. My studies have given me a solid grounding in several of these subjects (except physics) - this makes it easier to work together in the project team and to exchange ideas. I am currently working on the effects of wild bee mortality, among other things. My interdisciplinary background helps me to look at complex relationships from different perspectives - especially when scientific issues also affect social or economic dimensions.
Q: How is your study profile perceived by employers?
A: As I didn't complete a traditional teacher training course, I initially lacked some specific knowledge of biology didactics. I was able to learn a lot through my Master's degree (Biodiversity and Environmental Education at the PH Karlsruhe), and in some cases I read up on the subject myself. At the same time, I bring very valuable skills to the team through my MuU degree - for example, a broad-based knowledge that offers many points of contact or the ability to flexibly immerse myself in different subject areas.
Q: What would you say to someone who is worried about starting their career with a "non-traditional" study profile?
A: I can well understand these concerns, but: a "non-traditional" study profile such as MuU does not rule out traditional career paths and can also be seen as part of a career. Sometimes this requires detours, for example by making up missing credits, taking additional subjects or doing additional training. In my case, for example, I have the opportunity to use my Bachelor's and Master's degrees to switch to teaching as a career changer and go straight into teacher training. At the same time, MuU also opens up prospects for exciting activities off the beaten track - often in areas that were previously not even on your radar. Ultimately, it is a very individual decision as to which path is right for you.
Sophia, Project Engineer at CDM Smith
Q: What do you currently do for a living - and how did you get there?
A: I work as a project engineer at CDM Smith in the environmental division. I started there as a working student shortly before the end of my studies and was then taken on.
Q: How does your interdisciplinary background help you in your job?
A: I understand environmental issues and can contribute in many different ways. I recently joined the sustainability working group and can work flexibly on different topics.
Q: How is your study profile perceived by employers?
A: Very well! I consistently receive interested and positive feedback on my course description and also on the topic of my bachelor's thesis (mindfulness and climate anxiety), even though it doesn't directly intersect with my current job in terms of content.
Q: What would you say to someone who is worried about starting their career with a "non-traditional" study profile?
A: In my experience, the study profile was seen as interesting and special and therefore offered me more of an advantage.