Master of Science in Environmental Sciences (MSc ES) Trier University

The international and interdisciplinary Master's programme in Environmental Sciences (ES) is designed for graduates in environmental, life, and geosciences who intend to specialise in different fields of environmental assessment, monitoring, and management issues. Based on advanced methodological skills and systems analysis, the students will be trained for jobs in public authorities, private agencies, relevant sections in related industries, insurance companies, and others. In addition, the Master's degree entitles graduates to follow a scientific career in universities and research institutions.

The programme offers three alternative fields of specialisation, of which some modules are also made available as a digital teaching offer. These modules are marked with an asterisk (*) in the respective semester course schedules.

Environmental Monitoring and Pollution Assessment (ES I):

Impacts of climate change and environmental pollution to environmental systems, chemical analysis of the environmental impact of toxic substances on biotic and abiotic environment, disturbance of ecological cycles, assessment of cause-and-effect chains 

Environmental Remote Sensing and Modelling (ES II):

Use of remote sensing systems for assessing and monitoring the environment, focused on terrestrial ecosystems and the atmosphere/climate system; integration of process models and spatial data analysis (in numerical models and GIS) 

Environmental Conservation and Restoration Management (ES III):

Management strategies for nature conservation and restoration as well as dumpsite reclamation and remediation. Main study subjects in this international Master's programme are: Analytical and Ecological Chemistry, Biogeography, Computer Sciences, Environmental Meteorology / Climatology, Environmental Remote Sensing and Geoinformatics, Geobotany, Geology, Geostatistics, Hydrology, Mathematics, Soil Sciences, Sustainable Development.

The Master's programme in Environmental Sciences (ES) is a full-time programme designed for two years (four semesters). Based on a common teaching scheme in the first semester, the programme offers three alternative fields of specialisation from the second semester onwards:

• Environmental Monitoring and Pollution Assessment (ES I)
• Environmental Remote Sensing and Modelling (ES II)
• Environmental Conservation and Restoration Management (ES III)

The study programme includes both compulsory and optional courses, so that the enrolled student can develop individual fields of competence and qualification. A variety of teaching methods, including lectures, seminars, laboratory work, field projects, and excursions, are offered. The Master's programme is completed with a thesis, to be written in the selected field of specialisation. The Master's degree will be awarded based on the credit points acquired during the two-year programme and the results of the Master's thesis. Successful alumni will be qualified to begin PhD programmes.

The compulsory modules for the fields of specialisation (ES I, ES II, ES III) are described in the module handbook. The study plans provide an overview of the semester-specific assignment of the individual modules.

More information can be found at the following link: https://www.uni-trier.de/index.php?id=52430#c157715.

Special offer during the first semester – starter programme: The module "Basics in Meteorology and Climate" is offered during the first winter semester by the Department of Environmental Meteorology as part of a so-called pre-study offer.

Luxembourg Institute of Science and Technology (LIST), Luxembourg; https://www.list.lu/

Internships during the Master's programme are not planned.

Non-EU citizens:

• 15 January 2027 for the summer semester 2027 (admission also valid for the winter semester 2027/28)
• 31 May 2027 for the winter semester 2027/28 (admission also valid for the summer semester 2028)

German citizens, EU citizens, and applicants with a BA or MA degree from a German university:

• 15 March 2027 for the summer semester 2027 (admission also valid for the winter semester 2027/28)
• 15 September 2027 for the winter semester 2027/28 (admission also valid for the summer semester 2028)

Recommended start of the programme: winter semester

• Degree (BSc or equivalent) in environmental sciences or similar
• Personal statement / motivation letter
• CV

Trier University does not charge tuition fees. Students only have to pay a semester contribution of approx. 380 EUR for the first semester and 360 EUR from the second semester onwards. This includes the "Deutschlandticket", which covers public transport and local trains all over Germany. The contribution also benefits Trier Student Services and the student union. It also enables students to buy meals at reduced prices at the university's canteens.

Students should expect expenses of approx. 1,000 EUR per month. For instance, monthly housing costs are approx. 290 to 400 EUR (in a student's dormitory or a room in a shared flat) and 450 to 650 EUR (for a single apartment on the private market). A meal in the student cafeteria costs approx. 3.50 to 5 EUR.

Students from the European Union, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland enjoy unrestricted access to the German labour market. International students from other countries are allowed to work 120 full days or 240 half days per year.

The Career Service of Trier University and the "Agentur für Arbeit" provide an online database for student jobs. Job offers can also be found on the website of the "Bundesagentur für Arbeit": https://jobboerse.arbeitsagentur.de.

Additionally, some temporary student jobs can be found on the university's bulletin boards. However, many job offers will require at least some knowledge of German.

Trier University offers some funding opportunities for international students in the final stage of their degree programmes (maximum duration: six months). However, there are no funding opportunities within the university for the whole course of study or the first three semesters of the programme.

Trier University’s career service offers a broad range of advisory services, seminars, and events: www.career-service.uni-trier.de.

Additionally, Trier University’s International Office offers a programme specifically targeted at international students: www.career-international.de.

Accommodation is available in student halls of residence through the Student Services Office (Studierendenwerk Trier: http://www.studiwerk.de) or on the private market (for more information: www.study-in-trier.de). Monthly housing costs are approx. 290 to 400 EUR (for a basic dorm room with a shared bathroom) and 450 to 650 EUR (for a single apartment on the private market).

With an open eye for the individual and society...

... we create innovation.

... we share knowledge.

... we bridge borders.

Trier University was founded in 1473, and it reopened in 1970 as a modern campus university. Built on a high plateau overlooking the Moselle River and surrounded by luscious green nature, it is said to be one of Germany's most beautiful campuses. Faculty and departmental buildings are connected by bridges and grouped around the forum and the central library.
Trier University has a strong focus on the humanities, social sciences, and economics, but it is also steadily strengthening its information science and environmental science programmes. There are six faculties that together cover more than 30 subject areas. Many research projects are interdisciplinary in nature and embedded in global networks.
With its roughly 1,200 employees and 10,500 students (including about 19% international students), Trier University embraces contrast: young yet true to tradition, internationally oriented yet regionally rooted, and at the geographic edge of Germany but in the heart of Europe.

http://www.uni-trier.de

Mission statement: https://www.uni-trier.de/en/university/about-trier-university/translate-to-englisch-leitbild

Trier is situated in the western part of the federal state of Rhineland-Palatinate in the Moselle Valley. The city is proud of its rich history, which is reflected in its museums and its many historical sites. Thanks to its landmarks, the Porta Nigra, the Trier Cathedral, and other significant architectural monuments, Germany's oldest city was declared a UNESCO World Cultural Heritage Site.
Today's cityscape is a fusion of history and modern lifestyle, not least characterised by a vibrant student life. With bars, cafés, and a colourful range of cultural offerings and festivals, Trier is a tourist attraction with international appeal and a beautiful place for the city's 110,000 residents to live.
The city's economy is characterised by a few major enterprises and many medium-sized businesses. Trier is in the heart of Europe, as evidenced by its proximity to Luxembourg, which is an important financial centre and the site of several EU institutions, as well as its proximity to France and Belgium. Nine twin towns and cities across Europe, Asia, and the USA attest to Trier's international orientation.

http://www.trier.de