Ecosystem Services Dresden University of Technology

Ecosystem services as the direct and indirect contributions of ecosystems to human well-being are gaining increasing attention in science, policy, and society. Identifying, mapping, and capturing the values of ecosystem services and the integration of this knowledge in public and private decision-making are important objectives of national, European, and international biodiversity and sustainability strategies. The MSc programme in Ecosystem Services is devoted to understanding the causes of biodiversity loss and ecosystem degradation as well as to analysing their impacts on ecosystem functioning and human well-being in an interdisciplinary manner.

Core modules (Zittau and Görlitz):

• Ecosystem Services – Concepts and Development
• Applied Ecology
• Introduction into Key Taxa
• Methods of Empirical Social Research
• Intercultural Communication and Foreign Language Skills
• Biodiversity and Ecosystem Governance
• Ecosystem Accounting

Elective modules:

In the focus area of Environmental Social Sciences (mainly Zittau)

• Nature and Ecosystem Services in the City
• Resource Management and Sustainability
• Ecosystem Services – Case Studies
• Quantitative Methods of Empirical Research
• Biodiversity Management and Sustainability
• Environmental Law

In the focus area of Biotechnology (Zittau)

• Environmental Chemistry
• Environmental and Fungal Genomics
• Environmental Analysis
• Applied Microbiology

In the focus area of Ecology and Collections (mainly Görlitz)
e.g.

• Field Ecology
• Museum and Collections
• Collecting and Analysing Biodiversity Data
• Diversity and Ecology of Fungi and Lichens
• Systematics and Bioindication of Bryophytes

In the focus area of Forestry (Tharandt)
e.g.

• Forest Sites and Catchment Hydrology
• International Forest Development Policy
• Monitoring Forest Growth Using Ground-based and Remote Sensing Methods
• Agent-based Modelling for Socio-Ecological Systems
• Conflict Management and Communication
• International Wildlife Management

In the focus area of Spatial Development and Natural Resource Management (Dresden)
e.g.

• Integrated Water Resources Management
• Circular Economy
• Ecological and Revitalising Urban Restructuring
• Global Perspectives of Spatial Development
• Environmental Development and Risk Management
• Applied Landscape Ecology
• Strategic Sustainability Management

The programme combines the natural and social sciences expertise of the International Institute (IHI) Zittau and the Faculty of Environmental Sciences at TU Dresden, the Senckenberg Museum of Natural History in Görlitz, and the Leibniz Institute of Ecological Urban and Regional Development (IÖR) in Dresden.
Compulsory courses include the basics of ecosystem services, empirical social research methods, biodiversity and ecosystem governance as well as ecosystem accounting. Courses on ecology, such as applied ecology and taxonomy, complement the subjects taught in the first two semesters. Starting in the second semester, students can choose among a variety of optional courses to deepen their knowledge in fields such as Environmental Social Sciences, Ecology and Collections, Forestry, Biotechnology, or Spatial Development and Natural Resource Management. The courses are taught in Zittau and Görlitz (first and second semesters). During the second semester and especially the third semester, courses may also take place in Dresden or Tharandt, depending on the selected focus area. Students can acquire methodological skills in ecosystem services case studies, quantitative methods in empirical social research, or ecological modelling. Alternatively, students can choose to spend a mobility semester abroad during the third semester. The fourth semester is dedicated to preparing the Master's thesis.

Senckenberg Museum of Natural History in Görlitz 
Leibniz Institute of Ecological Urban and Regional Development (IÖR) in Dresden

Students are requested to conduct a compulsory internship of either three or six weeks to learn about the application of the ecosystem services concept in practice.

Bachelor's degree (or equivalent) in life or environmental sciences, geography, forestry sciences, or economics, business management and social sciences with expertise in environmental or conservation matters
Each applicant has to submit a CV, letter of motivation, school-leaving certificate, university degree certificate, academic transcripts, and proof of English proficiency, e.g. an English language certificate.

Currently, students pay approx. 340 EUR per semester (i.e. for six months). This includes a ticket for public transport and regional trains in all of Germany ("Deutschlandticket"). Additionally, students can use a bike rental service all over the city of Dresden for free for 30 min. The contribution also assures concessions in the university cafeterias and offers benefits (e.g. price reductions) for many cultural and leisure activities in Dresden.

Zittau and Dresden offer high quality of living at very moderate costs. Currently, students should expect to pay around 950 EUR per month including rent, food, insurance and basic expenses. This figure is relatively low compared to other big German cities.

In order to top up their budget, some students may want to look for temporary work. If so, different regulations apply for students from EU member states, countries of the European Economic Area (EEA) and Switzerland, and students from outside the European Union and the EEA area. In addition, restrictions on the duration of employment may apply. Professors, lecturers and group leaders involved in the Master's programme may offer students the possibility of working as academic assistants. However, living expenses can be financed only partially through a job as an academic assistant.

TU Dresden offers plenty of counselling and training by the Career Service to help students with finding professional orientation. They offer workshops to equip students with professional skills and help optimise their CVs.

Additionally, there are special workshops for international students to get to know the German and Saxon job market and network.

It is quite easy to find affordable accommodation in Zittau. Accommodation is available either via the "Studentenwerk Dresden" or on the private market. Rent for a single room in a student residence is from approx. 250 EUR per month.

Private housing can be found online. We recommend that you move into a hall of residence at the beginning of your stay in Zittau. Subsequently, you can look for a place on the private market or in a shared apartment, which is known as a "Wohngemeinschaft" in German.